Most requests for proposals (RFPs) and tenders these days are concerned with ‘outcome proposals’.
Many of us could be easily confused by what our clients mean by ‘input’, ‘output’ and ‘outcome’.
In fact most unsuccessful tenders deliver an output proposal: they are task-orientated proposals rather than results-orientated proposals.
It is crucial to explain to our clients what we plan to implement, and how. But to deliver results, a proposal cannot rely only on inputs and outputs. To use an analogy, we all know that we can be very busy doing things, but achieving nothing or very little. That is why most governmental institutions are concerned nowadays with outcome proposals.
As every sector, every institution, every proposal has different inputs, outputs and outcomes, it is very difficult to give an example for each of them, but please take a look at the graph below. We call it a Logic Model (LM). See if you can identify the differences between inputs, outputs and outcomes, and if you can apply your learning to one of your current proposals. To summarise:
- Inputs: the resources that go into the programme/service
- Outputs: what is produced through those activities
- Outcomes: the changes or benefits that result from the programme/service
As you can see, an outcome could be short, medium or long term. In addition, to measure these outcomes, it is advisable to include a key performance indicator (KPI) in every proposal. Preparing an LM for every proposal or tender is highly recommended. LMs are very good frameworks to increase conversion rates.