Proposal Comparison
Part of Comparing agency proposals
Building a shortlist scorecard from agreed requirements
Create an agency shortlist scorecard with essential gates, evidence-based criteria and a clear way to handle unknowns.
Build a shortlist scorecard from the brief, material clarifications and priorities your decision makers agreed for the purchase. Use it to show which proposals meet essential conditions, what evidence supports each assessment and what remains unknown. The scorecard should lead to a reasoned shortlist, not substitute a total for judgement.
Turn requirements into assessable questions
For each important requirement, ask what a proposal would need to show. “Good strategic fit” is too broad by itself. “Does the first stage investigate the suspected cause before committing to production?” can be assessed against a proposed plan.
Keep the scorecard short. Group related questions under fit with the problem, delivery plan, proposed team, client dependencies and commercial clarity. If an agency suggests an unexpected approach, assess whether it meets the underlying requirement rather than penalising a different format.
If priorities were not recorded before proposals arrived, document them from the original brief and current business need before scoring. Do not adjust criteria or weights simply because a favoured agency scores poorly.
Separate essential conditions from differences
A gate is a condition the business cannot reasonably trade away, such as compatibility with a required system. Confirm why each gate is essential.
Record a pass, fail or unresolved result with the proposal passage or written clarification that supports it. An unanswered question is not automatically a failure; seek clarification where the process permits.
Assess differences among acceptable proposals using defined labels such as strong evidence, some evidence, weak evidence and unknown. Set out what each label means before reviewers use it. “Unknown” means the proposal has not established the point; it is not a finding that the agency lacks the capability.
| Criterion from the brief | Evidence to look for | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Addresses the problem | Proposed decisions and work tied to the desired outcome | Assessment and proposal location |
| Can deliver the first stage | Roles, availability, milestones and dependencies | Assessment and open question |
| Fits client capacity | Inputs and approvals your team can provide | Assessment and client owner |
| Commercial offer is clear | Included work, exclusions, total and change conditions | Assessment and quote version |
These are example criteria. Use the requirements of the actual engagement.
Assessment labels, strongest to least established
- Strong evidenceDefine this label before reviewers use it
- Some evidenceDefine this label before reviewers use it
- Weak evidenceDefine this label before reviewers use it
- UnknownThe proposal has not established the point — it is not a finding that the agency lacks the capability
Example criteria: evidence to look for and what to record
- Addresses the problemEvidence to look for: proposed decisions and work tied to the desired outcome. Record: assessment and proposal location.
- Can deliver the first stageEvidence to look for: roles, availability, milestones and dependencies. Record: assessment and open question.
- Fits client capacityEvidence to look for: inputs and approvals your team can provide. Record: assessment and client owner.
- Commercial offer is clearEvidence to look for: included work, exclusions, total and change conditions. Record: assessment and quote version.
Agree importance and form the shortlist
If criteria have different importance, record that judgement before scoring. Avoid overlapping criteria that reward the same presentation several times.
Keep cost beside the assessment of the work offered, including necessary client effort. Arithmetic cannot repair an incomplete scope.
Reviewers can assess independently, then discuss material differences using proposal evidence. Record the agreed assessment and any unresolved disagreement. Do not turn an unsupported impression into a precise number to fill a spreadsheet.
Resolve essential unknowns where possible. Shortlist offers that meet the gates and credibly fit the work at a cost and client effort the business can accept. Note each shortlisted agency's strengths, limits and questions for the next conversation.
For an excluded proposal, record the requirement or evidence gap behind the decision. If none meets an essential requirement, revisit the requirement or the request before selecting anyone.
From scoring to a reasoned shortlist
- Record what matters before scoringNote where criteria differ in importance, and avoid overlapping criteria that reward the same presentation several times.
- Assess independentlyReviewers assess separately before comparing notes.
- Discuss material differences using proposal evidenceKeep cost beside the assessment of the work offered, including necessary client effort.
- Record the agreed assessment and any unresolved disagreementDo not turn an unsupported impression into a precise number to fill a spreadsheet.
- Resolve essential unknowns where possibleSeek clarification where the process permits.
- Shortlist offers that meet the gates and credibly fit the workAt a cost and client effort the business can accept; note each shortlisted agency's strengths, limits and questions for the next conversation.
- Record why an offer was excludedState the requirement or evidence gap behind the decision.
- Revisit the requirement if nothing passesIf no proposal meets an essential requirement, revisit the requirement or the request before selecting anyone.
