3.5: FAQs
- Page ID
- 53805
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)3.5 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Clarifying Procurement and Solicitation Planning
1. How is this milestone different from Milestone 1?
Milestone 1 focused on decision-making: whether outsourcing made sense, what should be outsourced, which contract type to use, and what risks exist.
Milestone 2 focuses on execution design: how the organization will carry out those decisions in a structured, defensible, and repeatable way. You are no longer debating strategy—you are designing the machinery that turns strategy into action.
2. Why does the Procurement and Solicitation Plan repeat information from the Outsourcing Plan?
This duplication is intentional. Each document serves a different audience and purpose.
The Outsourcing Plan explains why outsourcing is being pursued.
The Procurement and Solicitation Plan explains how that decision will be executed.
In real organizations, procurement documents must stand on their own. They cannot assume the reader has access to prior planning artifacts.
3. Are we expected to contact real vendors or issue a real RFP?
No. This is a simulated procurement exercise.
However, you should write your plan as if it will be used in a real procurement. Use professional language, realistic timelines, and credible processes. The quality of your thinking and documentation matters more than actual vendor engagement.
4. How detailed does the Procurement and Solicitation Process need to be?
Detailed enough that someone outside your team could execute it.
For each procurement step, you should clearly document:
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Purpose of the step
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Expected outputs
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Roles involved
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Risks if the step is done poorly
Avoid high-level summaries that skip operational detail.
5. Do we need to recreate requirements documents (URD, HLDD, SRS)?
No. You are not required to author full requirements documents.
Your responsibility is to explain how those documents would be used by vendors—how vendors review them, ask questions, validate understanding, and base their proposals on them.
6. How realistic do our timelines need to be?
Your timelines should be plausible and defensible, not arbitrary.
They should reflect:
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Time needed for vendor questions and responses
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Internal review and approval cycles
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Negotiation and contract execution
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Transition and onboarding considerations
You are not graded on exact durations—but unrealistic timelines weaken your plan.
7. Can we assume the vendor will “just manage themselves”?
No. That assumption is one of the most common outsourcing failures.
Outsourcing does not remove accountability. It increases the need for:
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Defined monitoring processes
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Clear reporting expectations
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Active project management
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Formal governance and escalation
Your plan must show that vendor work is actively managed.
8. What if our procurement strategy conflicts with organizational policy or constraints?
In real organizations, procurement strategies must operate within policy constraints.
For this milestone, you should:
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Clearly state any assumed constraints
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Design procurement processes that respect governance expectations
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Explain tradeoffs where necessary
Demonstrating awareness of constraints strengthens your plan.
9. Do we need to choose between competitive procurement and negotiation?
Yes—but your choice must be justified.
You should clearly explain:
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Why a competitive or negotiated approach is appropriate
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How fairness and transparency are ensured
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How risks are mitigated regardless of approach
There is no “correct” choice—only a defensible one.
10. How do we handle scope changes during execution?
Your plan must include a formal change control process.
This process should:
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Require documentation of change requests
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Include impact analysis on scope, cost, and schedule
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Define approval authority
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Prevent unauthorized work
Ignoring change control is not acceptable in professional procurement.
11. How much detail is expected in contract monitoring and governance?
Enough to demonstrate discipline and accountability.
Your plan should clearly explain:
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How performance issues are identified
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How risks are escalated
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How corrective actions are agreed and tracked
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Who has authority to enforce contract terms
Governance must be explicit—not implied.
12. What does “success” look like for this milestone?
Success means producing a Procurement and Solicitation Plan that:
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Aligns with the outsourcing strategy
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Can be executed by a procurement or project team
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Demonstrates professional judgment and realism
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Shows clear connections between procurement decisions and delivery outcomes
If your plan feels like something a real organization could approve and use, you are on the right track.
Final Reminder
Milestone 2 is not about perfection—it’s about professional execution readiness.
If your plan:
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Anticipates risks
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Defines accountability
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Enforces governance
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And supports delivery
Then you are thinking like a procurement and project leader—not just a student.