Posted to our
Agile Contracts discussion: Peter Stevens talks about
an agile approach to building an agile RFP to attract an agile vendor.
I found this an interesting read. Peter describes building the RFP in an agile manner, using SCRUM. I've also used SCRUM in this way, in building a full training course, which like Peter's RFP, is just documentation. An interesting application of SCRUM, which I can vouch for (we had good results from this project).
Not only does Peter talk about the principles of Agile Contracts, it shows a real-world example RFP structure (albeit with an enlightened customer!). It talks about the downsides (waste) of traditional RFP writing;
The process of writing a huge RFP, evaluating and eventually accepting complicated bids from largely unknown vendors is wasteful, risky and expensive. A customer will often invest substantial effort into creating a Request for Proposal (RFP). I've seen RFPs whose size is measured in binders and the effort to produce them measured in man-years. A vendor will often invest comparable effort into winning a big project. On both sides, this effort produces mostly paper. These artifacts have no value except as means to the goal of selecting a vendor.
Finally he talks about selecting the right Agile Vendor, with a focus on SCRUM, XP, Agile Estimation, and of course, productivity. He even suggests engaging the top two vendors in a (paid) competitive sprint before the final selection. I've met other customers who've done this and they report fantastic results with their chosen vendor. Skeptics will point out the cost of paying two vendors in a competitive evaluation such as this, but a better question is "what is the cost of *not* doing so?"
