Chapter 3. Getting Started: Request for Proposals (RFPs), Proposals, and Contracts

This chapter discusses how common procurement methods can result in project difficulties or even complete failure. It shows how inadequate Request for Proposals (RFPs) and Statements of Work (SOWs) make it difficult to employ modern iterative development methodologies such as the RUP.

I decided this chapter would be beneficial based on my experiences as a consultant and project manager on numerous projects that implemented the RUP. My experiences prior to that as a developer on various outsourced projects also contributed to the need for this chapter. I strongly encourage developers to understand the proposal process, because this is where many decisions are made that shape the experience on the project.

Having served as a consultant to various outsourced projects involving the RUP, I have spent much time listening to clients, trying to understand their difficulties with software development. As I have praised the virtues of modern development processes such as the RUP with these clients, I have often heard a response that disturbs me. A typical response is, "I hear what you're saying, but our Statement of Work/contract/agreement doesn't let us do it that way." In some cases, it is easy to work around these issues. In others, the situation becomes complex. Then, the focus turns to how to use a modern iterative development process while still conforming to the letter of the contractual agreement. This is when the problems arise. Even under the best of circumstances, software development is a difficult task. For many years, the industry has focused on methodology, techniques, languages, and process. We have come a long way. But there is room for improvementespecially in the areas of procurement and monitoring methods on large outsourced projects. To see why, let's look at how software systems are procured.