Red means stop

and that's just one question!

Phew! Easily the most complicated and complex bid of my short career has been submitted for Red team review. I have been working solidly for more than two months as part of a small Shipley team of three on a highly valuable and multi-faceted facilities management bid from the very start of the process. Now, in line with the Shipley method, we have reached the point where we put our pens down and leave the final draft for our clients' operational experts to pick over and check ahead of submission.

It has been fascinating to embark upon such a steep learning curve. From a thorough SWOT analysis of the situation and the likely competitors to a series of content-planning sessions to map out the 31 questions we were tasked to provide responses for.

However, so elaborate was the portfolio within the contract that a sufficiently thorough answer to one question alone took the pagination to three figures.

I was heavily involved with interviewing Subject Matter Experts to get the information that would frame the responses, an intense and lively process which included one six-hour session with only a 15 minute break for lunch and the occasional cup of tea.

The challenge was to keep the meeting energised and productive; by keeping the tone light but also introducing a friendly edge of competitiveness to which of the long-term colleagues could prompt the best evidence from their peers, the time passed quickly.

Diligent cross-referencing with the question and mark scheme ensured all aspects of the ITT were covered and now it is just the frustration of waiting for the final decision.