Prospert’s 10 Tips for your Tender Debrief

It’s a long wait until February-March 2025 for the New Specialist Disability Employment Program (NSDEP) tender outcomes! While we’re all eagerly counting down, now’s the perfect time to bring your bid team together for a debrief. A well-structured post-bid review can uncover valuable insights to sharpen your strategy and make future submissions even stronger, no matter the outcome.

At Prospert, we’ve compiled 10 actionable tips to help you refine your approach, capture valuable insights, and strengthen future submissions. Our blog goes beyond the basics of addressing criteria, prompting providers to consider if their tender ambitions truly aligned with their organisation’s capacity and capabilities.

We dive into key areas like co-design feedback, case study effectiveness, data usage, and geographic footprint. Plus, find out how to access Prospert’s Bid Review Template to simplify and enhance your debrief process.

Why conduct a post-bid review?

A post-bid review provides a valuable opportunity to capture lessons learned, highlight strengths, and identify areas for improvement. This process is especially important for NSDEP, where participant engagement and co-design can set your service apart. By examining key elements like co-design processes, data collection, and service model development, your team can prepare for future bids with deeper insight and greater effectiveness.

Key steps for a NSDEP-specific debrief process

1. Gather your bid team

Bring everyone who contributed to the DES bid together, from executives and program managers to site leads, data analysts, and tender writers. At Prospert, we recommend engaging team members through a workshop, short anonymous surveys, and one-on-one interviews to gather a comprehensive range of insights.

2. Set a constructive and forward-looking tone

Approach the debrief as an opportunity to learn and grow. Encourage your team to reflect openly on both successes and challenges, focusing on actionable improvements. A positive tone helps make it a productive experience for everyone involved.

3. Reflect on co-design processes and participant and employer involvement

Co-design is essential for DES service models, ensuring participant voices are integrated into program development. Consider:

• Did we meaningfully involve participants in shaping our service model?

• Were participants from diverse cohorts represented in the co-design process?

• How well did we incorporate feedback to create a model that meets participant needs?

If gaps are identified, consider enhancing engagement in future bids by incorporating ongoing feedback or expanding participant involvement.

4. Evaluate the new service model development

Reflect on the service model your organisation proposed for NSDEP, particularly considering the co-design feedback. Key questions include:

• Did you allow enough time to design the service delivery model?

• Did the model reflect a strong understanding of DES participant and employer needs and challenges?

• How well did the model demonstrate innovation, flexibility, and responsiveness?

5. Review case studies

Strong case studies were essential for demonstrating your organisation’s experience, local knowledge and partnerships for wrap-around support. Reflect on the case studies included in your bid:

• Were relevant case studies easily accessible?

• Did the case studies illustrate the impact of your services on different cohorts?

• Did the case studies capture meaningful outcomes?

Review your processes for collecting and presenting case studies. Plus, consider how these stories can be used in your internal and external communications going forward.

6. Examine data collection and usage

Data was essential in demonstrating impact and providing evidence to support your claims. Reflect on how effectively data was used:

• Did we have relevant data that supported DES-specific performance indicators?

• Was the data aligned with DES goals and performance criteria?

• What additional data would strengthen future submissions?

If data limitations emerged, it might be worth enhancing your business intelligence tools to track more social outcomes, like mental health, housing stability, and education.

7. Assess the selection of your Employment Service Areas (ESAs)

Selecting the right ESAs can significantly impact your performance and income. Evaluate whether the areas your organisation targeted were strategically chosen:

• Did we select areas that align with our service strengths and capacity to deliver services effectively?

• Were there unmet needs or opportunities in areas we didn’t bid for?

• Would a different geographical approach have strengthened our bid?

8. Evaluate the project plan, resource allocation, and consultant contributions

A robust project plan and adequate resources are key to a smooth bid process. Reflect on:

• Was the project plan comprehensive, with clear roles, responsibilities, and deadlines?

• Did we allocate adequate resources, including time, personnel, and budget, for the bid’s scale?

• Were external consultants leveraged effectively, providing valuable resources and insights that strengthened the bid?

A well-defined project plan and thoughtful resource allocation are essential. Whilst there are efficiencies in running an in house bid team, one of the drawbacks includes an inability to flex up or down as required.

9. Review content quality and case study integration

The quality and integration of content, especially data and case studies, are vital for a compelling bid. Consider:

• Did we effectively communicate our expertise?

• Were case studies and data woven into the narrative to highlight our impact on participants’ lives and employers’ businesses?

• Are there other unique elements or value propositions we could showcase in future bids?

If certain areas fell short, outline improvements for storytelling and case study integration.

10. Examine decision-making and sign-off processes

Reflect on the clarity and efficiency of decision-making:

• Were key decisions made in a timely and well-informed manner?

• Was there a clear process for approvals, especially during such a tight turnaround for submission?

• Did we involve senior leaders appropriately at critical points?

A streamlined decision-making process keeps the bid on track, with timely approvals and adjustments as needed.

Summarise insights and develop an action plan

Once feedback is gathered, summarise the key takeaways in a written report and create an action plan. This could involve updating co-design frameworks, improving case study collection, or establishing metrics for tracking service model outcomes. Sharing this plan with relevant stakeholders ensures that improvements are implemented across future bids.

Leverage department feedback

After the NSDEP award decision, seek an external debrief from the Department. This feedback can help refine your approach by offering an external perspective on your bid. Combining internal and external insights provides a balanced view of your bid’s strengths and areas for growth.

A culture of continuous improvement

Post-bid reviews are essential for building a resilient, competitive bidding strategy. By continually refining your processes, resource allocation, co-design practices, and business intelligence, you can enhance your organisation’s bids and position yourself for greater success. For support with your post-bid review, contact Prospert for a comprehensive assessment to strengthen your competitive edge.