# Quality Response Scaffold

> Most Irish public tenders are MEAT-evaluated (Most Economically Advantageous Tender), with quality typically weighted 60% – 80%. This scaffold gives you the standard sections an evaluator expects to find, in the order they expect to find them. Fill each section with specifics. Avoid generic statements.

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## Section 1 — Understanding of the Requirement
*Recommended length: 400 – 600 words*

- Restate the requirement in your own words (do NOT copy the RFT verbatim — evaluators notice)
- Identify the buyer's underlying objective (cost, risk, service continuity, modernisation)
- Call out the constraints they have flagged (timeline, transition, key dependencies)
- Demonstrate you have read the supporting documents (PIN, prior contract, sector strategy)

> Evaluator looks for: do they actually understand what we're trying to achieve, or have they pasted boilerplate?

## Section 2 — Proposed Methodology
*Recommended length: 800 – 1,500 words*

- Phase the work clearly: Initiation → Discovery → Design → Delivery → Closeout
- For each phase, state inputs, activities, outputs, governance touchpoints
- Map activities to the buyer's stated success criteria
- Reference standards (ITIL, PRINCE2, Agile, ISO, Public Spending Code) only if you actually use them

> Evaluator looks for: a defensible, realistic, repeatable approach — not a sales pitch.

## Section 3 — Project Management & Governance
*Recommended length: 300 – 500 words*

- Roles and responsibilities (your team and the buyer's)
- Reporting cadence (weekly status, monthly steering, quarterly review)
- Risk register approach and escalation route
- Change-control process
- Key handover artefacts at each milestone

## Section 4 — Team & CVs
*Recommended length: short narrative + CVs in annex*

- Named project lead with continuous availability for the contract period
- Team org chart showing who reports to whom
- Hours-per-week commitment for each named role (evaluators **always** check this)
- One-page CVs in the annex — focus on relevant past projects, not full career history

## Section 5 — Relevant Experience & Case Studies
*Recommended length: 2 – 3 case studies, 250 – 400 words each*

For each case study:

- **Client:** [name — anonymise only if NDA forces you to]
- **Period:** [start – end]
- **Value:** €[X]
- **Challenge:** what the client was trying to achieve
- **Approach:** what you did
- **Outcome:** quantified results (KPIs, savings, time-to-value)
- **Reference:** named contact, role, current contact details

## Section 6 — Quality Assurance
*Recommended length: 300 – 400 words*

- Your QMS (ISO 9001 or equivalent)
- How quality is managed on this specific contract (peer review, gateways, sign-off)
- Continuous improvement loop (lessons learned, customer satisfaction)

## Section 7 — Risk Management
*Recommended length: 300 – 400 words + risk register table*

- Top 5 risks specific to this contract (not generic risks)
- For each: likelihood, impact, mitigation, owner
- Your overall risk management framework

## Section 8 — Sustainability & Social Value
*Recommended length: 300 – 500 words*

Increasingly weighted in Irish public tenders. Address:

- Environmental impact and reduction commitments
- Community benefit (local employment, apprenticeships, SME sub-contracting)
- Diversity and inclusion in the delivery team
- Alignment with the buyer's published sustainability strategy

## Section 9 — Transition & Mobilisation Plan
*Recommended length: 300 – 500 words + Gantt*

- Activities from contract award to service-go-live
- Knowledge transfer from incumbent (if applicable)
- Risk register specific to transition
- Day-1 readiness checklist

## Section 10 — Added Value
*Recommended length: 200 – 400 words*

What you'll do **beyond** the stated requirement at no extra cost. Be concrete. Examples:

- Quarterly thought-leadership briefings
- Free user training sessions
- Annual benchmarking report
- Open-source tooling contributions

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## Final QA pass

Before you submit:

- [ ] Word counts are within the limits the RFT prescribes
- [ ] Every appendix referenced in the narrative is actually attached
- [ ] No "[TBD]", "[insert here]" or square-bracket placeholders left in
- [ ] Names of buyer, project, and prior bidder all spelled correctly throughout
- [ ] Two pairs of eyes have read the full submission end-to-end
- [ ] You uploaded the **final** version to eTenders, not the draft