This session focuses on how to effectively leverage the built in proposal cloud to achieve the most optimal output from the system. During this meeting, your Onboarding Specialist will cover the Core Four Principle to effectively manage proposal inputs, how to manipulate the outline and language types, page counts, how to generate pink team drafts, and how to efficiently and seamlessly utilize the Word Assistant to hook into the team’s existing review and recovery process, and then how to close out the opportunity in GovDash.
Preparation Recommendations
Ensure that you have sent your Onboarding Specialist your test proposal if you have not already (Please ensure your Onboarding Specialist has this at least 48 hours prior to our next session together).
Ensure that your proposal team members are invited to our scheduled session.
Focus on outstanding actions items from previous onboarding sessions.
Session Agenda
Entry Points into Proposal Development
Transition From Capture Cloud: Proposals often originate from a well-managed capture. Once an opportunity is marked “Ready for Proposal,” all context (solution data, solicitation files, win themes, etc.) transfers into the Proposal Cloud automatically after transitioning the opportunity. This ensures a seamless handoff and that all relevant information is available to the proposal team.
Proposal Cloud: If a proposal is last-minute (e.g., a quick-turn RFI), you can start from scratch in the Proposal Cloud by selecting Start a New Proposal from the top right. This feature allows teams to quickly initiate and build proposals without relying on prior capture data.
Uploading Solicitation Documents
When you upload the full solicitation package, including the RFP, PWS, RFQ, and attachment, these documents are automatically classified by the system. If the automatic classification is not accurate, you have the ability to manually change their classification to ensure the correct outline and compliance processing for your proposal.
Selecting Past Performance
GovDash enables users to select past performance records from the Contract Cloud or use the platform’s auto-select feature, which recommends relevant past performance based on the opportunity’s requirements. Once selected, these records are automatically populated into the appropriate proposal volume and are available to inform proposal drafting. This process streamlines the integration of relevant contract history and ensures that proposal content is tailored to the solicitation’s needs.
Additional Info
GovDash allows users to enhance proposal quality by adding optional details such as win themes, teaming partners, and risk mitigations. These inputs can be entered manually or will automatically carry over from the Capture phase if they have already been documented. Including these elements helps ensure that first drafts are more comprehensive and tailored to the opportunity, supporting a more efficient and effective proposal development process.
Generate Compliance Package & Outline
Once ready, click Finish. This action initiates the automated creation of two key deliverables: (1) a Compliance Package, which includes all required documentation and ensures alignment with federal standards, and (2) an Annotated Outline, providing a structured framework for proposal content. You will receive an email notification as soon as these materials are prepared and available for your review.
Working with the Outline & Compliance Tools
Outline Tab
When your proposal has finished outlining, you will see a notification in the platform and receive an email notification. GovDash automatically selects a broad set of sections to provide flexibility in structuring your outline, and users are encouraged to consolidate these sections as needed. The outline editor allows you to add or delete sections, reorder them using drag-and-drop functionality, assign section types and page limits, designate reviewers, and customize section names or organize them by volume (such as Technical or Management). These features are designed to help you efficiently tailor your proposal outline to meet specific requirements and preferences.
Document Classification
Proper document classification is essential for accurate proposal development. Each document should be classified according to its type (such as PWS, Questionnaire, Task Order, etc.) to ensure correct mapping to the proposal outline and requirements. Misclassifying a document (for example, tagging a PWS as “Cost Volume”) can negatively impact the outline structure and requirement mapping. Additionally, the platform allows users to upload amendments, which will reprocess your outline to reflect any updates, ensuring that the proposal remains current and compliant.
Compliance Tab
The Compliance tab contains the generated response compliance matrix and your solicitation package document shreds. Users can utilize Shred Mode for a rapid scan of critical Shall/Will/Must (SWM) requirements, and Review Mode to systematically map Proposal Preparation Instructions (Inst), Performance Work Statement (PWS) Task Area Requirements (Scope), and Evaluation Criteria (Eval) directly to outline sections.
GovDash provides filters and highlighting tools to help users sort and focus on mandatory content. Additionally, users can easily switch between source files to see how specific language is being mapped across documents. Once the review is complete, the Compliance Package can be downloaded, offering a detailed breakdown of requirement coverage and mapping for further analysis and audit readiness.
Managing Past Performance & Key Personnel
Past Performance Tab
The Past Performance tab in the proposal record displays all selected past performance. You can remove or edit these entries directly within this section. The records shown here are populated from your Contract Inventory. This setup allows you to manage and curate your past performance documentation efficiently, ensuring that only the most relevant and accurate records are included in your proposal.
Labor Categories & Key Personnel
You can assign Key Personnel (KP) candidates to each labor category by leveraging your Staffing Pool within the People tab in the Data Library. Within the Labor Categories tab, GovDash can provide recommendations on personnel that align with the LCAT requirements using the Find Recommended Personnel button.
Once candidates are assigned, you can use the Adjudicate Personnel button to adjudicate their resume against the LCAT requirements, ensuring that each KP meets the necessary qualifications. This workflow streamlines the process of matching personnel to labor categories and verifying their suitability directly within the platform.
Creating Writing Plans, Citations & Focus Documents
Writing Plans
The Writing Plan section is where you can provide GovDash with specific instructions on how you’d like the section written, key points you’d like included, strengths for GovDash write to, and more. You can think of GovDash as your proposal manager, and the Writing Plan as your to-do list for the way you want the section written. These are best handled in bullet points, but you can provide instructions in narrative form as well. By providing GovDash with context and direction, your proposal content will be better informed by what makes your team best suited for the solicitation.
Citations
The compliance mapping feature allows users to link solicitation requirements, such as Proposal Preparation Instructions (PPI), Performance Work Statement (PWS) Task Area Requirements (TARs), and Evaluation Criteria (EC), to specific proposal sections. You can add or remove these requirements as needed, which is particularly useful for fine-tuning compliance (for example, removing a requirement from one section if it is better addressed elsewhere).
Additionally, when hovering over the cited instruction/requirement, the system highlights the matching citation from the original solicitation document, providing immediate traceability and ensuring that every section of the proposal is directly mapped to the relevant requirement. This workflow helps ensure comprehensive coverage and clear documentation of compliance decisions throughout the proposal development process.
Focus Documents
You can add Focus Documents to their proposal workspace to guide the Word Assistant’s drafting process. By anchoring content to reference documents, such as strong past proposals, white papers, or other authoritative materials, and designating them as Focus Documents, users instruct GovDash to “look here first” when generating or substantiating proposal content. This ensures that the most relevant and high-quality source material is prioritized, helping the system produce more accurate, tailored, and compliant narrative text that aligns with the user’s strategic objectives.
Drafting and Refining with Word Assistant
Leveraging GovDash via the Word Assistant
The Microsoft Word Assistant is an add-in tool that integrates GovDash capabilities directly within Microsoft Word. After generating a proposal version in GovDash, you can download the document and open it in the Word Desktop App. From there, launch the GovDash Word Assistant Add-In, which allows you to link the document to your specific opportunity within GovDash. This connection ensures that the Add-In has full context of the opportunity, enabling features such as compliance mapping, requirement traceability, and tailored drafting support directly within your Word environment.
Haven’t Installed Word Assistant?
Check out our guides for installing the Word Assistant here!
Using Power Actions
The Word Assistant provides users with a suite of editing and drafting tools directly within the proposal workspace. These tools include:
Substantiate: Automatically adds proof points, metrics, and supporting data to strengthen claims in your text.
Shorten: Condenses sections for brevity while preserving essential meaning.
Rewrite in Active Voice: Rephrases content to ensure clarity and a more direct, engaging tone.
Converting Text: Transforms selected content into alternative formats, such as a table, bulleted list, ordered list, or graphic (SmartArt), to improve readability and presentation.
These features are designed to help users efficiently enhance, clarify, and format proposal content, ensuring that each section meets both compliance and quality standards.
Custom Prompts
The Word Assistant supports natural language instructions, allowing users to type specific guidance such as “Rewrite to emphasize incumbent advantage and add KPI data.” The system interprets these instructions and generates tailored content accordingly. Additionally, users can address reviewer comments efficiently by highlighting the comment in the document; Dash will then process the feedback and make the necessary edits or revisions, streamlining the review and response workflow within the proposal drafting process.
Research Support
The Word Assistant includes web search functionality, which allows users to:
Look up industry best practices to inform proposal content.
Fill content gaps with recent trends and up-to-date information.
For enhanced data security, users have the option to turn off web search. When web search is disabled, the system will only use your internal GovDash library of sources, ensuring that only your vetted materials are used.
Finalizing & Submitting
Versions Tab
You can download your draft proposal from GovDash in two ways:
As one combined document, which merges all sections and volumes into a single file.
As separated volumes, allowing you to export each volume as its own file.
If you have shared your company’s template with GovDash, the exported documents will automatically use your organization’s styles, color codes, and headers, ensuring consistency with your branding and formatting preferences.
Upload Final Proposal
Uploading your submitted proposal and moving the opportunity to In Evaluation in GovDash involves three easy steps:
After you have uploaded your final proposal document, locate the status or action menu for the opportunity.
Next, change the opportunity’s status to In Evaluation. This moves the opportunity into the post-submission phase, indicating that your team is awaiting feedback or award decision from the government.
Post-Submission Lifecycle
When your proposal is awarded, mark the opportunity as “Won” in GovDash.
The record will automatically transition into your Contract Inventory, where you can manage ongoing contract details.
It will also become available as Past Performance, making it easy to reference and leverage for future proposals.
Recap: The Core Four
The Core Four Principles in GovDash’s proposal refinement process are designed to transform complex, time-intensive tasks into streamlined, strategic workflows.
Solution Data Tab: Ensures your proposal’s foundation is built on structured, reusable inputs, like win themes, approach, and risks, by leveraging your organization’s historical data and team expertise. This eliminates redundant work and maintains consistency across proposals.
Compliance Tab: Automates alignment with solicitation requirements, cross-referencing every section of your draft with RFP instructions to minimize compliance risks and ensure no critical detail is overlooked.
Writing Plan: Empowers you to guide GovDash’s AI with tailored instructions, shaping the narrative to reflect your unique voice and strategy.
Focus Documents: Prioritize high-impact content, such partner capabilities, technical specs, customer needs, or technical whitepapers, ensuring the system emphasizes your strongest material first.
These features are designed to streamline the proposal process, improve compliance, and increase your team’s competitiveness.
Session 4 Knowledge Check
Starting & Planning a Proposal
Begin from the Capture Cloud or Proposal Cloud
Understand the proposal process and workflow
Create compliance matrices, annotated outlines, and citations to ensure compliance
Leverage Capture Data, Writing Plans, and Focus Documents for targeted, informed outputs
Content Creation & Refinement
Generate and refine proposal content before Pink Team draft
Use the Solution Tab, tips, and best practices for effective content generation
Export drafts to Word and use the Word Assistant for review and recovery
Apply Power Actions, adjudicate comments, and integrate web-sourced information
Submission & Tracking
Upload the final proposal and close out the opportunity
Use the Lifecycle Tab to monitor opportunity status
Track progress and performance via the Reporting Center
Looking Ahead: Session 5 - Long Term Success Planning and Account Manager Transition
Preparation Recommendations
Invite your core success team to the call.
Gather any outstanding questions or wish list items you would like to cover in more detail.
We’ll discuss your long term success goals with GovDash.
Have a regular meeting cadence schedule in mind to coordinate with your Account Manager.
What to expect in Session 5: Long Term Success Planning and Account Manager Transition
This session is focused around creating a long term success plan to help your team launch into further success in the GovDash platform. Your team will be introduced to your dedicated Account Manager, who will be able to help you further leverage the foundations your team learned throughout onboarding and implement them deeper into your existing workflows. Your Account Manager will serve as your main PoC, and will set up a regular meeting cadence to ensure your team is getting the most out of our partnership.
Session 5 Knowledge Check
Met your team’s dedicated Account Manager.
Set up a regular meeting cadence.
Created a long term success plan.
Gotten clarity on any outstanding questions.
Congratulations on Successfully Completing Onboarding with GovDash!
Now that you have successfully completed onboarding with GovDash, we hope that you have learned all of the foundations of the system to help set your team up for success long term. We wish you the best of luck, and as always, your onboarding team will always be a resource for you guys, but your Dedicated Account Manager is there to help you personalize your workflows, continue to provide you with updates that fit the needs of your team, and ensure you are able to save time and money using GovDash.