ProposalManagement 61

Gary Blake and Robert Bly, bothauthorities in the field of busi-ness and technical writing, have

provided a valuable tool in The Elements ofTechnical Writing. As the cover states, thisbook is the essential guide to writing clear,concise proposals, reports, manuals, letters,memos, and other documents in every techni-cal field. Not only have Blake and Bly includ-ed all the necessary information concerningpunctuation, grammar, and tone, they haveorganized the book in an easy- to-use, preciseformat.

The first chapter begins with the followingquote and serves as a good introduction to thematerial in the first chapter.

“Newspaper reporters and technical writ-ers are trained to reveal almost nothingabout themselves in their writing. Thismakes them freaks in the world of writers,since almost all of the other ink-stainedwretches in that world reveal a lot aboutthemselves to the reader.”

—Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.The first chapter, “Fundamentals of

Effective Technical Writing,” identifies the tenprinciples that make technical writing goodtechnical writing. These principles include:

1. Technical Accuracy3. Usefulness4. Conciseness5. Completeness6. Clearness7. Consistency

8. Correct Spelling, Punctuation, andGrammar

9. A Targeted Audience10. Clear Organization11. Interest.

These principles are easily overlooked inbusiness writing. Blake and Bly urge us toremember that our audience is made up ofhumans, not just technical personnel.

Each chapter in this guide is broken out intosections that clearly outline the information thatfollows. The format is legible, succinct, andlends itself to easy reference. There are chaptersregarding the use of equations and numerals,grammar and punctuation, and principles ofcommunication, as well as a chapter regardingcommonly misused words and phrases.

Chapters six through nine break away fromthe rules of the English language and get downto the specifics of writing proposals, technicalarticles and reports, letters and memos, andmanuals.

Chapter six, “Proposals and Specifi-cations,” details the components necessary in aformal proposal. The authors set forth their tenprinciples of proposal writing, which revolvearound the focal point of the client. They are:1. Learn everything you can about your

prospective client and the people whowill evaluate your proposal.

3. Sell your ideas by fitting them into yourclient’s needs.

4. Don’t just solve the technical problems;empathize with the customer’s criticalneeds.

5. Recognize all critical factors that evalua-tors will use in assessing the proposal.

6. Make sure your proposal addresses everyelement mentioned in the RFP.

7. Use appropriate graphics to highlightyour ideas and make them easy to visual-ize.

8. Tailor each proposal to the needs of thespecific client.

9. Anticipate and defuse objections.10. Avoid hedging and subtlety in proposals.

11. Make a list of where key resources arelocated if you do not have a proposallibrary.

Blake and Bly urge us to learn everythingwe can about our clients and then tailor our pro-posals to their needs. For example, the follow-ing sentence does not tell the client what we cando for them:

“We have extensive experience in airlinesoperations and forecasting and evaluatingtraffic flows.”A better way to make the point is:“Our extensive experience in airlines oper-ations and forecasting and evaluating traf-fic flows gives us insight in to the logistics ofyour business and will help you respondfaster.”The second sentence focuses on what your

company can do for the potential client and tellsthe reader how you will benefit them rather thansimply stating your qualifications. The more tai-lored your proposal is to the reader, the moreimpact it will have.

Blake and Bly have written a useable,handy, and inexpensive style guide that is tai-lored to their audience: people who write forbusiness. While the majority of style guides andwriter’s reference books tend to be very dry, Ifound Blake and Bly’s book to be highly read-able. They have practiced what they preach—their writing is clear, and more importantly,interesting. The Elements of Technical Writing iswritten specifically for technical writers, but it isalso a very valuable reference guide for otherwriters. This concise style guide is now an indis-pensable part of my library.

The Elementsof Technical Writing

THE ELEMENTS OFTECHNICAL WRITING

Gary Blake andRobert W. Bly

New York, NY: MacMillanGeneral Reference: 1993.

165 pp. • $9.950-02-013085-6

Reviewed by JENNIFER PARKSThis issue features books on techni-

cal writing and statements of work. Theopinions expressed by reviewers aretheir own and do not necessarily repre-sent the views of the Association ofProposal Management Professionals.Book review recommendations are wel-comed by book review editors NancyBrome and Paul Giguere.

62 APMP Spring 2000

How to Write a Statement ofWork is a very detailed andinformative manual. It is divided

into six chapters and one appendix, andincludes a Table of Contents detailed enoughto warrant the absence of an index. Thebook’s target audience is government person-nel who write Statements of Work (SOW) forcontracts or solicitations. How to Write aStatement of Work also applies to govern-ment contractors who must read, interpret,and respond to SOWs, and to contractorswho write SOWs for commercial contracts.The target audience must be kept in mind,because How to Write a Statement of Work isdefinitely NOT appropriate for individualsoutside of the government contracting andprocurement fields. If not already experiencedin writing or reading SOWs, the reader willbe lost almost immediately.

Cole has written a very informative andconcise manual, and kept his target audiencein mind every step of the way. He indicates inthe Preface that the emphasis of the book is toprovide “practical, detailed guidance on writ-ing and preparing SOWs.” He accomplishesthis and more. Cole also includes a short bib-liography of other sources in the Preface, andthese sources provide further guidance indeveloping SOWs and Performance-BasedService Contracts (PBSCs).

The first two chapters of How to Write aStatement of Work are the most important.Chapter One, an overview of the SOW,

stresses the importance of a clear and con-cise document, and how this affects futurecommunications between the governmentagency and interested contractors. This isthe basis for the entire book and is itsstrongest point. The importance of the SOWto the other parts of the solicitation or con-tract is also highlighted in this chapter.

Chapter Two discusses the SOW devel-opment planning and preparation phase. Itemphasizes the need to visualize the entireproject from beginning to end, ensuring thatall aspects of work are covered within theSOW. This includes choosing the type ofcontract or SOW to be used, and distin-guishing between level-of-effort and comple-tion SOWs, personal versus non-personalservices, sole source SOWs, and follow-onefforts and options. Cole details the prob-lems that will arise when the wrong choicesare indicated in a SOW. These are the pri-mary building blocks for fully understandingand writing a successful SOW, and Coleprovides exceptional information and detailto ensure that the reader understands them.

There is very little about this book thatcan be criticized. One of the few exceptionsis Chapter Two, Planning and Preparation,which covers a great deal of information onthe development of the SOW. More exam-ples on interrelating planning and prepara-tion, and the many aspects that fall undereach of these categories would be helpful.

Overall, Cole gives very effective, solid,insightful, and abundant examples. InChapter Three, for instance, he illustrates theprocess of writing a Performance WorkStatement (PWS) using a fictitious Agency’sdecision to contract out one of the functions ofits Transportation Department. He provides afigure to show where this function fits into theoverall department structure, and explainseach part of the PWS using this same exam-

ple to strengthen the reader’s understanding.This consistent use of examples is evidentthroughout the book. Cole completes thelearning process by walking the readerthrough a sample SOW and showing how tocorrect it (Appendix A). He proves throughoutthat he is a consummate instructor, leaving noissue untouched or unexplained.

Peter S. Cole has more than 34 years ofexperience in acquisition and contract man-agement. After retiring from the Navy in1979, he started developing textbooks andoffering training programs to governmentand commercial clients. Based on his exten-sive experience, Cole has become a leaderin consulting services. Cole has written 15manuals and handbooks for governmentagencies, including the Department ofTreasury, the Department of Interior, and theCentral Intelligence Agency.

I recommend How to Write a Statementof Work very highly. Although SOWs arenot an easy topic to understand, this bookdiscusses them in a manner both informativeand, in its own way, very enjoyable. Itshould be required reading for anyone inthe government contracting and procure-ment fields. Despite the steep price tag, itsvalue far outweighs the publisher’s listprice, and the book is much better than sim-ilar, more inexpensive examples. I havefound How to Write a Statement of Work tobe an invaluable resource. Its wealth ofinformation provides contractors with a bet-ter understanding of the government’s SOWgoals, and with the legal ramifications thataffect both sides in government contracting.

This book will be an asset to anyonepreparing SOWs for either government agen-cies or for commercial purposes. How toWrite a Statement of Work presents SOWsclearly and concisely. I believe it will becomea valued, timeless resource for your Library.

How to Write aStatement of Work

HOW TO WRITE A STATEMENTOF WORK — FOURTH EDITION

Peter S. Cole, CPCMVienna, VA: Management

Concepts Incorporated, 1999241 pp.

$98.00 (Hardcover)$68.00 (Softcover)

1-56726-081-0 (Hardcover)1-56726-082-9 (Softcover)

Reviewed by LISA M. MADDRYPROPOSAL COORDINATOR, STRATEGIC OPERATIONS—BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

MANTECH SYSTEMS ENGINEERING CORPORATION