How to Write
a Translation
Request for
Proposal
Best Practices
for Improving RFPs
By Rebecca Ray, Donald A. DePalma,
and Belinda Whittaker
July 2012
How to Write a Translation Request for Proposal
By Rebecca Ray, Donald A. DePalma, and Belinda Whittaker
July 2012
Copyright © 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc., Lowell, Massachusetts,
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How to Write a Translation Request for Proposal
i
Table of Contents
Topic................................................................................................................................................. 1
How to Use This Research ............................................................................................. 1
Research Methodology ................................................................................................... 1
Past Research on How to Administer an RFP .............................................................. 2
Findings ........................................................................................................................................... 3
Methodology: How We Analyzed a Variety of RFP Templates ................................. 3
General Characteristics of the Proposals We Assessed ............................................... 3
RFPs Typically Cover Requirements in 11 to 12 Categories ....................................... 6
Section 1: Requester Offers Information about Itself ............................................. 7
Section 2: Purchaser Presents Preferred Profiles of Potential Partners................. 9
Section 3: Buyer Outlines Statement of Work ....................................................... 10
Section 4: Requester Stipulates Technology Demands ........................................ 11
Section 5: Administrator Presents Business Requirements ................................. 11
Section 6: Prospective Client Requests Pricing ..................................................... 12
Section 7: Purchaser Delineates Quality Requirements ....................................... 13
Section 8: Potential Customer Specifies Personnel Needs ................................... 14
Section 9: Administrator Defines Data Security Obligations .............................. 15
Section 10: Purchaser Shares Sample Terms and Conditions .............................. 16
Section 11: Requester Provides Participation Guidelines .................................... 16
Section 12: Buyer Reveals Selection Criteria and Evaluation Process ................ 18
RFPs – Ripe for Improvement and Innovation .......................................................... 20
Analysis ......................................................................................................................................... 21
Managers Miss the Opportunity to Employ RFPs as a Strategic Tool ..................... 21
What’s Wrong with Today’s RFPs? ............................................................................. 22
No Two Organizations Conduct RFPs the Same Way, Baffling Suppliers ........ 22
Being Infrequent, RFPs Tend to Be Huge and the Process Slow ......................... 23
Created in a Vacuum, RFPs May Not Reflect Stakeholder Requirements ......... 23
Opaque Selection Criteria Obscure What Buyers Really Want ........................... 25
How to Improve Your RFP Documents and Your Process ....................................... 25
Step 1: Clarify Your Reasons for Issuing an RFP .................................................. 26
Step 2: Solicit Input from All Stakeholders ........................................................... 26
Step 3: Re-Educate Stakeholders to Focus on the Bigger Picture ........................ 27
Step 4: Strive for Simplicity in the RFP Document Itself ..................................... 28
Step 5: Edit, Proofread, and Test the RFP Document ........................................... 32
Improving the RFP Document Takes Work, but Yields Rewards ............................ 32
Implications................................................................................................................................... 34
Give RFPs the Same Level of Quality You Expect from Suppliers ........................... 34
Open Your Eyes and Employ RFPs to Promote the International Agenda ............. 34
Enable Stakeholders to Gain More Visibility through the RFP Process ................... 35
About Common Sense Advisory ........................................................................... 36
Future Research....................................................................................................... 36
Applied Research and Advisory Services ............................................................. 36
Copyright © 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.
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July 2012
How to Write a Translation Request for Proposal
ii
Figures
Figure 1: Commercial Firms and Government Agencies Dominated Our Sample ....... 4
Figure 2: Most RFP Templates Originated in North America or Europe ...................... 5
Figure 3: Sample RFPs Ranged from One to 74 Pages ..................................................... 5
Figure 4: Buyers Provide Background Information at the Beginning of RFPs .............. 8
Figure 5: Requesters Offer Insight into Projects to Generate Targeted Responses ....... 8
Figure 6: Buyers May Publicize Unique Preferences in the Information Section .......... 8
Figure 7: Purchasers Sometimes Document Exceptional Requirements ........................ 9
Figure 8: Stakeholders Occasionally Provide Details on Content to Be Translated .... 10
Figure 9: Respondents Can Sometimes Quote on Actual Documents ......................... 10
Figure 10: Example of Pricing Information Requested in Excel ................................... 13
Figure 11: Purchasers Sometimes Document Translator Prerequisites ........................ 15
Figure 12: Table of Contents Entry for Detailed Instructions for Bidders ................... 17
Figure 13: Buyers Can Have Exceptional Delivery Needs ............................................ 17
Figure 14: The Public Sector Shares When and Where They Will Open RFPs ............ 18
Figure 15: Evaluation Criteria: Detailed Percentage Breakdown ................................. 19
Figure 16: Participants in Public Bids Must Pass the Technical Hurdle First .............. 19
Figure 17: NGOs Even Share Their Scoring Formulas................................................... 20
Figure 18: Procurement Gatekeepers Can Skew Stakeholder Requirements .............. 24
Figure 19: Organizations Typically Follow 10 Steps in the RFP Process ..................... 25
Figure 20: A Simple Template for Weighting Selection Criteria ................................... 31
Tables
Table 1: RFPs Generally Include 11 or 12 Categories....................................................... 7
Table 2: Sample of Topics Covered under Provider Profiles .......................................... 9
Table 3: Typical Questions Related to Technology and Tools ...................................... 11
Table 4: Questions that Highlight Buyer Business Requirements ................................ 12
Table 5: Questions that Buyers Use to Provide Context for Pricing ............................. 12
Table 6: Many Services Are Quoted by the Hour .......................................................... 13
Table 7: RFPs Usually Cover Quality Requirements in Great Detail ........................... 14
Table 8: Personnel Questions Generally Focus Only on Translators............................ 15
Table 9: Buyers Are Asking More Questions about Data Security ............................... 16
Table 10: Sample Categories for RFP Terms and Conditions........................................ 16
Table 11: Examples of Selection Criteria Documented in RFPs .................................... 18
Table 12: Refine RFPs to Maximize Value to the Buyer and Candidate Suppliers ..... 28
Table 13: Questions You Can Eliminate from Your RFP ............................................... 29
Table 14: Posing Questions in a New Way May Improve Response Data ................... 29
Table 15: Pricing Questions Require Precision to Elicit Data Buyers Can Really Use 30
Table 16: Firms Often Fail to Ask the Most Important Questions of All ...................... 31
Table 17: Don’t Release Your RFP until You Run a Final Check .................................. 33
July 2012
Copyright © 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.
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How to Write a Translation Request for Proposal
1
Topic
The buying and selling of language-related services continues to cause a lot of
frustration on the part of both buyers and sellers. Our research has shown that
translation buyers often fail to craft their request for proposals (RFPs) in a way
that allows them to obtain the information they need to be able to evaluate
comparable services from prospective suppliers (see “How to Write Better
Translation RFP Questions,” Apr11). At the same time that they cause language
service providers (LSPs) to waste a lot of time answering irrelevant questions,
they often find themselves unable to make a fair comparison once they have
collected all of their data.
Before you kick off your next RFP, you should ask yourself this question:
“Would my organization be better served by our language service providers
spending more time on innovation or technical integration for us, rather than
filling out another RFP? Would it be smarter for my group to focus on improving
the quality of original content for our current vendor pool, or even training
suppliers, rather than spending hours and hours reviewing pricing matrices that
will save us only a half-cent per word?” As the buyer, you hold the power – it’s
up to you to decide how to exercise it.
How to Use This Research
The goal of this report is two-fold: to provide guidance for procurement
professionals who are creating their first RFP for language services, and to
supply useful template questions for translation and localization managers who
want to update and improve their current RFPs.
Research Methodology
This report is based on a detailed review of RFP templates and in-depth
interviews about the RFP process with buyers and providers:
1. Analysis of 91 RFP templates. We collected 91 RFPs from buyers and
providers representing the private sector, government agencies at various
levels, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and non-profits. They were
administered between 2008 and 2012. We analyzed each RFP, noting
commonalities and disparities. We also categorized specific questions
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How to Write a Translation Request for Proposal
2
according to their effectiveness to elicit information that buyers required to
make informed decisions throughout the RFP process.
2. In-depth interviews with buyers and providers. We spoke with 14
companies that conduct or respond to RFPs on a regular basis to document
the process supported by the RFPs we reviewed. We also asked them to share
their perspective on how to improve their administration.
Past Research on How to Administer an RFP
Whether you have several RFPs under your belt or you’re just creating your first
one, you can benefit from related research in the following areas:

Research the market to better understand the industry and your options. If
you would like to learn about language services or find out more about the
companies that make up the vendor pool, consult market research and attend
conferences (see “The Language Services Market: 2012,” May12; “The Top
100 Language Service Providers,” May12; “The Top Language Service
Providers in Asia in 2012,” May 12; “Translation in the Financial Services
Sector,” Mar12; “Conferences in the Language Services Market,” Sep11;
“How Life Sciences Firms Buy Translation,” Oct10; “Translation and
Localization Pricing,” Jul10; “What to Look for on LSP Websites,” Apr10; and
“Best Practices for Purchasing Transcreation,” Nov09).

Use RFPs strategically to advance your globalization strategy. RFPs
shouldn’t be limited to an exercise in cost reduction. You can use them to
help resolve your most complex challenges (see “Translation Future Shock,”
Apr12; “Content Strategy for the Global Enterprise,” Apr11; “Accelerating
Localization Maturity,” Jan11; and “Global Product Localization,” Jun10).

Employ RFPs as a tool to manage suppliers. Your approach to purchasing
language services indicates how you will interact with vendors (see “The Life
Cycle of a Relationship with a Translation Provider,” May12; “What to Do
When Translation Vendors Raise Prices,” Apr12; “Translation and the Native
Language Myth,” Nov11; “How to Write Better Translation RFP Questions,”
Apr11; “The Well-Tempered Language Service Level Agreement,” Sep10;
and “How Buyers Manage Translation Suppliers,” Aug10).
July 2012
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How to Write a Translation Request for Proposal
36
About Common Sense Advisory
Common Sense Advisory, Inc. is an independent research firm committed to
objective research and analysis of the business practices, services, and technology
for translation, localization, and interpreting. With its research for both Global
Leaders and Industry Providers, Common Sense Advisory endeavors to improve
the quality and practice of international business, and the efficiency of the online
and offline operations that support it. To find out more about our research and
how to become a member:

E-mail us [email protected].
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Visit www.commonsenseadvisory.com.

Call +1.978.275.0500.
Future Research
Common Sense Advisory seeks interviewees from the community of people
involved in building business applications for international use. If you would
like to be interviewed or have clients who would like to share their experiences,
please e-mail us at [email protected]. We anonymize participants
and hold all information in the strictest confidence.
Applied Research and Advisory Services
This report and other Common Sense Advisory research into the best practices of
business globalization serve as the foundation for our Applied Research and
Advisory Services including International Customer Experience Assessments,
Vendor Selection, Localization Business Process Audits, Globalization Excellence
and Optimization Assessments, and Globalization Roadmaps. E-mail us at
[email protected] for more information.
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July 2012
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