BSI PAS 360: the world’s first and only definitive code of practice for bid and proposal management
Coming in autumn 2023, BSI PAS 360 represents the creation of a worldwide industry standard for bid and proposal management. By defining good practice specifically for the Bid and Proposal Management industry, it is a powerful way to raise bidding standards and promote better outcomes for buyers and suppliers alike.
Tell us about BSI PAS 360 – what it is, how it came about, why it’s needed.
BSI PAS 360 will help any and every bidding stakeholder wanting an efficient and effective means of repeatedly securing contracts. It provides a trusted code of best practice; guiding users through the entire bidding process so that bidding outcomes are better for all.
The standard came about through repeat exposure to poor quality bids and subsequent outcomes. We figured if standards exist for quality assurance the world over, why shouldn’t they exist for bidding?
Who will be able to make use of PAS 360?
Organisation of all shapes and sizes (from micro companies to MNCs, industry consultants to government teams) will be able to make use of PAS 360.
It will be weighted towards the public sector, but it won’t be tied / exclusive to a particular industry or market. And it doesn’t even matter if it’s products, services, goods or works that you sell. What really matters is that any and every bidding stakeholder wanting an efficient and effective means of repeatedly securing contracts will now have an essential tool that enables them to do so.
How will organisations be able to adopt PAS 360 and how will it benefit those that do?
PAS 360 will be immediately adoptable subject to the resource availability and deployment capabilities of those accessing the standard. Taking businesses as an example, that could be somebody in charge of the bidding function at a transactional level e.g. a head of bidding; somebody in charge of business development e.g. a Business Development director; or even board-level decision makers e.g. partners & CEOs.
There are many benefits for those that adopt PAS 360 from screening organisations to standard-setting, opportunity-maximisation to risk-mitigation. Fundamentally, we see better bidding outcomes for all. Plus it’s completely free to download!
So PAS 360 is set to benefit businesses, industry and government?
Yes – PAS 360 will benefit businesses, industry and government.
In terms of the core benefits for each core stakeholder: businesses will benefit from producing more efficient and effective bids, not just by any one individual but by bidding teams and their company’s bidding practice as a whole; the bidding industry will benefit from recognition and credibility for their profession; and government will benefit from harmonisation across the board so that processes are more streamlined and derive better outcomes, helping to protect the ‘public purse’.
Ultimately, it’ll mean higher quality bids as standard.
What’s the catch? Why doesn’t this exist already?
We’re not entirely sure ourselves!
This will be an industry-first (and it’s worth noting that a standard in any guise is not the same as certification; it will be complementary to APMP certification and the Body of Knowledge, not competing). We can only presume that it doesn’t yet exist because of the sheer resource in terms of time, energy, and capital required to produce a standard of this kind. Not mention, it needed someone to think of the idea and see the benefits.
As mentioned earlier, we’re very fortunate to have a fantastic three-way partnership that’s enabling it to happen.
Who are the stakeholders involved in the production of PAS 360?
Many people will be involved in the production of the standard but there are three core parties: BidCraft – the technical authors of the standard; APMP – the sponsors of the standard; and BSI – the leaders and owners of the standard.
We – BidCraft – will use our many years of combined bidding consultancy experience to write the contents. As the global association for the bidding profession and with a mission to advance the art & science of winning business, APMP will fund its production. And BSI – who are considered to be at the forefront of standards development with resources ready to develop programmes like this – will help in executing / delivering it.
Why is it being developed in the UK – is it a UK only standard?
The simple answer is that all standards must start somewhere, and BSI is globally renowned for developing standards. They have international credibility to encourage worldwide adoption, opening a pathway for PAS 360 to be adopted by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in due course.
BSI is appointed by the UK Government as the national standards body, holds the Royal Charter, and represents UK interests at the ISO, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the European Standards Organizations (CEN, CENELEC and ETSI).
Once a standard is developed by a national standards body, other bodies (ANSI in the United States, or Standards Australia for example) adopt it if the demand exists, rather than develop their own.
Where and when will PAS 360 be accessible?
The standard will be ready for publication and use from autumn 2023. It will be freely available to access and download directly from BSI’s website at www.bsigroup.com (we and APMP will also link to where it’s hosted on the BSI website so that it’s even easier to locate).
Looking to the future, what’s the long-term vision for PAS 360?
Great question! Our short-term focus is on delivering the standard. Then we hope it will be adopted by as many bidding stakeholders as possible, and that they find it a useful resource in producing better bidding outcomes (because if it’s not used or useful it will cease to exist). Beyond that we’re aiming for ISO accreditation status but we’re a way away yet!
Watch this space…