Start to Finish: From New Word Document to Proposal Template DICK EASSOM, CF APMP FELLOW

©2015 SM&A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. APMP BID & PROPOSAL CON 2015 | PAGE 1

The dilemma What Would Wordman Do?

1. Don’t Panic! APMP BID & PROPOSAL CON 2015 | PAGE 2 ©2015 SM&A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

2. Now what?

What makes a Word template?

APMP BID & PROPOSAL CON 2015 | PAGE 3 ©2015 SM&A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Page layout: size, margins and columns

Header and footer design

Styles

Heading numbering

Focus boxes and/or callouts

Graphics

Page size, margins & columns  Read your RFP for page size and margin requirements!  Page size:  Do foldouts count as 1 or 2 pages?  A4/US letter, portrait for body of proposal  A3/US tabloid, landscape for foldouts

 Margins:  1” margins all-round, or  1” margins top/bottom, ¾” margins left/right APMP BID & PROPOSAL CON 2015 | PAGE 4 ©2015 SM&A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Columns  One column is easier than two  Graphics and captions can be inserted inline with text  No need to balance columns at the end of a section  Use borderless tables for multi-column bullet lists

 However, two-column will save more space for text  Must use multicolumn with landscape formats

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Headers & footers  Header/footer distance • Header and footer do not generally count as text • Default distance is 0.4” from top/bottom of page • RFP margins are generally “minimum” requirements

 Two basic formats: • The “table” format and the “tab” format

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Header contents • Your logo (not your customer’s logo!) • Project name • Optional: project logo

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Header using the “table” format Cell aligned left, left cell margin 0”

Logo at 150ppi, PNG format

Paragraph below table font height set to 6pt APMP BID & PROPOSAL CON 2015 | PAGE 8 ©2015 SM&A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Header style

Bottom border 2.25pt colored line

Cell aligned center right, right cell margin 0”

Footer contents • Solicitation number • Restrictions: “Competition Sensitive” or “Proprietary” as a minimum; never “© Copyright…” • Page number (a Word field) • Volume number and/or name (if required) • Optional: total number of pages (a Word field)

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Footer using the “tab” format 1st paragraph: • 2.25pt colored top border, 3pt from text • 6pt spacing before

Footer style(s) APMP BID & PROPOSAL CON 2015 | PAGE 10 ©2015 SM&A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Center tab at 3.25”

Right tab at 6.5”

Styles  Read your RFP to establish minimum font sizes and font face  If not stated, use 12 point Times New Roman for Body Text, Arial for Headings  Establish a minimum set of styles and a style hierarchy (parent/child)

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Your style set  Establish a minimum set of styles and a style hierarchy (parent/child)      

Body Text, Theme, Bullet 1, Bullet 2, Numbered list Headings 1 to 5 Table Body, Table Bullet, Table Header, Table Subheader Caption, Artwork, Callout Box Header and Footer(s) TOC 1 to 4, TOF, TOC/TOF Header

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Parent & child styles  Parent styles are always based on “(no style)”  Prevents style corruption

 Child styles are based on parent style  Changing parameter in parent automatically changes parameter in child APMP BID & PROPOSAL CON 2015 | PAGE 13 ©2015 SM&A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Manage which styles are displayed Sort alphabetically to easily find styles you want to use

Click Manage Styles at bottom of Styles pane

Click Show (or Hide for styles you don’t want to use)

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Set priority value to list styles in order

Add styles to Style Gallery

To add styles to the Style Gallery, either: 1. Check Add to the Styles gallery on the Format Style dialog, or 2. Click Add to Style Gallery on Styles dropdown Styles are displayed in priority order, lowest first

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Limiting formatting

1. Go to Review > Protect > Protect Document (2007) or Restrict Editing (2010/2013) and check Limit formatting to a selection of styles 2. Click Settings to select styles 3. Click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection and add a password 4. Relax…

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Heading styles  Set a contrasting style to Body Text  e.g. Arial 12pt Bold, in a contrasting color to black

 Manually numbered or automatic?  How any levels?

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Heading numbering Manual  Easy to use  Easy to manage unusual numbering sequences

Automatic  Heading numbers automatic  Can cross-refer to headings  Can use chapter numbers in figure captions, page numbers

 Cross-references to headings  Need to manually set sequence must be inserted (and updated) starting number if not “1” manually  Need to use hidden text to  Number sequence must be manage unusual numbering inserted and checked manually sequences APMP BID & PROPOSAL CON 2015 | PAGE 18 ©2015 SM&A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

More on heading styles To set up automatic heading numbering, read Wordman 30: “Once More, By The Numbers”

To create run-on headings using the Style Separator, read Wordman 14: “A Matter of Style”

www.apmp.org/?page=WMArticles

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Focus boxes & callouts Use a floating table

Use a text box  Full range of border, shading & effects formatting available  Easy to reposition using Text Box Tools  Visible anchor

 Limited formatting available  Must be repositioned & resized manually if accidentally moved  No visible anchor APMP BID & PROPOSAL CON 2015 | PAGE 20 ©2015 SM&A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Text Box Tools

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Focus boxes & callouts (cont.)  Horizontal position:  Tables overlap right margin if set to align right relative the margin (not in Word 2013)

 Vertical position:  Allow for header depth, otherwise aligning top relative to margin will overlap header APMP BID & PROPOSAL CON 2015 | PAGE 22 ©2015 SM&A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Focus boxes/callouts as Quick Parts  A focus box or callout can be saved as a Quick Part using either of the methods described  Also a good technique for foldouts, section dividers, etc.  To learn how to use Quick Parts, read Wordman 35: “Time for a Quickie”  www.apmp.org/?page=WMArticles APMP BID & PROPOSAL CON 2015 | PAGE 23 ©2015 SM&A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Methods for embedding graphics Inline Can contain more than one element, i.e. picture and caption text? Can height, width and location be preset? Can automatically adjust to height of graphic, with fixed width? Can contain fields, such as automatic caption numbering? Can be used on page with multicolumn text? APMP BID & PROPOSAL CON 2015 | PAGE 24 ©2015 SM&A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Floating

Frame

Floating table

Text box

Floating tables or text boxes? Use a floating table

Use a text box  Visible anchor  Easy to reposition using Text Box Tools

 No visible anchor  Must be repositioned & resized manually if accidentally moved

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 Automatically generated caption numbers must be updated manually (select and press F9)

And finally  Go to File > Info  Enter Title (of proposal), Company  Text restricting the use of the document can be added to the Comments  Add a password if you’re going to restrict formatting  And save as a Word Template (*.dotx)

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Questions

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For more information  Wordman archives on the APMP website: www.apmp.org/?page=WMArchives  Wordman’s Forum on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/groups/Wordmans-Forum-4015004  Wordman on Facebook: www.facebook.com/iamwordman  Wordman on Twitter: @IAmWordman  Wordman’s website: www.iamwordman.com  Wordman’s email: [email protected] APMP BID & PROPOSAL CON 2015 | PAGE 28 ©2015 SM&A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contact Us Dick Eassom, CF APMP Fellow Vice President, Corporate Support SM&A Office +1.949.975.1550 [email protected] www.smawins.com

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APMP PO Box 77272 Washington, DC 20013-7272 Phone: +1.202.450.2549 www.apmp.org