What are Scenario based questions in bids and tenders?
Most businesses across the UK, especially in the health and social services sector, will need to answer scenario based questions in an ITT, SQQ or framework application. Whether it an NHS tender or a bid to CCS, scenario based questions commonly appear in procurement documentation and are a useful tool for procurers to understand your approach and thinking to the way you provide services
Scenario based questions are usually a hypothetical question that put forward a scenario or case study. They are generally based on an issue or challenging situation that has arisen in the past, or a potential issue that could arise in the future. They are generally detailed scenarios and you are given a reasonable word-count to respond. The scenario may be similar to a scenario that the client has in fact experienced and their current service provider has dealt with and they may not have been happy with how they met the challenge. Using the scenario is away for them to understand what services other providers may provide.
When a buyer puts forward a scenario-based question, they will be looking at a range of factors in your response including:
- Your methodology and approach
- How you will communicate and report on your progress
- The quality assurance protocols built into your processes
- What key personnel will be involved in the project and why
- How quickly and effectively you will respond
- How you will handle the more challenging components of the scenario
- What actions you will take and who will be involved in the different decisions
- How well you implemented your plans (contingency plans, safety plans, business continuity plans etc)
A key point is that scenario-based questions are very broad and thorough. Your response needs to be wide-ranging and cover all the different factors that may impact the response.
How to respond to scenario-based questions in bids and tenders
Our team of bid and tender writers have extensive experience assisting our clients to respond to scenario-based questions. We suggest you take the following approach when writing a response:
- Read the question and then read between the lines. Think about the types of issues the buyers may have faced in the past for them to ask these types of questions in the ITT, SSQ or RFP.
- Brainstorm your response. We generally suggest writing a list of different perspectives that you can respond to the scenario from. For example, sustainability, safety and methodology are three different perspectives that you generally need to consider. One you have written these factors down, they will be a useful reference point.
- Brainstorm and write your response to the scenario. Be methodical and comprehensive. Write everything from your initial reaction to providing the service and any reporting
- Challenge your response with an internal stakeholder review.
- Review your list of perspectives and incorporate any perspective that haven’t been included in your response.
- Finalise your response to the Scenario-based question.
Why do procurement teams issue Scenario-based questions?
Procurement departments, government agencies, frameworks and buyers in general use Scenario-based questions in their bids and tenders to:
- Predict future performance and understand what type of service you provide. It helps them get a feel for how you will service the contract, what type of service you will provide and how your management personnel will handle complex and challenging situations.
- Ensuring no recurring issues. The government agency, framework, trust or other organisations may have had issues with a previous provider that they want to ensure does not reoccur. They use the scenario-based questions to understand what you would have done in the same situation.
- Ensuring you can complete repetitive tasks. For some contracts quality control and the ability to consistently perform routine tasks to a high level of quality is critical. In your response to scenario-based question, they will be looking to understand how you consistently perform repetitive tasks to a high standard.
- High-risk settings. This applies to many industries from community services, social care and supported living to the construction industry. Scenario-based questions are often asked in order to understand how you will respond to high-risk situations be it regarding safety or even environmental issues.
How our bid writing consultants will help you answer scenario-based questions in different industries
Our team of bid writers are based in London, Manchester and Birmingham. We have experience assisting clients from different industries to respond to scenario-based questions. They are an opportunity to demonstrate your insight into the services you propose to provide and the challenges the clients may be facing. They are also an opportunity for you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of your industry or in simple terms – to show them you know what you are doing!
Answering Scenario-based questions in supported living tenders
We have helped supported living businesses respond to scenario-based questions. The questions are usually related to situations in supported living and how your support workers will deal with them. You need to demonstrate how your support workers implement their training as well as your systems and processes for dealing with different issues that are put forward in scenario-based questions.
Answering Scenario-based questions in construction tenders and bids
We have seen many different types of scenarios in construction tenders and bids. Some of them are related to safety and they ask you about how you would handle a safety incident. Other questions are related to peaks in demand or working at speed to complete works. For example, working in the school environment always promotes challenges and scenario based questions not only around safety but also methodology (minimising impact to school operations) are often used by procurers to understand your experience.
Other industries we have helped clients answer scenario-based questions in frameworks, RFPs and SSQs including:
- Defence
- Medical and healthcare
- Infrastructure
- Equipment supply
- Professional services (legal, accounting and engineering)
- Maritime
- Aviation
- Education and community services
- IT and ICT
Speak to your team of bid and tender writers toady to discuss how Tsaks Consulting can help you score well in your next bid across the UK in scenario-based tenders.