Developing Teaming Strategy

Build the team. Most federal pursuits cannot be won by the prime alone — there are capability gaps, past-performance gaps, socioeconomic requirements, or scope that a partner does better. Teaming is the workstream that turns "we need help" into a defined team with defined workshare, signed agreements, and the data the proposal needs. Done late or loosely, teaming becomes the thing that constrains the bid; done deliberately, it is a source of strength.

When to use this skill

Use this skill during the capture phase, once the opportunity is being pursued and the requirement is understood well enough to see where the prime needs help. Re-run it as the requirement firms up through the draft RFP and RFP.

It is related to but distinct from planning-capture (which tracks teaming actions at a summary level) and developing-solution-approach (which designs what the team does). This skill decides who is on the team and on what terms.

Inputs

Preferred upstream artifacts:

• 00-opportunity-profile.md: scope, contract type, set-aside, vehicle.
• 02-capture-plan.md: the capability and past-performance gaps already noted.
• 01-bid-decision.md: gaps the bid/no-bid identified, including any that were conditional-bid conditions.
• 03-competitive-assessment.md: what the team must be strong enough to beat.

Read ../../shared/glossary.md and ../../shared/pursuit-workspace.md if not already read this session.

Intake

Ask these as a numbered list. Skip what upstream artifacts answer.

1. The requirement and the prime's reach. What is the scope, and which parts of it does the prime perform well as core work? Where is the prime thin or absent?
2. Past performance gaps. Where does the prime lack the recent, relevant past performance the solicitation will require?
3. Set-aside and socioeconomic requirements. Is there a set-aside, a small-business subcontracting goal, or socioeconomic participation the team structure must satisfy?
4. Candidate partners. Are there known or prospective teammates, and what does each bring?
5. Constraints. Any incumbent subcontractors, existing relationships, exclusivity already in place, or known OCI concerns?

Workflow

Teaming Strategy:
- [ ] Step 1: Read upstream artifacts; complete intake
- [ ] Step 2: Run the capability and past-performance gap analysis
- [ ] Step 3: Identify and score candidate partners
- [ ] Step 4: Define the workshare and team structure
- [ ] Step 5: Screen for OCI and compliance
- [ ] Step 6: Plan agreements and subcontractor data calls
- [ ] Step 7: Write the teaming strategy (07-teaming-strategy.md)

Step 1: Read and intake. Read the upstream artifacts; run intake.

Step 2: Gap analysis. Using references/teaming-method.md, identify the gaps a partner must fill: capability gaps (scope the prime cannot perform), past-performance gaps (relevant experience the prime lacks), and set-aside/socioeconomic gaps (status or participation the team structure requires). Each gap is a teaming requirement.

Step 3: Score candidate partners. For each gap, identify candidate partners and score them — on how well they fill the gap, their past performance, their reliability and reputation, their cost posture, and the relationship. Avoid over-teaming: each partner should fill a real gap. A team with more partners than gaps adds management overhead and workshare dilution.

Step 4: Workshare and structure. Define the team structure and the workshare — which teammate performs which scope, and the rationale. Workshare must be defensible (it follows capability, not just relationships), must keep the prime in a controlling role, and must satisfy any small-business subcontracting goal. Note where workshare is contingent on the final RFP.

Step 5: OCI and compliance screening. Screen the proposed team for organizational conflicts of interest and for compliance constraints — a teammate whose other work creates an OCI, a teammate that disqualifies the team from a set-aside, limits on a firm teaming on competing bids. Flag every issue; an unresolved OCI can disqualify the bid.

Step 6: Agreements and data calls. Plan the teaming agreements: which partners need a letter of intent versus a full teaming agreement, what exclusivity is sought, and the timeline to sign them before they constrain the bid. Plan the subcontractor data calls — the past-performance write-ups, resumes, rates, and certifications the proposal will need from each teammate, and when each is due against the proposal schedule.

Step 7: Write. Write 07-teaming-strategy.md using templates/teaming-strategy.md.

Output

One artifact: 07-teaming-strategy.md in the pursuit workspace.

Present the user with: the gaps and the partner chosen for each, the workshare and structure, any OCI or compliance issue flagged, and the agreement and data-call actions with their deadlines.

References

• references/teaming-method.md: the gap analysis, partner scoring, workshare rationale, exclusivity, OCI screening, small-business participation, and the prime-versus-subcontractor decision.
• templates/teaming-strategy.md: the teaming strategy artifact template.

Guardrails

• Team to fill real gaps. Each partner fills an identified gap. Over-teaming dilutes workshare and adds management risk; a teammate with no real gap to fill should not be on the team.
• Workshare follows capability. Workshare must be defensible on capability grounds and keep the prime controlling. Workshare handed out on relationship alone is a performance and evaluation risk.
• Screen OCI early. An unresolved organizational conflict of interest can disqualify the bid. Flag every potential OCI; resolution is for contracts and legal counsel, not this skill.
• Secure agreements before they bind the bid. Teaming agreements and letters of intent are planned and signed early. A partner not locked down is a capture risk that belongs in the capture plan and the bid decision.
• Data calls feed the schedule. Subcontractor past performance, resumes, and rates are proposal inputs with deadlines. Plan them against the proposal schedule, not as an afterthought.