News, views, & tips to do data science in byte-sized drabbles about my daily life as a data professional.
Get Smarter About…Requests for Proposals
The four phases of freelancers and RPFs.
As a freelancer, I’m constantly searching for and applying to requests for proposals (RFPs). Sometimes called Terms of Reference (ToR), these projects are usually big and complex and so they require a 3-5 page proposal to bid.
RFPs can also be for grant projects, or for fulltime employees. So knowing how to interpret them, write them, and respond to them with a proposal is a good skill to have.
RFP bids are a fine line between giving the potential client all your secrets and explaining how you are a good fit for their project. Do I always know where that line is? No. But I do like to use a template and write around my qualifications. I give enough detail that if the bid is accepted, I can look on my proposal and know the (1) budget (2) expected output/deliverables (3) the timeline (4) and expected tasks.
Many times the RFP process feels like this:
(1) You decide to submit a bid. Gloves on! You re-read the call/terms of reference and make a list of what submission requirements they want.
(2) The thoughts percolate. You're thinking/considering the timeline, budget, workplan, deliverables, and how to sell yourself as an expert in prose.
(3) Write. Erase everything at least once. Cross out the over-explanations. Edit the timeline so it fits between other client work.
(4) Enter the tug-of-war games. Your attention and time is pulled in different directions: interviewing for past bids, searching for more bids to apply to, and running your business.
And remember to make sure you take time to rest. Take a few days off after a big push for submitting multiple bids.
Get Involved
If you’re in New York City, the Manhattan Film Festival is running June 11-21st. Some cool films I saw were 15 Days: The Real Story of America’s Pandemic School Closures and You’re No Indian.
Submit a proposal or attend Advancing Foundation Archives (AFA) 2026 (October 21-22, 2026 in NYC), a conference for archives and philanthropy professionals. They’re looking for 5-10 min lighting talks with proposals due July 15, 2026.
Another cool looking conference: Access Conference 2026 (October 14-16, 2026 in Ontario). Conference for library systems, digital projects, emerging tech.
Do you work with still images? Tell me about it. The Digital Object Authenticity Working Group is doing a survey looking at still image authenticity. We’re collecting use cases/user stories to be included in the Appendix of a white paper on the subject.
I’m Open to Work
My books for 2026 are open. I’m looking for remote freelance/consulting, contract, and part-time work doing database migrations, data assessments, digital projects, development/programming, digital asset management, analytics, narrative design, or data storytelling.
Have a cool project/kind of work not listed here in mind for me? DM me anyway!
Portfolio: https://www.decolfutures.com/