Supplier evaluation and selection
How to compare event proposals for scope gaps
Three proposals describe the same event in three different ways, and the committee cannot tell which one covers the most.
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The short answer
Write the scope once as a baseline list of deliverables, then map each proposal against it and mark every line as covered, partly covered, excluded or unclear. The gaps are the items where proposals differ, and they are what you price or ask about next.
Do this before you compare prices. A price comparison on unequal scopes ranks suppliers by what they left out.
Start from your baseline, not from a proposal
If you copy the structure of the first proposal, its omissions become invisible. Build the baseline from your own brief: deliverables, quantities, dates, and who provides what.
The supplier quote normaliser can hold the baseline as the reference list, and the RFP completeness checker can test whether the baseline itself has gaps.
Mapping sequence
- List the deliverables in the brief, one line each, with the quantity or standard expected.
- Create one column per proposal and read each proposal line by line.
- Mark each baseline line covered, partly covered, excluded or unclear, and quote the proposal wording that supports the mark.
- Add proposal items that are not in your baseline, such as extras the supplier offers. Decide whether they are wanted, optional or irrelevant.
- Turn every partly covered and unclear line into a question to the supplier, using the hidden cost questions.
Four kinds of gap to look for
Most gaps fall into one of these types. Naming the type tells you what to do next.
| Gap type | What it looks like | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Omission | A baseline deliverable does not appear at all. | Ask for a priced addition or decide to cover it elsewhere. |
| Dilution | The line is present but at a lower quantity or standard. | Ask for the quantity or standard in writing and price the difference. |
| Assumption | The proposal depends on something the organiser must provide. | Record it as a dependency with an owner. |
| Ambiguity | The wording could mean more than one thing. | Ask the supplier to rewrite it in one sentence you can check. |
Common traps
- Comparing proposal summaries rather than the line detail beneath them.
- Treating silence as coverage. If it is not written, mark it unclear.
- Counting a supplier's optional extras as part of its base scope.
- Leaving venue, catering and AV responsibilities to overlap without an owner.
Worked example · Fictional example
Three registration and onsite staffing proposals
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
Persatuan Fiktif Juruaudit Dalaman asks three companies to propose registration desk staffing for a two-day conference of about 300 delegates. The baseline lists badge printing, six desk staff on day one, four on day two, an attendee list export, and a lead for troubleshooting.
Proposal 1 covers all lines. Proposal 2 omits the attendee list export and states four staff on day one, which the committee marks as dilution. Proposal 3 is silent on badge printing, so the committee marks it unclear and asks. After replies, the committee compares prices on the corrected scope and notes that Proposal 3 assumes the association supplies printers, which is recorded as a dependency.
Use this yourself
Scope gap comparison sheet
Copy this table into a spreadsheet. One row per baseline deliverable, one status column per proposal.
| Baseline deliverable | Quantity or standard | Proposal A | Proposal B | Proposal C | Gap type and question |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example: badge printing | 300 badges, two languages | Covered | Covered | Unclear | Ambiguity: ask C who supplies printers |
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- The baseline is already written in a brief or request for proposal.
- Proposals are short and from the same supplier type.
- One person can read them line by line.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Proposals bundle several services and use different headings.
- Nobody has written the baseline and the committee disagrees on what is in scope.
- Gaps keep reappearing after each clarification round.
Need the scope baseline and comparison done for you?
A conference project lead can write the baseline from your brief, map each proposal to it, and bring the gap list and supplier questions to your committee. Which supplier is chosen remains your decision.
Questions organisers ask
What is a scope baseline?
It is your own list of what the event needs from a supplier, written before you read proposals. It is the reference every proposal is mapped against.
How is this different from comparing quotes?
Quote comparison looks at prices and charges. Scope gap comparison checks what is being priced. Do scope first, then use the quote normalisation guide.
What if every proposal has gaps?
That usually means the baseline was unclear. Fix the baseline, reissue the questions, and ask for revised proposals.
Should I tell suppliers about the gaps in others' proposals?
No. Share your baseline and your questions, not another supplier's content or prices.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.