Effectively Navigating the Request for Proposal (RFP) Process

Course Overview

12 Lessons

This course is designed to assist individuals (or teams) in navigating the request for proposal process used to purchase new advising technologies. The content includes approximately 70 minutes of recorded content to support learning.

In this course you will...

Assess readiness

to understand your institution’s strengths, gaps, and capacity for a new system.

Identify your needs

and apply best practices to define the features and functionality that truly matter for student success.

Navigate the RFP process

to align your proposal with campus priorities and avoid common pitfalls.

Communicate across campus

to bridge the gap between advisors, IT teams, and senior leadership.

Course curriculum

12 Lessons

1. Course Introduction (8 mins)

Lesson 1 will explain the learning outcomes and provide an overview of the entire course’s content. There will also be recommendations to ensure you get the most out of your engagement with this course
2. Assessing Your Institutional Readiness for New Technology (11 mins)

Before purchasing new technology, you should take stock of your current systems and needs. In this lesson, you will discuss areas to consider when assessing your institution’s structure and resources to support new technology. There will also be a brief discussion of digital literacy of advisors and other users.
3. Introduction to Student Success Technology (12 mins)

Educational technology represents over a billion dollars across multiple vendors. This lesson provides an overview of that complex marketplace and why that knowledge matters.
4. What is the Request for Proposal (RFP) Process? (9 mins)

What is the Request for Proposal (RFP) process? This lesson will introduce the purpose of RFPs and walk through a typical process. Content also includes some dos and don’ts of RFP best practices.
5. Navigating Your Institutional Climate (10 mins)

In this lesson, you will explore how decisions about technology purchases are made and who may be involved – or excluded. Other content will include a discussion of defining outcomes and setting priorities as a decision maker.
6. Evaluating Advising Technology Proposals (10 mins)

Writing the RFP content is just the beginning of the process! This lesson will introduce a rubric for evaluating vendor proposals and provide an overview of a typical RFP process.
7. Managing Top-Down Technology Purchases (7 mins)

This second-to-last lesson addresses instances when technology is selected for purchase without consulting with the advising community.
8. Next Steps - Making the Most of Your Purchase (7 mins)

The final lesson of the course is designed to empower you to take what you’ve learned and translate it into immediate action!

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Frequently asked questions

How do I know what courses are available?

Courses listed on the home landing page are available to be selected and completed at your own pace. You are welcome to complete any of the Advising Success Network's free courses, if the content is of interest to you.
Who do I contact with questions?

Please email [email protected] for more information about the content, our partners, or our resources. You may also email that address for technical assistance with the Thinkific platform.

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