1.4  What is in This Guide and Template?

This is a practical "how-to" instructional reference tool designed in a modular format, so the reader can concentrate on specific areas of key interest while skipping those that are familiar.  It all starts with a guide to explain important aspects of writing Section M.  With the guide is an accompanying template that contains hidden text throughout, in which to guide your decisions about what information to include.

A description and overview of Section M is presented in Section 2.0 of the guide to provide a general sense of its important components. Sections 2.0 and 3.0 provide help in developing the Mission Capability subfactors.  Finally, there are sections on related topics, such as how Section M fits with other parts of the solicitation, "do's and don'ts," and references and approvals.

For most acquisition integrated product teams (IPTs)/acquisition teams, the most difficult part of writing Section M is developing the Mission Capability factor (or, more specifically, its subfactors).  This is by far the most substantive and critical portion of the section.  Along with the hidden text in the template, Sections 2.0 and 3.0 offer help in this endeavor.

Another real challenge is making sure Section M tracks to and is consistent with other parts of the solicitation, especially Section L.  All of Section 4.0 is devoted to describing the interrelationships among the documents key to the acquisition and among the sections of the solicitation and how these must track to one another.

In addition to this guide and template and your source selection experts, your counterparts in industry can and will help you formulate strategies, define requirements, and draft documents.  Requirements definition and acquisition strategy benefit from  involving industry early in the process and providing access to documents related to the source selection to ensure as much communication as possible regarding the Government's requirements.