Re: 22 page manual for $400,000

[Lin Laurie <linlaurie -at- EMAIL -dot- MSN -dot- COM>]

When you put a contract together for a government agency, you factor in all
the time, and bill at predesignated milestones. The taxpayer is, in the
end, paying for that time, all that writing effort, and so on, one way or
another. The process could be streamlined, if someone put some effort into
it, but it would probably take an act of congress to make any changes.
Everyone I spoke to seemed to believe that because it had always been that
way, that was rationalization enough to keep it that way in the future.

If you saw how these manuals were written, the look of them (they look
typewritten), and so on, you'd think they were horrible too.

Lin

-----Original Message-----
From:   Bernie McCann [SMTP:BernieMc -at- AOL -dot- COM]
Sent:   Wednesday, June 03, 1998 3:43 PM
To:     TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject:        Re: 22 page manual for $400,000

Hello Lin!

In a message dated 98-06-03 12:11:52 EDT, you write:

<<
 Several years ago, I had the opportunity to create several manuals for the
 government. I found that before you can write a manual, you have to
 document that you can write a manual, that you have processes and
standards
 in place to edit, create graphics, etc. in support of the manual, and so
 on .... writen in a horrible style .... I found the process very
frustrating
and grueling. I now understand why the government purchases $900 ashtrays
and
other anomolies ....  Our tax dollars at work.

 Lin

  >>
I can understand your frustrations, but have you considered that government
contractors are, themselves, spending our tax dollars.  I am talking
generally
now, but if there is a year (or more) spent writing proposals and
statements
of work, etc. surely this period can not be charged to the government (tax
payer).  That's life!  It surprises me that, during such a lengthy period,
if
everyone around the table is experienced enough to play their own important
parts, these problems will not, normally, appear.  Perhaps, awarding
contracts
to the lowest bidder, plays a part here - but I don't think that I'll go
down
that controversial path at the moment.

As far as "horrible" styles are concerned, I am reminded of the following:
"No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else's
draft."
H.G. Wells
"If you are getting the worst of it in an argument with a literary man,
always
attack his style.  That'll touch him if nothing else will."
J.A. Spender

BernieMc -at- aol -dot- com