Who bears responsibility for completing the RFP process?

The responsibility for completing the Request for Proposal (RFP) process falls primarily on the proposer. The proposer is typically an organization or individual that submits a proposal in response to a client's RFP. This includes preparing and delivering the proposal materials, which outline how they plan to meet the project requirements set forth in the RFP.

In this context, the proposer must ensure that their proposal is not only compliant with the RFP requirements but also competitive and compelling. This involves understanding the needs articulated by the client, formulating a strategy, and presenting all necessary information in a structured manner.

The other choices define roles that may interact with or support the RFP process but do not bear the primary responsibility. The contractor is usually involved after the RFP process is concluded and they have been awarded the contract, while the client initiates the process but relies on the proposer to effectively respond. The project manager oversees the project’s execution, which occurs after the RFP phase, making them less involved in the completion of the RFP itself. Therefore, the proposer is rightly assigned the responsibility of completing the RFP process.