1) Make sure your emotions are not clouding your judgment - yes you may be the best thing since sliced bread, but if your written proposal didn't address all the requirements appropriately in the request document, the evaluators would never know that! Reputation isn't considered in the process, just the written document.
Remedy: Ask for a debriefing and find out for sure where your strengths and areas for improvement are.
2) Did you understand the process AND did they follow the process as outlined in the request document? Generally 'how' the process works is outlined in the request document and may reference some online procedure manuals (depending upon the organization). Hopefully you read them all and had an understanding of the process before you responded. The time to ask questions about the process was BEFORE the process closed.
Remedy: usually further info/clarification is done during the debriefing, BUT, if by chance your understanding does not mesh with what they explain to you, book a time after the debriefing to discuss your understanding and seek clarification on exactly 'what' they did and/or what you may have misunderstood so you are prepared for next time.
3) Are you having difficulty getting answers and/or hitting a brick wall?
Now you should have some red flags and start escalating your concerns. Most organizations have a publicly available staff directory and if you cannot get responses/clarification from the contact person, start going up the line. Double check if there is a 'dispute resolution' process for the process, as that would be your most expedious route - an example for Province of British Columbia (Canada) is found here Note that it STARTS with a debriefing, then escalates to a discussion with the contact/stakeholders before you actually go through a formal complaint process...most 'complaints' are generally misunderstandings of the process that is required for a publicly funded project!
Feel free to comment/ask questions!
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