Requests for Information

Checklist

I. Analysis

• • Who is your target audience?

  • What are their expectations?

II. Evaluation

Content

• • • Is your clarification or concern clearly stated?

    • If the RFI is issued during the pre-construction phase, does it

      • clearly reference the appropriate specification and/or drawing?

      • include the possible impact on the construction schedule?

    • If the RFI is issued during construction, does it

      • clearly identify the construction deficiency or contract document clarification?

      • clearly reference the appropriate Specification and/or drawing?

      • include the possible impact on the construction schedule and/or budget, if any?

Tone

• • Did you avoid negatives?

    • • No attacks

      • No use of negative words

      • No apologies

  • Were you decisive? (Do not use e.g., "I think," I believe," "We are confident")

  • Speculate only if proposing further research, e.g. “We believe the result of proposed action will be A and believe A will likely save the company X dollars and would like to propose further research of A….”

Style

• • Is all important information contained in the RFI itself (e.g., not in an appendix or in footnotes)?

  • If there is a complex issue to resolve or more than one question, is there an introduction stating how the RFI is organized?

Appearance

• • Did you use common font for text (e.g., Times New Roman)?

  • Did you precede any critical component to the report with white space (for emphasis)?

Sources: Betty Ricks and Kay F. Gow’s Business Communication: Systems and Applications (1987) The content of this list was informed by J. Scott Armstrong’s “Checklist for Writing Management Reports.”