Documentation Acquisition Specification and RFP Template (ISO/IEC/IEEE 26512)

Outsourced documentation RFP: objectives, users, deliverables, statement of work, schedule, terms, proposal outline, weighted evaluation, acceptance

Documentación y soporteEstándarISO/IEC/IEEE 26512:2026documentation acquisition specActualizada 29 oct 2026

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Cómo usar: Use it when you buy documentation, help content or translation from a supplier. Fill the deliverables table and the acquirer and supplier split in the statement of work first. The main pitfall is unclear review cycles and ownership of source files and translation memory.

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Documentation Acquisition Specification: [Product or programme name]

Requirements specification and request for proposal (RFP) for outsourcing information for users (manuals, help, training, API docs, translation), with a statement of work, supplier proposal outline, evaluation criteria and acceptance rules. The structure is aligned with the acquirer and supplier topics of ISO/IEC/IEEE 26512:2026 (Edition 3.0, published 2026-08-04), Systems and software engineering: Requirements for acquirers and suppliers of information products and services. Replace every [bracketed] value and every row marked Example. The worked example uses a fictional buyer, Brennick Home Systems, and is not a real tender. This is a documentation format, not legal or procurement advice: follow your organisation's procurement rules.

Document control

Field	Value
Document ID	[ACQ-DOC-001]
Procurement reference	[RFP-2026-014] (Example)
Version	[1.0]
Status	[Draft / Issued to suppliers / Awarded / Closed]
Owner	[@documentation-manager]
Approvers/reviewers	[@procurement-lead], [@legal], [@product-owner]
Proposal due	YYYY-MM-DD
Classification	[Confidential: suppliers under NDA only]
Last updated	YYYY-MM-DD

Revision history

Version	Date	Author	Change
1.0	YYYY-MM-DD	[@name]	Issued to suppliers
1.1	YYYY-MM-DD	[@name]	Example: Answers to supplier questions added (section 11)

1. Background and objectives

[Brennick Home Systems] (Example, fictional) is launching a smart heating thermostat and companion app in [three] markets. The internal team will write the safety-critical content; we seek a supplier for the user guide, in-app help and translation.

Objectives (Example):

ID	Objective	Measure
OBJ-01	Users set up the device without calling support	At least [90]% task success in a usability test of the guide
OBJ-02	Content ready for launch in all languages	All deliverables accepted by YYYY-MM-DD
OBJ-03	Content reusable for later models	Delivered as structured topics in [DITA / Markdown]

2. Users and use context

Audience	Characteristics	Tasks
Home user (Example)	Wide age range, varied digital skills, some with reduced vision	Set up, create a heating schedule, read energy reports
Installer (Example)	Qualified heating installer, fits the device to the boiler	Wire the device, commission it, hand over to the user

3. Information product requirements

ID	Deliverable	Format	Size estimate	Languages
DEL-01 (Example)	User guide	Printed booklet and accessible PDF	[40] pages	EN, DE, FR
DEL-02 (Example)	In-app help	[Markdown] topics delivered to repository	[60] topics	EN, DE, FR
DEL-03 (Example)	Quick-start card	Print-ready artwork	2 sides	EN, DE, FR
DEL-04 (Example)	Translation memory and termbase	TMX and TBX files	Not applicable	All

Quality requirements (apply to all deliverables):

Follow our style guide [link] and termbase [link].
Meet [WCAG 2.2 Level AA] for digital deliverables.
Instructions for the physical device follow IEC/IEEE 82079-1:2019 principles (see docs/instructions-for-use).
Regulated content (safety warnings, intended use, electrical data) is supplied by us and must not be changed without written approval.

4. Statement of work

Activity	Supplier	Acquirer
Content plan and topic list	Prepares	Approves within [5] working days
Source material, subject-matter interviews	Requests	Provides within [5] working days
Drafting and illustration	Performs	Not applicable
Technical review	Incorporates comments	Reviews within [10] working days, [2] cycles included
Usability test of DEL-01	Runs with [8] participants	Approves test plan, observes
Translation and in-country review	Performs translation	In-country reviewers approve
Final production and delivery	Performs	Accepts per section 9

4.1 Schedule

Milestone	Date
M1 Kick-off	YYYY-MM-DD
M2 Content plan approved	YYYY-MM-DD
M3 English drafts reviewed	YYYY-MM-DD
M4 Usability test passed	YYYY-MM-DD
M5 Translations approved	YYYY-MM-DD
M6 Final delivery accepted	YYYY-MM-DD

5. Management and communication

Weekly status report: progress against milestones, risks, open questions.
Single points of contact on both sides: [@name], [supplier contact].
Changes to scope go through a written change request with effort and price impact before work starts.
Tools: [repository, review tool, translation management system]; the supplier works in our environment with accounts we provide.

6. Commercial and legal terms

Topic	Requirement (Example)
Pricing	Fixed price per deliverable, with day rate for change requests
Ownership	All deliverables, source files, TM and termbase owned by the acquirer on payment
Confidentiality	NDA signed before issue of this RFP
Data protection	No personal data shared; test participants recruited by supplier under its own consent process
Subcontracting	Only with written approval, named in the proposal
Use of AI tools	Disclosed in the proposal, with how output is reviewed and how our material is protected

7. Proposal outline (to be completed by suppliers)

Understanding of the objectives and users.
Approach and method for each deliverable, including review and testing.
Team: roles, named people, relevant experience, writing samples.
Schedule against the milestones in section 4.1.
Quality assurance and how acceptance criteria will be met.
Tools, formats and handover.
Risks and assumptions.
Price, broken down by deliverable and language.
References from [2] comparable projects.

8. Evaluation criteria

Criterion	Weight (Example)
Understanding of users and approach	25
Team experience and writing samples	25
Quality assurance and usability testing	15
Schedule realism	10
Price	25
Total	100

Scoring scale: 0 (not addressed) to 5 (excellent). Weighted score = sum of (score / 5 x weight). Example: scores 4, 5, 3, 4, 3 give (4 x 25 + 5 x 25 + 3 x 15 + 4 x 10 + 3 x 25) / 5 = 385 / 5 = 77 points.

9. Acceptance criteria

ID	Criterion	Method
ACC-01 (Example)	No open critical or major review comments	Review log
ACC-02 (Example)	Usability test meets OBJ-01	Test report
ACC-03 (Example)	Terminology matches termbase in all languages	Automated QA check
ACC-04 (Example)	Digital deliverables meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA	Accessibility audit
ACC-05 (Example)	All source files and TM delivered	Handover checklist

10. Supplier responsibilities after delivery

Warranty: correct defects reported within [90] days at no charge.
Optional maintenance: price per update cycle, stated in the proposal.

11. Questions and answers

Q ID	Question	Answer	Date
Q-01 (Example)	Will source files be provided in an editable format?	Yes, engineering specifications as PDF and design files as [format]	YYYY-MM-DD

12. References

ISO/IEC/IEEE 26512:2026, Edition 3.0, published 2026-08-04, Systems and software engineering: Requirements for acquirers and suppliers of information products and services. Official text: ISO, IEC and IEEE, purchase or licensed access: https://www.iso.org/standard/91114.html or https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/115579.
IEC/IEEE 82079-1:2019 for instructions for use of products: https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/29075.
Related templates: docs/documentation-plan, docs/localization-brief, docs/instructions-for-use, business/rfp, business/statement-of-work, business/vendor-evaluation-scorecard, project/procurement-plan.

Standard and licence note

Structure aligned with the acquirer and supplier topics of ISO/IEC/IEEE 26512:2026 (Edition 3.0), using only its title, edition, date and published abstract: requirements for information for users, the specification and statement of work, the request for proposal and the proposal. This template is original text written for this collection and reproduces no wording or clause content from the standard. Official text: ISO, purchase or licensed access: https://www.iso.org/standard/91114.html. Check the current edition before relying on it. This is not legal or procurement advice. Template licence: MIT.

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