(Adapted from Paul Emanuelli’s Precision Drafting: Trade Secrets for Tenders and RFPs)
Plain language should be used wherever possible. Using technical language is permissible when describing specialized subjects in a concise, accurate and technically precise manner. When dealing with technical subjects, remember the following points:
- Use plain language in the main parts of a procurement document (including the Initial Mapping Statement), and leave technical language to the appropriate components written by subject-matter experts for a more specialized audience (such as the Description of Deliverables).
- Be aware of the distinction between the plain meaning and technical meaning of a term, and know your intended audience.
- Distinguish between helpful technical terms that facilitate accuracy and brevity in communication and gratuitous technical terms that serve no purpose other than demonstrating knowledge of obscure subject areas, and avoid using the latter terms.