Letter of Commitment - Bad Idea

I know there are a few purchasing folks out there that read this blog.  I thought I'd start giving a few suggestions from a vendor's perspective that could help all of us out. 

Let's start with the request in the RFP's that ask for Letters of Commitment for resumes.  Even the request for resumes is something I'll talk later about, but let's start here.

For you that haven't seen it, a Letter of Commitment is a document that you have a candidate sign that requests that they promise that they will take this job/project, if offered.  Now, think about this by putting yourself in the candidate's shoes.  I'm asking you to sign a document stating you will take a job, sometimein the future.  As we all know, most decision dates on a RFP usually, get delayed.  Either by protest on the government side, or needing board/upper management on the commercial side.  Is this fair?

I know many professional folks that don't even blink when they are asked to sign one of these documents.  Their logic (correctly), that this request isn't really legally binding so it really doesn't hold water anyway.  But really, doesn't this defeat the purpose originally in the client's mind. 

Let's get real and stop putting this request to candidates.  When a vendor is chosen, it is up to the vendor to staff the project with qualified talent.  That's where the real responsibility is.