narrating-cost-volumeslisted

# Narrating Cost Volumes Draft the cost volume narrative: the words that explain and justify the numbers. This skill writes the narrative and basis-of-estimate text around a cost model the user's pricing or finance team has built. It does not build the cost model and does not produce cost figures. Its job is to make the proposed costs understandable, credible, realistic, and consistent with the rest of the proposal. ## When to use this skill Use this skill once the pricing team has a cost estimate and the technical and management volumes are drafted, to write the cost volume narrative, the basis of estimate, and the cost-realism and reasonableness narrative, and to check that the cost volume agrees with the rest of the proposal. It is not a pricing tool. It does not set rates, build cost models, or estimate hours — those are the pricing team's work and the subject of `estimating-price-to-win` on the strategy side. ## Inputs **Required:** - The cost model and figures from the user's pricing team — labor categories, hours, rates, indirect rates, fee, ODCs, by CLIN and period. - The solicitation's cost volume instructions (Section L) and cost evaluation criteria (Section M), and the Section B CLIN structure. **Preferred upstream artifacts:** - `12-sections/`: the technical and management volumes, for the cost-technical consistency check. - `04-price-to-win.md`: the price posture the bid is taking. - `10-compliance-matrix.md`: the cost volume requirement rows. **Wit