Writing project proposals

 Writing project proposals

The general purpose of any proposal is to persuade the readers to do something --  whether it is to persuade a potential customer to purchase goods and/or services, or to persuade your employer to fund a project or to implement a program that you would like to launch.

Any proposal offers a plan to fill a need, and your reader will evaluate your plan according to how well your written presentation answers questions about WHAT you are proposing, HOW you plan to do it, WHEN you plan to do it, and HOW MUCH it is going to cost. To do this you must ascertain the level of knowledge that your audience possesses and take the positions of all your readers into account.

You must also discern whether your readers will be members of your technical community, of your technical discourse community, or of both, and then use the appropriate materials and language to appeal to both.

 

You might provide, for those outside of your specific area of expertise, an executive summary written in non-technical (easily accessible) language, or you might include a glossary of terms that explains technical language used in the body of the proposal, and/ or attach appendices that explain technical information in generally understood language.

 

The most basic composition of a proposal, as with any other written document, is simple; it needs a beginning (the Introduction), a middle (the Body of material to be presented) and an end (the Conclusion/Recommendation).

The INTRODUCTION presents and summarizes the problem you intend to solve and your solution to that problem, including the benefits the reader/group will receive from the solution and the cost of that solution.

The BODY of the proposal should explain the complete details of the solution: how the job will be done, broken into separate tasks; what method will be used to do it, including the equipment, material, and personnel that would be required; when the work will begin; and, when the job will be completed. It should also present a detailed cost breakdown for the entire job.

The CONCLUSION should emphasize the benefits that the reader will realize from your solution to the problem and should urge the reader to action. It should be encouraging, confident and assertive in tone.

 

Proposals are informative and persuasive writing because they attempt to educate the reader and to convince that reader to do something. The goal of the writer is not only to persuade the reader to do what is being requested, but also to make the reader believe that the solution is practical and appropriate. In persuasive proposal writing, the case is built by the demonstration of logic and reason in the approach taken in the solution.

 

Facts must lead logically and inevitably to the conclusion and/or the solution presented. Evidence should be given in a descending order of importance, beginning with the most important evidence and ending with the least important.

 

Any questions that the reader might pose should be anticipated and answered in a way that reflects the stated position of your proposal.  It is important that the writer, also, considers all sides of the argument --- providing other alternative solutions to the problem, but showing how the one chosen is superior to the others included,

 

Sample Outline

 

The following is a sample outline for a project proposal. Note that all questions for a section may not apply to your proposal, and should be used as a general guide only.

Introduction (1 or 2 paragraphs)

Motivation Sentence

Summarize the problem (1 or 2 sentences)

Summarize the solution (1 or 2 sentences)

Describe format of rest of proposal (sections, etc.)

 

Motivation (1 to 3 paragraphs)

What is the history of the problem?

Why is this problem interesting?

When and why does the problem occur?

Is the problem already solved? What is done now?

Are there any similar systems or solutions to the one you propose? If so, reference and very briefly explain them.

Are there are possible improvements to current solutions?

 

Project Summary (1 paragraph)

What in general will this project achieve? (Do not delve into details or timelines.)

 

Project Details

Architecture and Environment (2-3 paragraphs + figures)

Describe the project environment (software, hardware, languages, organizations, etc.)

Diagrams and figures are useful here if appropriate.

What software, hardware, or tools will you use?

Implementation Issues and Challenges (2-3 paragraphs)

What will be the most difficult issues and challenges in the implementation?

How are you using or extending current tools/systems for your problem?

 

What makes your project unique?

 

Deliverables (3-5 paragraphs - point-form may be used for some of the description)

What will the project produce? (program, report, etc.)

Describe in relative detail the features of each of the project's products.

You may wish to separate deliverables into phases and indicate optional components given time.

 

Emphasize what your project contributes or achieves!

Timeline (1 paragraph - point-form is suitable)

Provide an estimated timeline of project deliverables and important dates.

 

Conclusion (1 paragraph)

Summarize the project including the problem, motivation, and proposed solution, and re-state important (planned) contributions.

 

References

List references used to compile proposal and references that will be used for project (if already known).

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