Proposal Writing

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Proposal Writing

• Chapter 12

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What is a Proposal?

• Proposals are documents designed to persuade
  someone to follow or accept a specific course of
  action.
• Proposals usually offer to solve a problem or to
  provide a service or product and then suggest a
  specific plan for solving the problem or for
  providing the service or product. It often lays
  out a timetable or budget.
• An effective proposal is persuasive it convinces
  readers to accept and possibly to pay for the
  work that it proposes.

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Types of Proposals

• Solicited Proposals originate when a person, an
  organization or a government agency requests
  qualified organizations and individuals to submit
  their qualifications to do work, to submit bids
  to complete proposed work, or to submit proposals
  for manufacturing equipment or other items
  according to specifications.
• Unsolicited Proposals are not requested by the
  organization, individuals or government agency
  that receives them.
• Unlike solicited proposals, unsolicited proposals
  must convince readers that a specific problem
  exists before explaining a plan, cost, or
  qualifications.

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Internal, External.

• If you write a proposal to someone within your
  organization (a business, a government agency,
  etc.), it is an internal proposal. With internal
  proposals, you may not have to include certain
  sections (such as qualifications), or you may not
  have to include as much information in them.
• An external proposal is one written from one
  separate, independent organization or individual
  to another such entity. The typical example is
  the independent consultant proposing to do a
  project for another firm.

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Find out about the Readers

• Is the proposal solicited or unsolicited?
• Are your readers internal or external?
• If your readers are external, what positions do
  they hold in their organization? What do they
  know about you or your organization? Have their
  previous experience with your or your
  organization been positive? If not, why?
• If your readers are internal, where are their
  positions in relation to yours in the
  organizational hierarchy?
• Will more than one group of readers read the
  proposal? If so, what sections will each group
  read?
• What do your readers know about the problem or
  need that prompted the proposal?

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Prepare to Answer Readers Questions

• See Figure 12.2

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Common Sections in Proposals

• Introduction
• Background
• Benefits and feasibility
• Description of the proposed work
• Method, procedure, theory
• Schedule
• Qualifications
• Costs, resources required
• Conclusions
• Special project-specific sections

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We would be closely following..

• This Online Chapter in Proposal Writing