proposal assignment

What is a proposal?

Imagine that you are an employee in a company.  You have an idea about how the company could improve its processes, or attract more customers, or increase its profits, or achieve some other benefit.  You would like to research this idea by reading published articles about similar efforts, or by interviewing experts, or by conducting a survey.  But to do this, you would need time and resources that you do not normally have available. 

A proposal is a request for permission to take time away from your normal work, and for resources including money, facilities like an office or computer equipment, or helpers such as research assistants or statistical analysts, so that you can perform the Big Research Project. 

The proposal needs to convince the authority / funder (usually the boss) that your project is a good idea (argument) and that you are able to accomplish the project responsibly, with a result that will be valuable to the authority / funder (persuasion).

That’s where a little bit of preliminary research comes in.  You want to confirm that your idea is solid, and you want to show the authority / funder that you know how to research effectively and produce a usable document.

The proposal and the sample research it contains, in other words, are the tip of the iceberg.  The Big Research Project is the rest of the iceberg that lies below the surface of the water.  Don’t start working on the Big Research Project until your proposal has been accepted and funded.   

What must you do for this assignment?

Prepare a formal planning and funding proposal for the chosen solution.  Explain the necessary details to make the solution happen.  Be sure to give details about the following:

•       Goals (3+)

•       Need

•       Idea/Solution

•       Timeline (Planning and operations)

•       Personnel

•       Equipment, supplies, building

•       Budget

•       Evaluation/Quality Control

Your single report with headings and graphics should provide

à      Front Matter

•       Cover Page

•       Letter of Transmittal

•       Table of Contents

•       List of Illustrations

•       Executive Summary

à      End Matter

•       Glossary

•       References (6+)