ENGLISH 365

Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's

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Chapter 16 Overview:
Writing Proposals

• Understanding the process of writing proposals
• The logistics of proposals
• The “deliverables” of proposals
• Persuasion and proposals
• Writing a proposal
• The structure of the proposal

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The logistics of proposals involve these categories:

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• Consider your readers’ knowledge about and attitudes toward your proposal.
• Consider collaborating if you are writing a large proposal.
• Follow the instructions in any RFP or IFB from the prospective customer. Otherwise, follow the structure outlined in the chapter.
• Because external proposals have firm deadlines, build in extra time to revise, edit, and proofread.

When writing a proposal, focus on the following steps:

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Solicited and unsolicited

proposals respond to different needs:

• Solicited proposals are sent in response to an information for bid (IFB), a request for quotation (RFQ), or a request for proposal (RFP).
• Unsolicited proposals are submitted by a supplier who believes that the prospective customer needs goods or services.

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• research
• goods and services

Proposals lead to two categories
of deliverables:

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• Show that you understand your readers’ needs.
• Show that you have a plan and that you are able to do it.
• Show that you are a professional and that you are committed to fulfilling your promises.

You must show three things to create a successful, persuasive proposal:

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• Understand that what makes an argument persuasive can differ from one culture to another.
• Budget enough time for translating.
• Use simple graphics, with captions.
• Write short sentences, using common vocabulary.

Follow these six suggestions

when writing international proposals:

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• Use local conventions regarding punctuation, spelling, and mechanics.
• Ask if the prospective customer will do a read-through.

Follow these six suggestions

when writing international proposals (cont.):

Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's

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• Describe your credentials and work history.
• Provide your work schedule.
• Describe your quality-control measures.
• Include your budget.

Follow these four guidelines

to demonstrate your professionalism:

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Avoid these four

common dishonest practices:

• saying that certain qualified people will participate in the project, even though they will not
• saying that the project will be finished by a certain date, even though it will not

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Avoid these four

common dishonest practices (cont.):

• saying that the deliverable will have certain characteristics, even though it will not
• saying that the project will be completed under budget, even though it will not

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• to avoid serious legal trouble stemming from breach-of-contract suits
• to avoid acquiring a bad reputation, thus ruining your business
• to do the right thing

There are three reasons

to write honest proposals:

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To follow through on a proposal,

you need three categories of resources:

• personnel
• facilities
• equipment

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• summary
• introduction
• proposed program
• qualifications and experience
• budget
• appendixes

A typical proposal includes six sections:

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• What is the problem or opportunity?
• What is the purpose of the proposal?
• What is the background of the problem or opportunity?
• What are your sources of information?

A proposal’s introduction

answers seven questions:

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• What is the scope of the proposal?
• What is the organization of the proposal?
• What are the key terms that you will use in the proposal?

A proposal’s introduction

answers seven questions (cont.):

Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's

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• how you will gather and analyze data
• why the professional literature justifies your proposed course of action
• what preliminary research you have already done
• why the project is likely to succeed

The proposal’s proposed program explains four major issues:

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• What technical credentials do you and your co-workers possess?
• What similar projects has your organization completed successfully?
• What equipment and facilities does your company have?
• How will your company’s management structure ensure the project will go smoothly?

A proposal’s qualifications and experience section answers four questions:

Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's

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Task schedules are

presented in one of three formats:

• table
• bar chart or Gantt chart
• network diagram

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An example of a task schedule as a table

Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's

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An example of a task

schedule as a bar chart

Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's

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An example of a task

schedule as a network diagram

A network diagram provides more useful information than either a table or a bar chart.

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There are several techniques

for evaluating completed work:

• quantitative evaluations
• qualitative evaluations
• formative evaluations
• summative evaluations