Writing a proposal essay
rehab
ch16-slides-short_version.pptChapter 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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Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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The logistics of proposals involve these categories:
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Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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- research
- goods and services
Proposals lead to two categories
of deliverables:
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Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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- Show that you understand the needs of the project.
- 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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Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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- Understand that being persuasive can differ from one culture to another.
- Budget enough time for translating.
- Use simple graphics, with captions.
- Use Plain English—write short sentences, using common vocabulary.
Follow these six suggestions
when writing international proposals:
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Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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- Use 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.):
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Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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- Thoroughly describe the importance of the project.
- Provide a description of the product or service
- Provide your work schedule.
- Describe your quality-control measures.
- Include your budget.
Follow these four guidelines
to demonstrate your professionalism:
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Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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To follow through on a proposal,
you need three categories of resources:
- personnel
- facilities
- equipment
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Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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- summary
- introduction
- proposed tasks
- schedule
- budget
- qualifications and experience
A typical proposal includes six sections:
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Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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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 summary
answers 7 questions:
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Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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- What is the product or service?
- What is the organization of the proposal?
- What are the key terms that you will use in the proposal?
A proposal’s summary
answers seven questions (cont.):
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Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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- what does the project look like
- how you will gather and analyze data for the project and what preliminary research you have already done
- why professional literature justifies your course of action
- and why is the project likely to succeed
The proposal’s introduction section
discusses 4 major issues:
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Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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- what tasks are necessary to complete the project
- Who will be the responsible contact person for each task
- What deliverables will be provided to ensure each task is satisfactorily completed
- how long will each task require to be completed
The proposal’s proposed tasks
explains 4 major issues:
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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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Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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An example of a task
schedule as a bar chart
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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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Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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- provide a visual calendar of due dates to accompany the written descriptions in the ”proposed tasks” section
- match item by item with the full description written in the “proposed tasks”
- Indicate process as a duration of time and due dates as a specific date
The schedule section
shows 4 major issues:
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Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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- format budget as tabular data
- show description of items required
- show per unit costs
- show number of units needed
- show total costs for full project
The budget section
should show incurred costs:
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