5.1: Preparing Proposals

What Is the Role of a Proposal? 

A great idea does not usually go straight from proposal to implementation. You may think it would be a great idea to construct a green roof on top of the Centennial Morningside campus, but before anyone gives you the go ahead for such an expensive and time-consuming project, they will need to know that you have done research to ensure the idea is cost effective and will actually work.

Most ideas start out as a proposal to determine if the idea is really feasible, or to find out which of several options will be most advantageous. So before you propose the actual green roof, you propose to study whether or not it is a feasible idea. Before you recommend a data storage system, you should propose to study three different systems to find out which is the best one for this particular situation. Your proposal assumes the idea is worth looking into, shares contextual or background information, and gives detailed information on how you propose to do the project.

What Are the Types and Details of Proposals?

Proposals are one of the most common types of reports you may find yourself writing in the workplace. A proposal, in the technical sense, is a document that tries to persuade the reader to implement a proposed plan or approve a proposed project. Most companies and organizations rely on effective proposal writing to ensure successful continuation of their business and to get new contracts. With an effective proposal, the writer convinces the reader that the proposed plan or project is worth doing (worth the time, energy, and expense necessary to implement), that the author is the best candidate for implementing the idea, that the proposed plan is realistic and feasible, and that the proposed course of action will result in numerous benefits.

Proposals are often written in response to a Request For Proposals (RFP) by a government agency, organization, or company. The requesting body receives multiple proposals responding to their request, reviews the submitted proposals, and chooses the best one(s) to go forward. Thus, your proposal must persuade the reader that your idea is the one most worth pursuing. Proposals are persuasive documents intended to initiate a project often in response to a challenge and get the reader to authorize a course of action proposed in the document. These might include proposals to

• perform a task (such as a feasibility study, a research project, etc.);
• provide a product; and/or
• provide a service.

Proposals can have various purposes and thus take many forms; they are usually adapted to the situation at hand. They may include sections such as the following:

• Introduction and/or background
• Problem statement
• Purpose/motivation/goal/objectives
• Definition of scope and approach
• Technical background
• Project description/methodology
• Schedule of work/timeline
• Budget
• Qualifications
• Conclusion

Here are four kinds of proposals:

1. Solicited Proposals: An organization identifies a situation or problem that it wants to improve or solve and issues an RFP (Request for Proposals) asking for proposals on how to address it. The requesting organization will vet proposals and choose the most convincing one, often using a detailed scoring rubric or weighted objectives chart to determine which proposal best responds to the request.
2. Unsolicited Proposals: A writer perceives a problem or an opportunity and takes the initiative to propose a way to solve the problem or take advantage of the opportunity (without being requested to do so). This can often be the most difficult kind of proposal to get approved, so it should include a persuasive rationale for the proposed course of action.
3. Internal Proposals:  These are written for someone within the same organization as the writers. Since both the writer and reader share the same workplace context, these proposals are generally shorter than external proposals and usually address some way to improve a work-related situation (productivity, efficiency, profit, etc.). As internal documents, they are often sent as memo reports, or introduced with a memo transmittal document if the proposal is lengthy.
4. External Proposals: These are sent outside of the writer’s organization to a separate entity (usually to solicit business). Since these are external documents, they are usually sent as a formal report (if long) and introduced by a letter of transmittal. External proposals are usually sent in response to a Request for Proposals, but not always.

Proposals written in a technical writing course generally do the following:

1. Identify and define the problem that needs to be solved or the opportunity that could be seized. You must show that you clearly understand the problem/situation if you are to convince the reader that you can solve it.
2. Describe your proposed project, clearly defining the scope of what you propose to do. Often, it is best to give a general overview of your idea, and then break it down into more detailed sub-sections.
3. Indicate how your proposed solution will solve the problem and provide tangible benefits. Specifically, indicate how it will meet the objectives and abide by the constraints outlined in the problem definition.
4. Include the practical details for completing the project. Represent these graphically and include a timeline, if appropriate.
5. Conclude by summarizing  the benefits of implementing your proposed idea. Ask for authorization to proceed.

Depending on the audience and purpose, you may also include the following in your proposal:

1. Describe your qualifications to take on and/or lead this project; persuade the reader that you have the required skills, experience, and expertise to complete this job.
2. Include graphics to illustrate your ideas, present data, and enhance your pitch.
3. Include secondary research to support your claims and to enhance your credibility and the strength of your proposal.
4. Choose format according to the context; is this a memo report to an internal audience or a formal report to an external audience? Does it require a letter of transmittal?

Irish and Weiss (2013) urge readers to keep the following in mind:

An engineering proposal is not an advertisement. It must show, with objective language, clarity, and thoroughness, that the writers know what they are doing and will successfully complete the project.

How Should a Proposal Be Organized?

Each proposal will be unique in that it must address a particular audience, in a particular context, for a specific purpose. To read sample proposals, visit David McMurrey’s Online Technical Writing # Proposals. However, the following offers a fairly standard organization for many types of proposals:

Why Might Proposals be Rejected?

A proposal or recommendation needs research to convince the reader that the idea is worth pursuing or implementing. A project proposal could be rejected for any of the following reasons related to insufficient research:

• Unclear problem: The research problem is not clearly defined so the research plan has no clear focus (your ideas are too vague and not well thought out)
• Unnecessary project: This issue is already well-known or the problem has already been solved (or is in the process of being solved).
• Impractical scope: Access to information, resources, and equipment needed to complete your proposed study may not be available; adequate conclusions cannot be reached in the designated time frame and with resources available. For example, if you propose to do a study that will take two years, but your project is due in two months, the proposal will be rejected.