Proposals PDF

Technical Writing for Success Proposals What Is a Proposal? Getting Started on Proposals Composing Informal Proposals Composing Formal Proposals © 2010 South-Western...

Technical Writing for Success Proposals What Is a Proposal? Getting Started on Proposals Composing Informal Proposals Composing Formal Proposals © 2010 South-Western Dr. Norah Almusharraf Cengage Learning Goals Define proposals and determine their purpose. Plan to write proposals. Compose informal proposals. Compose formal proposals. Technical Writing for Success © South-Western Cengage Learning 2 What Is a Proposal? Proposals are persuasive documents that offer a solution to an identified problem or need. Proposals try to sell an idea, a product or service, or a new concept or plan. The successful proposal persuades your audience to accept your offered solution and to invest in your idea, product, plan, or service. Technical Writing for Success © South-Western Cengage Learning 3 What Is a Proposal? INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL Readers of some proposals will be internal, that is, inside the writer’s organization. Internal proposals usually try to sell an idea or a plan. Other readers will be external, or outside the writer’s organization. External proposals frequently try to sell goods or services as well as ideas. Technical Writing for Success © South-Western Cengage Learning 4 What Is a Proposal? INFORMAL PROPOSALS Informal proposals: Are brief, generally from one to eight pages. Have flexible organization plans. Use less formal language. Are frequently presented to an internal audience as a letter or memo. Technical Writing for Success © South-Western Cengage Learning 5 What Is a Proposal? FORMAL PROPOSALS A formal proposal: Usually addresses an external and often unfamiliar audience. Is organized according to standard elements of formal researched reports. Is longer and contains more parts than informal proposals. Technical Writing for Success © South-Western Cengage Learning 6 What Is a Proposal? SOLICITED AND UNSOLICITED A solicited proposal is one the reader asked the writer to create. A request for a solicited proposal might appear in an RFP, or request for proposal. An unsolicited proposal is begun when the writer “discovers” a problem. Technical Writing for Success © South-Western Cengage Learning 7 What Is a Proposal? SALES, RESEARCH, GRANT, AND PLANNING PROPOSALS The sales proposal tries to sell a product or service. The research proposal asks for approval to begin a study or an investigation. The grant proposal seeks money for a specified project. The planning proposal tries to persuade an audience to take a particular action. Technical Writing for Success © South-Western Cengage Learning 8 What Is a Proposal? FORMATTING The best format for a proposal is determined by the audience’s needs and the function or type of proposal. Most proposal readers read only a portion of the document. Readers evaluate the proposal and accept or reject the suggestions based on the data presented in the section they review. Technical Writing for Success © South-Western Cengage Learning 9 Getting Started on Proposals A problem-solving strategy such as this one can help you focus on the problem: Determine whether you have a problem. If you do, define the problem and your purpose. Conduct preliminary research. Determine the scope and limitations of your study. Identify the factors or subparts of the problem. Brainstorm possible solutions. Gather data to support the possible solutions. If possible, test and evaluate solutions. Technical Writing for Success © South-Western Cengage Learning 10 Composing Informal Proposals The organizational strategy of the informal proposal is designed with the busy decision maker in mind. The proposal usually opens with the most important information the reader needs to know. Informal proposals contain: A summary An introduction A body A conclusion Technical Writing for Success © South-Western Cengage Learning 11 Composing Informal Proposals The summary, or abstract, is a condensed version of the proposal. The introduction presents the problem, the solution, and any background information the reader needs. The body of the proposal is the main section; it covers the facts—the specific evidence to convince the reader that the plan is worthy. The conclusion wraps up the report and spurs the reader into action. Technical Writing for Success © South-Western Cengage Learning 12 Composing Informal Proposals DRAFTING THE BODY In the body section, you might address the following topics: Methods Scheduling Capabilities Materials and equipment Expected results Plan for evaluating results Feasibility Budget Justification Technical Writing for Success © South-Western Cengage Learning 13 Composing Formal Proposals Formal proposals may differ from informal proposals in several ways: Tone—the detached, professional voice writers might use with a high-level official Additional parts of the proposal, such as a glossary, appendixes, and the transmittal correspondence Complexity of the outcome being proposed Technical Writing for Success © South-Western Cengage Learning 14 Composing Formal Proposals PREWRITING Since a formal proposal is often longer and more involved than other technical reports, prewriting is especially important. During prewriting, you should plan for: Persuasion (facts, accuracy, realistic plans, taking the reader’s point of view into account) Integrating the parts of the proposal Graphics, definitions, and supplemental materials Technical Writing for Success © South-Western Cengage Learning 15 Composing Formal Proposals PARTS OF FORMAL PROPOSALS Formal proposals have these parts: Letter/Memo of Transmittal Title Page Table of Contents List of Illustrations Executive Summary (or Abstract) Introduction Body (or Discussion) Conclusion (or Summary) Glossary Appendixes Works Cited Technical Writing for Success © South-Western Cengage Learning 16