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Editor's Note: For her seminar project, Ms. Acker chose to revise (actually, to recreate) a chapter from one of the standard undergraduate textbooks in technical writing. The following is her "ideal" chapter on writing proposals.

CHAPTER SEVEN
PROPOSALS
by Anne Acker

    A proposal is a document that presents a recommended project or program. The general purpose of such a document is to convince the reader of two things: primarily, that they want and need this project, but also that only you can design and implement that project. In a proposal it is particularly important that you market both yourself and your ideas with solid information, professionalism, an impressive style, and a keen understanding of what will capture the interest of your target audience.
    Because proposals are so ubiquitous in the business world, companies and organizations frequently ask for them. Such a request is called a request for a proposal (RFP), and many companies post their RFPs on the Internet.   This proposal drafted in response to an RFP are called solicited proposals and they have the advantage of a ready audience.   Many times, however, you will be presenting an unsolicited proposal and you will have to convince the reader of the importance of the project, as well as the benefits of your particular version. This requires skill, tact, and plenty of practice.
    Before you begin to write your proposal, it may be helpful to consider certain general questions. If knowing your audience is key to good writing, then it will be useful to consider some aspects of business world which you will be trying to reach with your recommendations. Based on your own previous and present work experience, briefly answer the following questions:

What do you think are some particular issues that businesses are concerned with at the present time?
If you could propose one change at your current job to make things more efficient, what would you recommend?
Assuming that you have a reasonably sympathetic employer, how could you make the recommendation tactfully?
What writing skills do you believe would be crucial to creating an effective proposal?

In this chapter, you will use the research that you gathered in last to formulate a recommendation and package it in a proposal. Keep in mind that this is only the second step in the process that will culminate in a full report. As with an actual business proposal, you are setting the stage for future work.

General Guidelines for Writing a Proposal

    By the time you sit down to write your proposal, you have probably already committed a great deal of time and thought to researching and developing an idea. It is very easy to get caught up in that idea and forget that the employer or supervisor has not yet been convinced of its merits. Likewise, if you are trying to get your company a desired contract, it possible to be bogged down in the numbers and diagrams and forget that you are also marketing your company, not just your company’s plans. The function of the proposal is to persuade management of the program’s value or the merits of your particular approach to the project. This part of your work must be successful in order for the desired program or project to go anywhere. There are several strategies for making the proposal more effective, particularly when the document is meant for use within your specific company.
    Present a problem, but avoid being critical. If you state, for example, that the software used by the accounting department is outdated and inefficient, you may be telling the truth, but you have set a negative tone for your proposal and you may get a negative response in return. Practice turning your phrases into more constructive statements, such as, “By upgrading the software in Accounting, the department could achieve greater efficiency in managing accounts and processing forms.” Not only does this make your whole proposal sound more positive, but it directs the reader’s attention to the point of the proposal – the changes that need to be made.
    Be concise, but specific. Instead of asserting merely that a new piece of equipment will “save time,” show the reader how much time will be saved, and how that benefits the company. Explain that if Accounting has new software, a form that currently takes an hour to complete could be done in 30 minutes. Show how adding a daycare center for employee’s children can improve productivity by boosting morale and helping to recruit new staff. If you are trying to secure a contract, be sure to state in simple and direct terms why your company is better equipped, or how you can offer the best price without compromising quality. As you make your case, give statistics and use charts, graphs, and other visuals to illustrate your point and keep the reader’s attention. Let your reader see the difference your project or program could make.
    Finally, give your reader the bottom line. Ultimately, all businesses operate on the management of capital and other resources. If bidding on a contract, the customer will certainly look at the final cost of the project and how you arrived at those figures. If changes are made within the company or organization, the money must be there to fund them, and management must be convinced that they are ultimately worth the cost. When you assert that the new accounting software will cut in half the time it takes to process forms, be sure to add that this new efficiency will save the company $5,000 a year in labor costs. Are you proposing a new air filter that makes the air inside the building cleaner? Healthier employees are more productive, take fewer sick days, and file fewer health insurance claims. Remember, you are convincing management that it is in the company’s best interest to follow up on your proposal.
    Always keep in mind that no one is successful every time. It is in your best interest, however, to take the time to practice packaging and selling your ideas, and to learn from and build upon past failures.

The Structure of a Proposal

The importance of organization cannot be overstated in any type of writing, but it is particularly significant in writing proposals which are always highly structured. The specific structure will often be determined by whether the proposal is solicited or unsolicited. Many companies or organizations will tell you exactly what information should be included, as well as how they want it organized. If you are writing an unsolicited proposal, there are general guidelines and a general structure to be followed. As each component is discussed in detail, note when and where it should be used, and the role it plays in an effective proposal. As we discuss each aspect of this project, we will take parts of a sample proposal. The following proposal is given in How to Write for the World of Work by Pearsall, Cunningham, and Smith (1). It has been broken up here so that you can view each part separately as you write this particular part of your own proposal. Notice how thorough the writer is, and how he makes his case for the program he desires to implement and his role in it.

Summary/Cover Sheet

This is necessary for all proposals, though, for a solicited proposal, you may be given specific instructions as to what you should include. This is the first page of your document, and the very first impression your reader will receive. Describe your version of the project or program, state briefly the cost involved, explain how the project will be carried out. Write the introduction and be sure to include information that immediately grabs the reader’s attention, and follow up with concise information. Notice how the writer of the following proposal in Pearsall, Martin A. Doyle, summarizes his proposal:

Project Summary (A)

A survey shows that students and faculty in Criminal Justice Studies (CJS) favor the concept of peer advising. Peer advising is being successfully used in other colleges in the United States. This proposal requests #3,926 to set up an operational experiment in peer advising in CJS. The experiment would run for 13 months from May 2000 through May 2001. The experiment would be monitored by senior CJS faculty. Evaluative reports will be written and disseminated at the end of the experiment. (2)

Now write a draft for your own project summary, using the space and the checklist below.

Checklist for Cover Sheet:
__ Have you summarized the essential details of the project or program?
__ Have you included details that you are sure will capture your reader's attention?
__ If the proposal is solicited, have you provided the required information and followed the guidelines given?
__ If you were the reader, what would be your impression of the proposal based on this first glimpse?

Introduction

If your proposal is unsolicited, you will need to include an introduction. The purpose of that introduction is show your reader why the project or program is necessary. While the cover page should be designed to attract the reader’s attention, this is where you will need to be really persuasive. Provide the reader with such data as statistics, survey results, and other gleanings from your research.
As you draft the introduction, keep in mind the specific employer, supervisor, or customer for whom you are writing. What do you know about his or her priorities? How has the company or organization approached such problems in the past? If you are pleading for a different approach, be careful of wording. Include any charts or graphs that would illustrate the statistics you have included. Be sure to emphasize why you feel that the project you are recommending is important and effective. Finally, use the introduction as a lead-in to the rest of the proposal so that your reader is encouraged to keep reading. Note the example:

Introduction (B)

A new development in many two- to four-year colleges is the successful use of students for advising their fellow students regarding course registration, program development, and job opportunities. Called peer advising, this new development supplements but does not repplace normal faculty advising.
In the fall of this year, I surveyed the faculty and students of the Department of Criminal Justice Studies regarding their opinions about peer advising. A complete copy of the survey results, “Response to Peer Advising in the Department of Criminal JusticeStudies,” is available from me upon request. The results can be summarized briefly:

Rightly or wrongly, many students believe they are imposing upon their advisers’ time by seeking assistance. Some students view their advisers as having more important matters to contend with.
Students believe that peer advisers will be better able to relate to the problems of their fellow students.
Students stated frequently that they would feel freer and more comfortable in bringing their problems to their peer advisers.
Faculty acceptance of peer advising was high. Most believed it would be a welcome addition for both faculty and students.

The study showed such strong support for peer advising among faculty and students that such a program seems to have a good potential for success. If successful, peer advising will remove a significant burden from the CJS faculty, freeing them for additional time to pursue their teaching and professional development. The experiment may lead to similar innovative advising techniques in other departments of the college.
In the remainder of this proposal, I describe the program and how it will be established (the methodology), a work and management plan, a detailed budget, and the qualifications of the key personnel involved. (3)

The author is concise, but he introduces every aspect of the program in a way that is sure to get the reader’s attention and underscore the value of the program he is proposing. Using the space provided below, note some angles you could use to catch the attention of your reader in your own proposal.

Checklist for Introduction:
__ Is your data accurate and relevant?
__ Does the introduction tactfully address the reader’s priorities?
__ Is your style readable and convincing?
__ Have you made every argument you can make on behalf of this project?
__ Does the introduction lead into the rest of the proposal?

Program Description

This is the “nuts and bolts” part of the proposal. Your whole document, so far, has been building up to the point where you lay out your program in full for the reader. The program description should be brief, and should cover the basic facts of your program. Do not waste your reader’s time on unnecessary details and wordy descriptions. The purpose of the proposal is to create interest in your idea; if the reader wants more information, he or she will ask for it.

Sometimes, in the process of describing a program for a potential customer, it necessary to give out information that would normally be considered confidential by your company, such as trade secrets. Make sure that you have approval to include such information, and always inform the reviewer that the information is confidential and is not to be released or publicized.

As you draw out your idea on paper, remember to develop it logically and coherently. It is important to keep business uppermost in your mind and as the main thing in your document, but that is no excuse for bad writing. Your proposal is more likely to succeed if you style is readable. In the sample proposal, the author has created a bulleted list to make it easier for his reader to follow the main features of the program.

Description of the Program (C)

If instituted, peer advising will be conducted for 13 months as an operational experiment. A peer advising unit of two students will be set up in Spring 2000. William Morrell, Chief Advisor for CJS, has agreed to train the two peer advisers and to supervise the program through the year. Beginning in Fall 2000, regular office hours will be maintained with one or both peer advisers present at all times.

The advising unit will deal with

registration and scheduling difficulties
guidance on classes and instructors
sequence of classes and prerequisites
recommended classes
questions on the CJS program
information for potential majors
information on jobs andplacement
information on University services and agencies

The peer advising unit will work closely with

current faculty advisers
the director of CJS
Admissions and Records

The peer advising unit will collect statistics and information on

· number of students
· types of problems dealt with
· where and who solved the problems
· feedback from CJS students and faculty

In the Spring of 2000 the peer advisers will prepare a full evaluation consolidating all the data collected and presenting conclusions concerning the potential of peer advising in CJS. William Morrell will prepare a separate evaluation of the program. Both evaluations will be submitted to Dr. Carlos Montoya, Director of CJS; Dr. Mary Baker, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; and your office. (4)

In the space given below, briefly sketch out the main points of your program that would need to be included in a proposal. Give attention to how you will organize your description to make it more readable.

Checklist for Program Description:
__ Have you included all the necessary details?
__ Are all the features of the project clearly explained?
__ Is your style clear and effective?
__ Have you avoided wordiness and unnecessary description?

Timetable

As the name implies, the timetable gives your reader an idea of when the work will be done, and what stages or phases are involved in the process. This is another excellent to include charts or graphs that show the approximate dates of completion, and how long each phase of the project will take. Every business and organization is acutely aware of the importance of time management, and this will demonstrate that time management is also your priority and you do it well. Because the structure of a proposal is flexible and depends on the nature of the project being recommended, you will not necessarily include this information under its own heading. It could very well be included as part of the project description, but it does need to be included.
In the sample proposal, the writer provides the heading, “Task Breakdown,” and explains how the program staff will use their time.

Task Breakdown (E)

There will be three major tasks: training, holding office hours, and evaluating the program . . .

Training. In May 2000, William Morrell will give the two peer advisers 10 hours of training in advising procedures to include filling out registration forms and procedures for adding and dropping courses. He will provide information concerning other college programs, particularly those that provide aid in needed study skills such as note taking, reading, listening, and library research. He will aid the peer advisers in learning the interpersonal communication skills needed for effective advising.

Office Hours. September 3, 2000 – May 28, 2001. Office hours will be scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, holidays and school breaks excluded. During each of the heavy advising months of September and January, an additional 20 hours of advising time will be scheduled and two advisers will be present during peak hours.

Evaluation. April 1-30, 2001. During April 2001, the two peer advisers will consolidate the information they have gathered throughout the year and write their evaluation report. A total of 16 hours is scheduled for this task. (5)

Checklist for Timetable:
__ Is the information as thorough and accurate as possible?
__ Does the timetable take into account every aspect of the work?
__ Would graphs or tables make the information clearer for your reader?

Management and Personnel

These may be discussed either separately or together. If your proposal is meant for use within your own company, this will be especially important. How will the program you are recommending fit into the overall structure of you organization, and who will be responsible for overseeing the work as it is done? Who will do the work? Which departments will be affected by the changes, and how will that impart the chain of command? Once again, charts may useful here, particularly flowcharts which are excellent ways of visualizing the relationships between things.

In the sample essay, the writer addresses management and personnel separately. Since, however, his personnel section deals mainly with qualifications, we will reserve that for later in the chapter.

Management (F).

William Morrell will supervise the entire peer advising experiment as part of his duties as Coordinator of Advisers for the CJS program. He will be readily accessible to the peer advisers. He will monitor their procedures and provide advice and counsel when needed. Throughout the year he will provide informal reports to Dr. Montoya. At the end of the experiment he will provide an evaluation of the peer advising program. (6)

In the space below, sketch a diagram that shows how management will be structured to implement the program you recommend:

Checklist for Management:

__ Have you taken into account all the staff or departments affected by the new program?

__ Did you include charts that would make the structure of program clearer?

__ Have you adequately shown how the program will fit into the overall structure of your organization?

Facilities

If proposing a new program, it will be necessary explain where the company has space to implement the program. This may involve a discussion of scheduling with other programs, or actually constructing new buildings. As you prepare for this part of your proposal, consider what kind of space would be necessary for your new project to function fully.

Facilities (D). Dr. Montoya has agreed to provide an office for the peer advising unit. The office will be located in an area easily accessible to CJS students. CJS will furnish the office with a desk, telephone, filing cabinet, bookshelves, a swivel desk chair, three straight chairs, a computer, and a computer table. The peer advisers will have the use of CJS office supplies, including stamps and stationery. (7)

Checklist for Facilities:

__ Have you anticipated all the spatial needs of your program?

__ Have you indicated where and how that space is to be provided?

Detailed Budget

In the end, whether or not your proposal succeeds will probably come down to what is in the budget, particularly when your company is making a bid on a contract. Wrong budget information can jeopardize your position and the company you represent. Even when the proposal deals with internal changes, a decision-maker will have to take into account the cost proposed and how that would fit into the overall corporate budget. Remember that the cost of your program must be justified by its quality and by the benefits it provides. If your program is one that will ultimately pay for itself, be sure that your reader knows how that will happen.

In the case of our sample proposal, the organization is Battle Creek College and the student is ready to request the money needed to implement his idea.

Budget (G)

Because CJS is furnishing office space, office supplies, and clerical help, the entire budget needed is for salary for the two peer advisers. The normal student hourly wage of $6.50 per hour is requested. The budget breaks down in the following manner:

Training Time	Salary for 2 peer advisers	20 hours	$130.00
Office Hours	Salary for 3 hours of advising a day for 176 days	528 hours	$3,432.00
Office Hours	Salary for additional advising time in September and January	40 hours	$260.00
Evaluation Time	Salary	16 hours	$104.00
Total		604 hours	$3,926.00

The budgeted $3,926 will be divided equally between the two peer advisers. If this grant request is approved, your office is requested to transfer $130 to the CJS budget in April 2000 and the remaining $3,796 in September 2000. Normal college accounting procedures will be used by CJS to account for expenditures. (8)

Checklist for Budget:

__ Did you check and double check, verifying the numbers and your computations?

__ Is every expenditure included in the estimated cost?

__ If this is a new program with the organization, have you shown the eventual financial benefits?

__ Do you need any graphic aids to reinforce your point?

Credentials

It has already been stated that one purpose of the proposal is to convince the reader that you and your plan are exactly what is needed. Once you have convinced the audience that your plan is feasible and effective, give them a description of the qualifications that you or your company have that make you the right one for the job. This can include degrees earned, prior personal experience, past contracts earned, and particular specializations that relate to the project. Once again, salesmanship will help bring about the success of your proposal.

Personnel (H)

I request that I be one of the peer advisers. In March 2000, the other peer adviser will be chosen from among applicants for the job by a secret ballot of CJS students.

My qualifications are as follows. After graduation from high school in 1992, I served four years in the U.S. Air Force as a police officer. I left the service with the rank of sergeant. From November 1997 to the present I have been a sheriff’s deputy in Battle Creek County. I am currently working half-time while I complete my CJS studies. I have a special interest in counseling. To develop myself in this area, I have taken Social Science 1104, Dynamics of Small Groups, and I am currently taking Social Science 2111, Interpersonal Communication. My current grade point average is 3.2.

William Morrell, who will supervise the program is Coordinator of Advisers for CJS. Before taking his degree in Criminal Justice Studies at the University of Washington, he was a police officer with the Seattle, Washington, Police Department for eight years. He also has a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from the University of North Dakota. With Battle Creek College for the past six years, Morrell has been Coordinator of Advisers since 1995. (9)

In the space provided below, list the credentials that you have (or, for the purpose of the exercise, will assume) that qualify you to implement the program you are proposing:

__ Have you given them sufficient reason to believe that you are the most qualified individual or company?

__ Have you listed all your academic qualifications?

__ Are all relevant skills and experiences included?

Appendix

Appendices can be a good place to include information that does not neatly fit into other categories, but which could aid you in making your case. Some RFP’s request that you place all charts and graphs in the appendix. Among the other possibilities are letters of recommendation (but only by those who know your work firsthand), excerpts from research, and, most importantly, a bibliography. A bibliography of all the sources from whom you gleaned information could be a separate category unto itself, but such information needs to be included at the end of your proposal just as it would be in any academic work.

Checklist for Appendix:

__ Are all your sources listed?

__ Is all relevant information included in the proposal – in the appendix if nowhere else?

Conclusion

As with all formal writing, there needs to be a place where you sum up your work and lead your reader to the conclusion which, hopefully, you have made inevitable. In this case, your conclusion will summarize all the reasons why they need you, your company, and your plan. As you go through the checklist, don’t forget to think about the final impression you are making on your reader.
As the student writer of the sample proposal concludes his document, he reminds the reader of the reasons why the project should be attempted. As you prepare your conclusion, find ways to restate your most persuasive arguments in a concise and compelling way.

Conclusion (I)

Evidence gathered at other schools indicates that peer advising is successful – a positive benefit to students, faculty, and the school. I have reports concerning established programs at two major universities that I will send to you at your request. Preliminary studies here indicate that both faculty and students favor peer advising in CJS.

I will be happy to discuss this proposal with you at your convenience. I will be open to any modifications in the plan you might suggest. (10)

How will you conclude your proposal?

Checklist for conclusion:

__ Have you added a final touch to the main points of the proposal?

__ Final impressions?

Review

1. Included below is one more complete example from How to Write for the World of Work. How would you evaluate this document based on what you have learned in this chapter?

	Date:	February 2, 2000
	To:	Professor Richard Cohen 302 Haecker Hall
	From:	Ann Osborn Campus Box 342
	Subject:	Proposal for a report on the feasibility of protecting the Technical Communication Computer Center from new computer viruses

I propose to conduct and report on a study on how to best protect the Technical Communication Computer Center (TCCC) from destructive computer viruses.

The viruses enter the lab across the campus network and through student and faculty disks that have been contaminated. While the campus network administrators, students, and faculty may take precautions, we can do more in the TCCC to protect the computers.

The audience for my report will be Carole K. Yang, the Director of TCCC. Yang has an M.S. in Management of Information Systems and five years experience working in computer labs.

Plan and Resources

My preliminary research indicates that to be feasible any protection plan will involve at least four stages:

1) Gather information on the new viruses: how they operate, how they can be detected, and what virus-detection programs protect most effectively against them.

2) Train the TCCC technical support staff on installation and management of the virus protection programs and develop instructions for users of the computers of TCCC.

3) Develop and action plan that will go into effect the instant a virus is detected in the TCCC.

4) Submit a plan for routine monitoring and upgrades to the virus protection system.

For this study and report, I will gather information needed int he first stage. I will then use the information to prepare ways of accomplishing the second, third, and fourth stages.

In my initial search, I have found good sources in the library as well as people with knowledge that will be helpful. My sources include:

- Steven Levy, Hackers. New York: Dell, 1985

- Ann Mendocino, Director, University Computing Services.

- Paul Mungo and Bryan Clough, “The Bulgarian Connection,” Discover February 1993; 54-61.

- Andrew Rosenberg, Associate Professor, Management of Information Systems.

- Clifford Stoll, The Cuckoo’s Egg: Inside the World of Computer Espionage. New York: Doubleday 1989.

	Schedule
	Week of Semester	Task
	5^th week	Complete research and planning
	6^th week	Submit organizational plan for report
	7th-9th weeks	Draft report
	10th-11th weeks	Revise report
	12^th week	Submit final report

Credentials

I am a Management of Information Systems major. My course work has made me familiar with computer programming and the problems of computer viruses. I have worked part time for both Computer Information Services and the TCCC. I have experience in detecting and destroying computer viruses. (11)

2. Look at the RFP below. Based on the work you have already done, what would need to be included in any proposal that responded to this solicitation. How would you organize it?

Commerce Business Daily Issue of April 26, 2001 PSA #2838

R - LIBRARY SUPPORT SERVICES

Notice Date

April 24, 2001

Contracting Office

DHHS, Office fo the Secretary, Office of Acquisition Management; Room 443H, Humphrey Building; 2000 Independence Avenue, S.W.; Washington, D.C. 20201

Zip Code

20201

Solicitation Number

RFP-07-01-HHS-OS

Point of Contact

Point of Contact: Gwendolyn Briscoe, Contract Specialist, 202-690-8658

Description

R - The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) seeks qualified offereor to provide technical support services for the Policy Information Center (PIC) which serves as DHHS’s online repository for evaluation and evaluative research funded by DHHS and other Federal agencies, as well as the ASPE full service technical library, providing a full range of library services and related information services to ASPE full service technical library, providing a full range of library services and related infomration services to ASPE staff. The period of performance shall be one base year period from the effective date of contract award, with three optional one-year periods. The NAICS code is 561499 and the size standard is $5.0 million. The solicitation will be issued on or about May 10, 2001. This is a 100% small business set-aside.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010426/RSOL004.HTM (D-114 SN50K105) (12)

Biography: Anne Acker is a native of Johnson City, TN. After graduating from Tri-Cities Christian High School, she went on to graduate from Milligan College in 1998 with a B.A. in English and minor in history. Since then, she has accumulated three years of middle school and high school teaching experience including teaching classes in English, Latin, and Art History. She is currently in her second year in the English master’s program at ETSU and plans to continue her graduate education afterwards, specializing in Renaissance Literature. Anne’s hobbies include reading (of course! – novels and history), taking walks, writing poetry, and telling stories.

1. Thomas A Pearsall, Donald H. Cunningham, and Elizabeth O. Smith, How to Write for the World of Work 6^th ed.(New York: Harcourt 2000) 412-416.