Write and upload an unsolicited, internal proposal as a memo (refer to the template in Week 1).
Your proposal needs to include the following sections:
- Purpose: Memos of more than one page should begin with a statement of purpose. State the purpose simply: The purpose of this proposal is to request authorization and funding to study X.
- Executive Summary: The executive summary should provide your audience with all of the essential information needed to make a decision. A manager and key decision maker may only read this section. It summarizes each section (problem, methods, qualifications, and budget) of your proposal concisely. Each section’s summary should be a separate paragraph of around 4-5 sentences maximum (per paragraph). Write the executive summary last, after you have written the rest of the document.
- Problem: This section addresses the problem or opportunity. Describe it clearly so that your audience agrees with you, that it’s a problem or opportunity. Include the background of the problem or opportunity. Demonstrate your knowledge and credibility of the topic by conducting preliminary secondary research and documenting it correctly. This section should be no more than one, well-written, persuasive page.
- Methods: Describe the research you plan to do and how you will conduct research (secondary, primary research). Your description should provide a clear, specific plan of action that justifies the proposed tasks. Address why have you chosen the tasks described. Include a task schedule. This section should be no more than 3/4 of a page that demonstrates reasoned logic.
- Qualifications: Clearly outline your relevant skills and past work. The skills you describe should demonstrate that you are qualified to complete the research you have outlined. Before anyone will fund a project, they need to be confident you can deliver. This section provides that confidence.
- Budget: The budget must be complete, correct, and shown in a table format. At this point, budget for your time and any resources you need to accomplish the task of investigating the problem. Do not research the costs of solving the problem. Introduce the budget table in the text.
- List of References: Include your references in APA format. Make sure there is an exact match between the references you have here and the in–text citations within your proposal.
Suggestions for Writing a Successful Proposal
Keep in mind the following tips for writing a successful proposal:
- The key to writing a successful proposal–or any persuasive document–is to show that you understand the readers’ needs. Audience analysis is critical here. Assess what know about your audience to help you present the problem or opportunity in terms that the audience will understand and appreciate. Think about the problem from your audience’s point of view.
- Integrate your research into the discussion of the problem and the rest of the proposal. Perhaps the most common weakness in proposals is the failure to carry out secondary research and to use it in framing the discussion of the problem or the opportunity. Don’t just toss in a few citations. Use the literature as the starting point for your discussion of what is known and not known about your subject.
- Be specific in describing what you plan to do. It is not sufficient merely to assert that you will carry out research. When you describe a research methodology, be prepared to justify why you have chosen that method rather than other available methods. Don’t let your audience wonder why you would do what you propose or what the outcome of the procedure would be.
- Explain and demonstrate your professionalism. A lot of people have good ideas but don’t follow through on them. Show that you are a professional by including the kinds of information your audience seeks, such as task schedules. In addition, be sure that the proposal looks professional.
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