Proposals come under many different guises.  They range from casual, one-page memos to multiple-volume, lengthy tomes that are hundreds of pages long.  Usually a proposal is a document written by a person, business, or agency who wishes to perform a job or solve a problem for another person, business, or agency and receive funding or money for the proposed task. Despite the differences, though, all proposals have one thing in common; they are all suggest performing or make a request to perform a particular task or project. 

Quite often proposals are written in response to a formal or casual request--an RFP (request for proposals).  The government and funding agencies frequently publish formal RFPs.  These RFPs appear whenever there is money to be distributed for research or when tasks need to be performed.  Formal RFPs give the guidelines for the finished proposal, telling the proposal writers what needs to be included in the proposal and sometimes outline the proposal's format.  Proposal writers follow the guidelines and fill in the details and expenses of the job.  Sadly, many worthy proposals fail because they do not follow the published guidelines of the RFP institution.

The degree of formality of a proposal is in direct proportion to the situation that gives rise to it.  When writing a proposal, you must be very careful to write as formal and complete a proposal as the situation call for.  Incidentally, proposals are not always in response to a request; they can be originated by the proposal writer in response to an observed need.

Proposals differ from most other business and technical writing in one important way--they deal with the future and with things and conditions that do not exist.   Writing about what does not exist can be tricky.  Further complicating the difficulty of writing proposals is the additional issue that proposals must be very convincing.  Proposals must convince the reader that there is a situation or problem and that the proposal writer is the best person to solve the problem or repair the situation.   A final issue that proposal writers must face is the idea that, more often than not, proposals are legally binding offers.

Proposals, then, have the following characteristics:

• Proposals deal with the future
• Proposals must convince the reader that there is a problem and the writer can do something about it
• Proposals must convince the reader that the writer is the best person to fix the problem
• Proposals vary in length and formality
• Proposals are often legally binding offers
• Proposals, generally, fall into one of four types:  research, research and development, planning, sales

Proposal Checklist:

You can improve your chances of writing a winning proposal by carefully answering the following questions:

• What do I propose to do?
• Can I do it?
• How do I propose to do it?
• Is this possible or feasible?
• What evidence can I introduce to demonstrate that what I propose to do will actually get the desired results?
• What evidence can I use to convince my reader that my way is the best way to obtain the desired results?
• How can I show my ability to do what I propose to do?
• How much will it cost me to do the task?
• How much shall I charge to perform the task?
• What evidence must I show to convince the reader that this cost is acceptable?
• Is my time schedule appropriate?

What evidence must I include to convince the reader that the time schedule is satisfactory?

Proposal Superstructure:

The following chart contains a list of the different parts or sections of a proposal, the reader's concerns for that section, and the writer's persuasive point.

Proposal Part or Section	Reader's Concerns	Writer's Persuasive Point
*Introduction	What is this about?	I want to do something.
*Problem	What's the problem? Why is the proposed project needed?	The problem is important.
Objectives	In order to be successful, what features will a solution to the problem need?	A successful solution must achieve the objectives I have listed.
*Product	What's in it for me?	Here's what I plan to produce and how it will work effectively to achieve a solution to the problem.
Method Resources Schedule Qualifications Management	How is the proposed project to be carried out? Can the proposal writer and project deliver as promised?	I can do what I propose because I have a good plan of action; the necessary facilities, equipment/resources; a workable schedule; appropriate qualifications; and a sound management plan.
*Costs	What will it cost me?	The cost is very reasonable.

*Included in almost every proposal

(from Technical Writing: A Reader-Centered Approach, by Paul V. Anderson)

Barebones Proposal Structure:

Following is the barebones structure for both informal and formal proposals.  Keep in mind that the situation in which you are writing will define whether you will use an informal structure, a formal structure, or combine the two.

Informal Proposals Generally Include (this is the minimum of what to include in a proposal):

Item	Explanation
Introduction/Problem	What needs to be done/accomplished/repaired and its significance.
Product/Proposed Solution	What may be done about the problem and how the solution may be accomplished.
Costs	What will the project cost?
Statement of Request	What does the writer wish to do, specifically?

Formal Proposals Generally Include (in this order):

Item	Explanation
Front Matter:
Letter/Memorandum of Transmittal	This one-page document dentifies the proposal, gives highlights & general overview, expresses interest in doing the work, and refers to the circumstances that gave rise to the proposal (such as an RFP).
Cover Sheet/Title Page	This identifies the proposal and includes the following: the title of the proposal; name, title, and address of the person or organization for whom the proposal is written; identifying number (if there is one); date of submission; and name, title, and address of the person or organization submitting the proposal.
Summary or Abstract	This is a brief statement of the total proposal--sometimes only a paragraph or two--usually not longer than one page.
Table of Contents	(if the proposal is more than five pages)
Statement of Request	This includes who wishes to do the work, what the work is, and what the costs will be--often only a few sentences in length.
Body:
Statement of the Problem	This is adescription of the problem--this is very important.
Background	This is the history, state-of-the-art context surrounding the problem, conditions leading up to the problem (sometimes included with the Statement of the Problem).
Scope	This states the limits within which the writer will work. Since this may be legally binding, it is important to state what will not be done and what is not to be expected.
Methodology	This tells how the work is do be accomplished--the methods that will accomplish the work
Facilities	Where the work will be accomplished and the benefits of the facilities.
Personnel	This listst who will do the work (including titles, responsibilities, and resumes).
Advantages & Disadvantages	This is a list of the side benefits, savings, knowledge, etc. & possible short comings/problems (since this may be a legally binding contract, it is important to say that you are not responsible or possible problems or shortcomings),
Duration	This tels how long the work will last; how long it will take to complete the project.
Costs	This is a specific, itemized breakdown of the costs.
Reports	This mentions the types, titles, due dates of all the reports and the personnel responsible for generating these reports.
Conclusion	This is a general summation of the proposal and its highlights--sometimes omitted.

Things to Think About:

Although it seems redundant, it is okay to repeat information in the proposal itself and in the transmittal memo/letter.  Proposals don't always keep their cover letters/memos with them as they are sent to additional readers; in case the two are separated, it's best to cover the important or pertinent information in the transmittal document.  Also, some readers don't read a whole proposal and only look at one part.   Thus, each section or part of a proposal must stand alone and be complete.

The above chart calls for a listing of disadvantages along with a description of the scope of the project.  Because proposals are often legally binding, it is a good idea to clearly state  the specific disadvantages of the project, what you will not do, and what is outside the scope of your proposed project.  Doing so may stop misunderstandings before they begin.

Many proposals are tossed out because they do not conform to the RFP or they do not contain enough information.  Always include everything that is listed in the RFP, and try very hard to create a proposal that answers any questions that your reader may have.

Proposals are situationally defined.  That is, their contents and complexity are defined by the situation that gave rise to them.  Always strive to attain the correct level of complexity to meet the needs of your reader.

The costs section of a proposal usually is included towards the end.  This is because, as a persuasive document, the proposal should make a clear case that your proposed project is worthwhile before costs are discussed--then your reader is convinced of the value of the project and will more easily agree to its costs.

When numbering the pages of your proposal, use lower-case Roman numerals for all the front matter and regular numerals for the body.

Click here to read an interesing article about writing proposals is entitled A No-Fail Recipe: Winning Busines Proposals.

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