1. Chapter 16 Overview: Writing Proposals
Understanding the process of writing proposals
The logistics of proposals
The “deliverables” of proposals
Persuasion and proposals
Writing a proposal
The structure of the proposal 1

2. The logistics of proposals involve these categories:2 2

3. Proposals lead to two categories of deliverables:
research
goods and services 3 3

4. You must show three things to create a successful, persuasive proposal:
Show that you understand the needs of the project.
Show that you have a plan and that you are able to do it.
Show that you are a professional and that you are committed to fulfilling your promises. 4 4

5. Follow these six suggestions when writing international proposals:
Understand that being persuasive can differ from one culture to another.
Budget enough time for translating.
Use simple graphics, with captions.
Use Plain English—write short sentences, using common vocabulary. 5 5

6. Follow these six suggestions
when writing international proposals (cont.):
Use conventions regarding punctuation, spelling, and mechanics.
Ask if the prospective customer will do a read- through. 6 6

7. Follow these four guidelines to demonstrate your professionalism:
Thoroughly describe the importance of the project.
Provide a description of the product or service
Provide your work schedule.
Describe your quality-control measures.
Include your budget. 7 7

8. To follow through on a proposal,
you need three categories of resources:
personnel
facilities
equipment 8 8

9. A typical proposal includes six sections:
summary
introduction
proposed tasks
schedule
budget
qualifications and experience 9 9

10. A proposal’s summary answers 7 questions:
What is the problem or opportunity?
What is the purpose of the proposal?
What is the background of the problem or opportunity?
What are your sources of information? 10 10

11. answers seven questions (cont.):
A proposal’s summary
answers seven questions (cont.):
What is the product or service?
What is the organization of the proposal?
What are the key terms that you will use in the proposal? 11 11

12. The proposal’s introduction section discusses 4 major issues:
what does the project look like
how you will gather and analyze data for the project and what preliminary research you have already done
why professional literature justifies your course of action
and why is the project likely to succeed 12 12

13. The proposal’s proposed tasks explains 4 major issues:
what tasks are necessary to complete the project
Who will be the responsible contact person for each task
What deliverables will be provided to ensure each task is satisfactorily completed
how long will each task require to be completed 13 13

14. presented in one of three formats:
Task schedules are
presented in one of three formats:
table
bar chart or Gantt chart
network diagram 14 14

15. An example of a task
schedule as a bar chart 15 15

16. schedule as a network diagram
An example of a task
schedule as a network diagram
A network diagram provides more useful information than either a table or a bar chart. 16 16

17. The schedule section shows 4 major issues:
provide a visual calendar of due dates to accompany the written descriptions in the ”proposed tasks” section
match item by item with the full description written in the “proposed tasks”
Indicate process as a duration of time and due dates as a specific date 17 17

18. The budget section should show incurred costs:
format budget as tabular data
show description of items required
show per unit costs
show number of units needed
show total costs for full project 18 18