Some preliminaries
Technical writing classes give you the opportunity to present a proposal to a particular audience. This assignment will focus on an idea that you have for improving a company, organization, or center. You must be able and willing to do extensive research on the topic that you are choosing. This will help you create your final report.
For the purpose of planning a proposal, you should first understand what a proposal means. A proposal is an offer to do a project. Other elements of a proposal may be included, including technical background, recommendations or survey results. Proposals are only valid if the audience agrees to fund, approve, or grant permission for the project.
The proposal should include information that will allow the audience to make a decision about whether they approve the proposal, hire you, or not. Write a proposal that is successful. Put yourself in the shoes and thoughts of the person who will be receiving it.
It is easy to get confused over proposals. Imagine you have an idea to install new technology at work. You write a document outlining the benefits and explaining how it works. Then you ask management for permission to put it in place. Does that sound like a proposal? This proposal would be incomplete by itself. This proposal would be more like an exploratory report. It examines the merits, then recommends whether or not to proceed with the project. It would only take a few elements to make this proposal. In this class, scholarly work is an additional element. Although some proposal writers may need to sell projects they propose, all proposals must convince the writer (or his organization) that the project can be completed.
Types and types of proposals
Take a look at the different situations where proposals are accepted. A company might issue a request for proposals to be considered for a project. The public announcement, also known as a request to propose (RFP), can be made via websites, email, social media or newspapers. Individuals or firms interested in the project could then submit proposals that outline their qualifications, project schedules, costs, and discuss how they will approach the project. After reviewing all the proposals, the recipient would select the most qualified candidate and create a contract.
However, proposals can also be made informally. Imagine that you’re interested in working on a project with your boss. Imagine meeting with your supervisor to discuss this idea. You might hear her say, “Write me an idea and I’ll show it to the top management.” This is closer to the type of proposal that you’ll write in a technical-writing course.
You can divide most proposals into many different categories.
– Internal and external: A proposal for someone in your organisation (a business or a government agency). Internal proposals are called internal proposals. You may not need to include as many information or certain sections in internal proposals. An external proposal can be written by a separate entity, individual or organization. A typical example would be an independent consultant proposing a project to another firm. There is a good chance that you will be asked to write one of these proposals.
– Solicited, unsolicited: A solicited proposition is one where the recipient has asked for the proposal. The majority of companies will send out requests and publish RFPs in the mail. However, proposals can also be requested at a local level. For example, your boss may be interested in your proposal to install new technology in his office. Unsolicited propositions are those that have not been requested by the recipient. In order to submit unsolicited proposal, you may have to convince the recipient there is a problem. This class has seen a majority of technical writing projects that were unsolicited.
Here are some scenarios to consider when submitting a proposal.
Many people may not have thought about writing a technical report that is based on a feasible proposal. The assignment sheet includes several sample topics.
These are just a few ideas.
Imagine a company having a problem. Or, that they want to improve. You are asked to submit a proposal by the company. You invite the company to send you a request for proposals.
– A seminar is requested by an organization in your area of expertise. You propose to present the seminar. Included in the package is a guidebook or handbook for the participants.
A user manual for a new online data management system is not easy to understand. You are asked to prepare a startup or simplified guide by this agency.
Imagine a non-profit organization focusing on a specific issue and needing a consultant to create a guide or handbook for its members. This document will contain information that is easy to understand for members.
Technical writing is not for every research topic. Technical topics don’t include topics that are based purely on beliefs and values. These topics cannot be classified as technical. Before you start on any project, make sure to talk with your instructor.
Remember that you have to incorporate scholarly research into the final report. Choose a topic where you can easily find this material. Interviews and other first-hand information are valuable for a report. However, relying too heavily on them will not produce the desired results.
Common sections found in all proposals
Below are some examples of sections you might find in proposals. These sections are not required to appear in the proposal. Look at the assignment sheet for additional information specific to your topic that should go in your proposal.
You can also refer to the unit folder’s sample proposal memo as you go through this chapter on proposals. You will see most of the sections in the examples.
Introduction. Your introduction should be carefully planned. You should ensure that it covers all aspects of your particular proposal.
– Indicate that the memo contains a proposal for a project.
– Provide at least one motivational statement to convince the recipient to keep reading the proposal. This is especially important if it is not an open or competitive proposal.
– Give an overview about the proposal’s contents.
Background information about the problem, opportunity, and situation. The background section, which is usually found right after the introduction, discusses why the project was necessary. This includes the problem, opportunities for improvement, and the current situation. Managers of day care centers in a chain might have to train their employees in CPR as a result of new state regulations. Owners of pine timber land may want to preserve the environment and get it producing timber.
Although the target audience may already be well-versed in the issue, the background section allows you to present your unique view. A background section can be almost a requirement if you are not asked for a proposal.
The feasibility and benefits of the project. The majority of proposals discuss briefly the benefits or advantages of the proposed project. This is a form of argument for approving the proposal. Some proposals include information about the chances of success. This section is crucial in unsolicited proposals. It is where you try to “sell” your audience the project.
Description of work to be done (results). The project’s final product must be described in the majority of proposals. Technical writing courses require that you describe the final product of your project, including its audience and purpose, as well as a outline. You also need to discuss details such as length, graphics and binding. Other work may be required, such as providing ongoing services or conducting training seminars. Although you may not be able to predict the exact steps involved in completing your project at this stage, it is a good idea to have a rough idea of what they will look like.
Method, procedure, theory. You will need to describe how you plan to complete the work in some proposals. This is an added persuasive element.
It shows your audience that you are a responsible and thoughtful person. It also shows you are well-versed in the subject matter to complete your project.
Schedule. The majority of proposals include a section which shows the expected completion date and key milestones. A timeline could also include dates for progress reports if you have a long-term project. You can cite a range of times for each phase if you are unable to give specific dates.
Resources and costs. Many proposals also include an explanation of the project’s costs, internal and external. When working with external clients, you will need to list the hourly rates, projected work hours, cost of equipment, supplies, etc., in order to calculate the total project costs. While internal projects may not be free, it is important to list the project costs. Hours required, equipment and supplies needed, as well as assistance provided by other employees.
Conclusions. Conclusions. This section or paragraph should help readers focus back on the positive aspects. You can ask them to contact your organization to discuss the details of their project and remind them about the benefits.
Sections that are specific to a project. These sections should be considered as a guideline for writing proposals. They are not required. Consider what other information your audience might need to understand the project. What are the benefits and how you can contribute to them understanding the project? What are they looking for to approve the proposal and your ability to complete it?
Requirements for special assignments
Your proposal might need additional specialized elements depending on the situation. These elements are listed below. These elements may not be included in the progress memo. However, in technical writing situations, your supervisor may ask you to include any of these elements in your proposal.
Audience: This is the place to describe the audience for your final report. It may differ from the audience for the proposal. Discuss who the report was written, their jobs and technical backgrounds, and their ability understand the report.
Information sources: Make sure to list information sources.
Graphics: You should list the graphics your report needs according to their type. You may have trouble imagining what your report needs. Talk to your instructor about brainstorming. Your final report will include graphics.
Outline: A summary of the topics you are going to be covering in your report.
Proposals & Audience
Keep in mind that the proposal assignment is a part of technical writing classes. It serves three purposes. Your assignment sheet will specify the elements you should include in your proposal.
In technical writing, the proposal represents the beginning of a process that lasts several weeks. The writing and research stages are repeated until the final stage: the technical document. The proposal should only be submitted once. After this, you will be required to submit several documents, including a progress report and outline. When you refer to the initial stage, do not use the term “proposal”.
A second thing to remember is the audience you want to submit proposals to, and not the audience you need to publish reports. These reports are written later in the process. The person who approves, supports, and may fund your research and writing is your audience. Your final report may not be addressed to the same audience. A proposal for a policy manual to be created for residential solar panel installation was sent to a supervisor at a company that makes solar power. An executive may read the proposal, but may not have a lot of technical knowledge. The final report, however, will be different.
The technicians are the audience, as they may have more specialized knowledge that the executives. These two audiences require different content and language. This will have to be adjusted for the specific writing situation. (For more information, see the section on Audience Analysis.
Revision checklist
The following are important points to remember when reviewing and revising your proposal.
Ensure that you use the correct format. This class requires that you write the proposal in memo format.
Write a concise summary (or introduction) to your topic.
Identify what you want to accomplish.
Ensure that the report (a written document) is included in any project you propose. This technical writing course is a combination of writing proposals and doing research at college level.
Ensure your proposal is in a natural, logical order. Make sure you use bullets and sub-headers correctly.
– Address your proposal to the named audience and not your instructor.
