Writing a proposal requires you to draw on the skills you’ve developed while creating the last two documents for this class: being able to articulate and elaborate the most important elements of a subject (technical description) and being able to clearly and succinctly explain the steps required to complete an action (instructions).

 

A proposal is a technical workplace’s method for promoting new and innovative ideas/projects/products to a specific audience who is potentially interested in paying to see those ideas/projects/products come to fruition. A proposal helps advance an individual or company in some way while making yourself and your workplace look competent and capable.

 

Johnson-Sheehan (2015) argues, “proposals are the lifeblood of the technical workplace” (p. 199).

 

 

 

 

 

According to Johnson-Sheehan (2015), the purpose of proposals is to “present your [technical workplace] ideas and plans for your readers’ consideration” (p. 199). Proposals can be internal (used within a workplace) or external (used for clients outside the workplace). For this assignment, you may choose to create either an internal proposal or an external proposal; the proposal, however, must be unsolicited, or “not requested by the readers” (Johnson-Sheehan, 2015, p. 199).

 

You will work in workplace teams of 3-4 members to develop an unsolicited proposal. All members must contribute significantly to the proposal. You will provide progress reports throughout this project to make sure all members are contributing and being held responsible for their tasks.

 

As always, there is a “catch”: Your proposal must be connected to the class theme of the zombie apocalypse, emergency response, or disaster rhetoric.

 

 

 

 

 

The audience for your proposal will be determined by whether you choose to write an internal or external proposal. Furthermore, to identify an appropriate audience you must take into consideration your workplace, the subject/problem you will write about, the purpose of the proposal, and the way(s) in which the proposal will be used.

 

The audience, however, must be primary readers also known as action takers: “people who can say yes to your ideas ... They need good reasons and solid evidence to understand and agree to your ideas” (Johnson-Sheehan, 2015, p. 204). Allow this audience’s specific needs, values, and attitudes to guide you as you develop your unsolicited proposal.

 

 

 

 

 

Johnson-Sheehan (2015) states, “proposals typically explain the current situation (often called the problem) and then offer a plan for improving it (also called the solution)” (p. 200). In most technical workplaces, proposals include the following features, though each feature should be researched and written with the proposal’s “subject, purpose, readers, and context of use” in mind (p. 200).

 

• an introduction that

  • defines the subject of proposal

  • states the purpose of the proposal

  • states the main point of the proposal

OPTIONAL: stresses importance of the subject and forecasts the organization of the proposal

• a discussion of the current situation (background) that

  • defines and describes the problem

  • discusses causes of the problem

  • discusses effects of the problem if nothing is done

• a project plan (step-by-step method for solving the problem) that

  • identifies the solution

  • states the objectives of the plan

  • describes the plan’s major and minor steps

  • identifies deliverables or outcomes

• a qualifications section that

  • describes your team’s personnel

  • describes your workplace

  • lists previous experience

  • shows why your team is qualified to carry out the plan

  • shows what makes your team more attractive than others

• a concluding section on costs and benefits that

  • signals the conclusion of the document

  • states the costs of the project plan

  • summarizes the benefits of the project plan

  • describes the future if readers say yes

  • thanks readers

  • provides contact information

 

 

 

 

Johnson-Sheehan (2015) emphasizes the importance of style for a proposal’s success. He states, “proposals need to educate and persuade, so they tend to be a mixture of plain and persuasive styles” (p. 219).

• Plain style is used “in places where description is most important, such as the current situation [background] section, the project plan section, and the qualifications section” (p. 219).

• Persuasive style is used “in places where readers are expected to make decisions, such as the proposal’s introduction and the costs and benefits section” (p. 219). Setting an effective tone will help to develop a persuasive style.

 

 

 

 

Design is also important in making a proposal effective. According to Johnson-Sheehan (2015), “a clear, persuasive proposal that is attractive and easy to navigate will be much more competitive than one that sounds boring and looks plain. Plus, good style and design help inspire trust in your readers” (p. 219).

 

Furthermore, he argues that “the design of your proposal needs to be visually appealing, while helping readers find the information they need” (p. 222). Therefore, in addition the design principles we’ve discussed this semester, your proposal also must effectively use:

• graphics: at least two (2) “charts, graphs, maps, illustrations, photographs [or] other kinds of graphics to reinforce important points” (Johnson-Sheehan, 2015, p. 222).

• page design: “at a minimum, you [must] include headings [and] lists. More elaborate page layouts might include multiple columns, margin comments, pull quotes, and sidebars. Choose a page design that suits your readers and the context in which they will use the proposal” (p. 222).

• medium: again, the medium must be appropriate for your audience and the proposal’s context to be effective. Print, websites, multimedia, PowerPoints, etc. are all possible mediums, so carefully consider which medium is most suitable for your proposal.
   

Remember: “Good design is very important in proposals. Design makes the proposal more attractive while helping readers locate important information in the document” (Johnson-Sheehan, 2015, p. 224).

 

 

 

 

 

Your proposal must adhere to the APA style guidelines. Therefore, any textual or visual information from outside sources that you use must be cited in text and include a corresponding reference page entry. Be sure to keep careful track of all sources.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a class we will develop a rubric develop that your peers and I will use to assess your proposal. You will be provided with a copy of the rubric before this project is due so that you can consult it as you draft, peer review, and revise.

 

 

 

 

 

A rough draft of your proposal is due at the start of class Thursday, November 12. This draft will be peer reviewed using the rubric in class.

 

The final draft of your instructions or procedures/protocols is due at the start of class Thursday, November 19.

 

Remember: at any time you can take your proposal to the Writing Center for help with your content and style or to the Design Center for help with your design.