Formal Proposal Assignment

Overview

The purpose of this research proposal is to solicit your reader (someone who has the power to help you) for permission to carry out a course of action that you suggest for a specific, researchable problem.

By the time you get to the proposal assignment, you should have identified the following:

• What problem do you want to solve?
• Who is your reader?
• What are your criteria for a suitable solution?
• What research/investigative methods will you use to gather information about the problem?

Suggestions for Responding Successfully

Read Markel Ch. 16 carefully, and follow its advice. In addition, keep in mind the following tips for writing a successful proposal.

• Your proposal will be oriented toward making a change of some sort; you are not proposing to carry out a research project, nor are you offering to sell the reader a physical object.  You will analyze your readers' needs, offer a solution, and offer your services to carry out the solution.
   
• A proposal is a common workplace document. Not only do proposals allow potential contractors to bid on work, they can be persuasive tools, making the case for goods/services/research that should be delivered. A proposal does not DO the job, the proposal only lays out a plan for how you intend to do the job.
   
• A good proposal will include a mixture of primary and secondary research (as defined in Chapter 6 in Markel). The secondary research should mostly serve to frame the issue you are discussing and provide information on what solutions other people have used for similar problems. The primary research should be focused on gathering the local, specialized information that helps you fill the gap in understanding of the problem you have identified.

• The key to writing a successful proposal is to show an understanding of the readers' needs. Audience analysis is critical here. What do you know about your audience that can help you present the problem or opportunity in terms that the audience will understand and appreciate? How can you justify to your audience the need to implement your proposal? Most often, the way to demonstrate a problem or opportunity is through cost figures. Don't write that a problem is increasing the rate of defective products you are producing; rather, write that the problem is increasing the rate of defective products from the normal 1.2% to 1.8%, and that this increase is costing you $43,000 in lost productivity per year.
   
• Be specific in describing what you plan to do. As the chapter makes clear, it is not sufficient to merely assert that you will carry out research, for instance. 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. Include the kinds of information your audience seeks, such as task schedules and commitments to submit progress reports. In addition, be sure that the proposal looks professional.

Deliverables

1. Proposal   (Group Deliverable)

You will submit, as a group, a proposal consisting of a 6-10 page (not including the appendices) single-spaced document, using block paragraph format. It will include the following major sections:

• Summary
• Introduction
• Proposed Program / Project Description
• Qualifications
• Budget
• References (if applicable)
• Appendices (including a graph of your proposed schedule and an itemized budget, if applicable)

2. Reflective Memo   (Individual Deliverable)

You will also submit, as an individual, a 700-1000 word reflective memo in which you address the following issues:

• a summary of your process of developing, researching, and drafting your proposal;
• who would be the decision maker for the problem/opportunity outlined in your proposal;
• why you believe your proposal is feasible;
• how the collaboration of your group helped or hindered the progress of this assignment;
• (required) which of the course goals (see the "Home" page on the course website) you feel you encountered in completing this assignment; and
• (required) what SPECIFIC TASKS YOU DID in your group project and YOUR HONEST OPINION of your coworkers' efforts. "Everyone worked really hard and did a great job" is not acceptable.