Proposal Form
Overview or Statement of Problem:
In
one paragraph, give an overview of the project. Why
is this type of manual needed? Who is the intended audience?
Purpose:
In
two or three paragraphs discuss what your manual will cover and why it is different from
other manuals out there on your topic. Here you might incorporate:
Ø Key
features and benefits of your approach
Ø Boundaries
of your solution, what you will and will not
cover.
Plan:
A
general outline of the projected contents of your manual, think in terms of the table of
contents when making this outline. One way to do this is look at other manuals about the
topic and evaluate what works and what doesn’t.
Qualifications:
Why
you are qualified to write this manual, i.e., why you are qualified to write it.
Timeline:
Give
definite dates when phases of the manual will be completed.
Appendix:
Contains
information not essential to the body: diagrams, troubleshooting, etc.
I. Title (A Proposal. . . )
II. Summary (keep this short--100 words; summarize the whole proposal)
III. Introduction
 | A. Background: explain the need" i.e., why are you proposing this
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| B. Review of Literature -- there are times when this is appropriate -- others when it is
not
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| C. Statement of the Problem
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IV. Solution
| A. Objectives
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| B. Scope
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| c. Methods
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| D. Time Schedule
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VI. Budget (if necessary)
VII. Personnel/Credentials -- who are you and why should you develop this rather than someone else in your organization?
VIII. Conclusion
| show the potential value of the manual to the audience |
| emphasize feasibility, necessity, usefulness |
| discuss the benefit of the expected results |
| urge the reader to take action (accept the proposal) |
| add a call to action |
VIII. References --cite your sources
Brainstorming Proposal Questions
Here is a list of questions to help you brainstorm. Use them to help you "figure out" what you want to write a manual about.
Identifying key areas of interest:
1. What are you interested in?
2. What manual or set of instructions didn't make any sense when you tried to use it?
3. What have you explained so many times that you are tired of it?
4. In your workplace, what do you wish was more clear and understandable?
5. In your classes, what did you have trouble learning?
Once you have completed this you should have at least three choices. Now take your three topics and turn them into to possible problems that you must solve. For example, if you are interested in installing your own hardware in your own system, then a possible topic is, "Installing an internal modem." Now I will turn that into a possible problem that I can solve by writing a manual.
| "Installing an internal modem in a standard Pentium, Windows based machine is a common problem for many non-tech people." |
Try it: .·________________ is a common problem for _________ people."
Clarifying the topic: Once you have made this list, try to answer the following questions. Use them on each of your problems.
| Who does it affect? Who cares about this topic? |
| What are the consequences of the problem? |
| What parts of the system (workplace, school work, etc?) does it affect? |
| When is it a problem? |
| When did it become a problem? |
| Where is it a problem? In what parts of the system(workplace, school work, etc?) does the problem occur? |
| Why is it a problem? |
| What is the theory behind the problem? |
| What is the history behind it? |
| How did it become a problem? |
| What happened to cause the problem? |
| What have other people done with a similar problem? (Did it work? |
You probably won't be able to answer all of these. Remember you are just brainstorming. However, by now you have probably figured out that not all of your problems are worth writing about. Eliminate one now. For the two remaining problems, try to answer the questions below.
Establishing the importance of the problem:
After the background, it is time to establish whether a need exists for you to write a manual.
| Who does the topic you are dealing with affect? |
| Who is it important to? |
| Why is it important to them? |
| Why should anyone be concerned? |
| How important is it to them? |
| Is it important enough to spend money and time solving? |
| Why? |
Ideally when you were answering the questions above, one of your problems was easier to work with than the other. At this point, you should really use the one that seems easiest to work with as you move on to the next brainstorming questions.
Defining the Range of the Problem:
Use your definition handout to help you understand the scope and range.
| Is it a management problem, an environmental problem, an ethical problem, a computer modeling problem, a lack of information problem, a lack of funding problem, a design problem, a sales problem...? |
Projecting the Need:
| What will you create to solve the problem? |
| What is your ultimate goal? |
| What is your specific project goal or objective? |
| What kinds of information do you plan to obtain and present in your final project? |
| What kind of information do you think your final report will contain? |
| What do you plan to do? |
| What steps will you take to accomplish your solution? |
Establishing Credibility:
| Is your manual a feasible solution to the problem? |
| What makes you believe your solution is reasonable? |
| How does your solution solve the problem? |
| How much time will it take to complete your solution? |
| Are there enough people to solve the problem? |
| Will you be able to get the necessary help? |
| How much money will it take to create your solution? |
| Is there sufficient equipment and technology to solve it? |
| In what way is your solution useful? (cost effective, expedient, ethical, ...?) |
Establishing Your Qualifications
| Do you have the expertise to solve the problem? |
| What is it? |
| Why should you do the manual and not someone else? |
Manual's Audience
| Who will make the decision about accepting your proposal? |
| Will it be an individual or a group? |
| On what basis will they make the decision? (profit, altruism, curiosity, need for information?) |
| What kind of appeal will you make to the decision makers? |
Okay, now that you are finished brainstorming you have all the information you need to write the proposal. Don't stop here! Begin writing....