ProposalsASKING FOR STUFF, (HOPEFULLY) GETTING STUFF

Proposals are Everywhere (even academia)

Two New Courses New Computers for English Lab A Tech Literacy Workshop for Department Faculty New Video Cameras and Editing Software for

Department Internship Field Trip for English Majors Keeping T-Shirt Money in the Budget for Department

Conference Even my own Tenure Binder

Business Proposal Scenarios

A nonprofit organization focused on a particular issue wants an expert consultant to write a handbook or guide for its membership.

A company has some sort of problem or wants to make some sort of improvement. It sends out a request for proposals. You offer to come in, investigate, interview, make recommendations—and present it all in the form of a report.

Some organization wants a seminar in your expertise. You write a proposal to give the seminar—included in the package deal is a guide or handbook that the people attending the seminar will receive.

You want to write a business prospectus for the kind of business you intend to start up.

Some agency has just started using a fancy desktop-publishing system, but the documentation is giving people fits. You receive a request for proposals from this agency to write some sort of simplified guide or startup guide.

Two Kinds

UNSOLICITED PROPOSAL

Not requested by readers but pitched to an audience with the ability to take action.

SOLICITED PROPOSAL

Requested by readers and given to you as an initial task to complete of a larger project.

Modified Outline From BookFront Matter

Introduction (sometimes called “executive brief”)

Current Situation

Project Plan

Qualifications (think of as YOUR ethos building)

Costs and Benefits (think feasibility and result)

Conclusion

Back Matter

Feel free to use these as major headings (ala our response letter & tech description) or write the proposal as an un-sectioned letter as long as I can tell these sections exist. Up to you.

More Intros with Sub-Outlines

Define what the proposal is about State the purpose of the proposal State proposal’s main point Stress the importance of the subject Forecast the organization of the proposal

Do tell them the class or person you’re considering in the intro. This isn’t information to be saved as a surprise in the plan section.

Current Situation

Describe the problem or situation currently facing UVU and how it effects the involved parties

Backing this up with research shows you did your homework and helps with persuasiveness

Create sympathy and emotion in this section to make solution more appealing UVU does not have enough healthy

eating options.

Project Plan

Explain the plan Who you want to invite

What class should be created

Give details What should the class include

Relevant background on the guest speaker

Again, show researched knowledge whenever possible

Jamie Oliver. Professional chef, nutrition expert, Food Network star, healthy school lunch advocate.

Qualifications

Explain why you are making this suggestion and what qualifies you to be believed that it’s a good one

Explain your personal connection to new class, the speaker, or the issue the speaker will address

Letter Writer. Life-long healthy eater. Diagnosed with Celiac disease. On campus for 8-10 hours a day.

Costs & Benefits

Focus mostly on benefits of this action, as you probably won’t know costs. What will change/be made better and how?

Instead of cost, think of feasibility. How is this proposal realistic? Who could teach the class

(name names)

How could this speaker be convinced UVU is worth his/her time?

Promotion of health and well-being on campus. Students will have more positive feels about UVU. Jamie Oliver already does similar speaking events.

Contexts to Consider & Address For Your Project

Ethical & Political Contexts

“Controversial” Figures Inter-Department Turf

Contexts to Consider & Address For Your Project

Primary Readers Department Chair

President Holland

Secondary Readers Entire Department Faculty/People Who Teach That Kind of Class

Vice President/Student Body President

Tertiary Readers Other Departments/Parents of Students

Journalists/Local Organizations

Visual DesignProposals come in many designs and formats. For our project (mainly due to time) we will focus on a simple business letter format (similar to your response letter to me earlier in the semester), though Word styles can still be used to provide a little flair.

Final Tips

Specific people are involved– use “I” and “You”

Try to see the whole situation from the readers’ points of view and accommodate for that

Communication over impressiveness

Maximum PC-ness, even if you don’t believe in that

Find the sweet spot between too short and too long

Realize that in the real world, the “project plan” and “costs and benefits” sections might be the only ones that get read or focused on