Proposal writing: INTRODUCTION OF PROPOSAL The general purpose of any proposal is to persuade the readers to do something, whether it is to persuade

a potential customer to purchase goods and/or services, or to persuade your employer to fund a project or to implement a program that you would like to launch. Any proposal offers a plan to fill a need, and your reader will evaluate your plan according to how well your written presentation answers questions about WHAT you are proposing, HOW you plan to do it, WHEN you plan to do it, and HOW MUCH it is going to cost (if necessary). The most basic composition of a proposal, as with any other written document, is simple; it needs a beginning (the Introduction), a middle (the Body of material to be presented) and an end (the Conclusion/Recommendation). The INTRODUCTION presents and summarizes the problem you intend to solve and your solution to that problem, including the benefits the reader/group will receive from the solution and the cost of that solution. The BODY of the proposal should explain the complete details of the solution: how the job will be done, broken into separate tasks; what method will be used to do it, including the equipment, material, and personnel that would be required; when the work will begin; and, when the job will be completed. It should also present a detailed cost breakdown for the entire job. The CONCLUSION should emphasize the benefits that the reader will realize from your solution to the problem and should urge the reader to action. It should be encouraging, confident and assertive in tone. Proposals are informative and persuasive writing because they attempt to educate the reader and to convince that reader to do something. The goal of the writer is not only to persuade the reader to do what is being requested, but also to make the reader believe that the solution is practical and appropriate. Evidence should be given in descending order of importance, beginning with the most important evidence leading and the least important at the end. Any questions that the reader might pose should be anticipated and answered in a way that reflects the position of your proposal. It is important that the writer, also, considers all sides of the argument---providing other alternative solutions to the problem, but showing how the one chosen is superior to the others.

I. II. III.

TYPES OF PROPOSAL: Short Proposal/ Long Proposal Solicited Proposal/ Unsolicited proposal Internal/ External Proposal

II) SOLICITED PROPOSAL/ UNSOLICITED PROPOSAL A solicited proposal is when the customer asks for a proposal, an unsolicited proposal is when you send them a proposal they havent even asked for. Solicited proposals are usually sent to customers who issue a Request for Proposal or RFP. When a customer wants something that is too complicated to pick up at the store or order from a vendor, they often write down a description of it and issue it as an RFP. A solicited proposal provides you with a description of what the customer wants. Many also provide you with formatting instructions for your proposal and the evaluation criteria that will be used to make a selection. An unsolicited proposal is sent to a customer who has not requested it. Unsolicited proposals must be especially convincing since the customer has not anticipated, planned, or budgeted for the proposal. With an unsolicited proposal

you run the risk that the customer won't even bother to read it, since they didn't ask for it. However, the lack of competitive pressure in an unsolicited proposal often makes up for the risk. III) INTERNAL PROPOSAL / EXTERNAL PROPOSAL INTERNAL PROPOSAL An internal proposal includes the following sections: * title page, * cover page, * table of contents, * introduction, * discussion, * conclusion, * glossary The introduction is a description of the purpose, problems and particular details necessary for improving the situation. The Internal Proposal discussion section gives detailed information about the problem or levels and implementation of the project or program. It includes detailed explanation of the benefits and drawbacks of the subject involved; technical descriptions, working instructions, the personnel directly involved in the project. The writer needs to make sure the readers persuasion is achieved. Conclusion re-examines major concerns and makes improving recommendations. EXTERNAL PROPOSAL An external proposal includes the following sections: * title page, * cover page, * table of contents, * graphics, * executive summary, * introduction, * discussion, * conclusion, * glossary, * works cited The introduction states the purpose, describes the problems background information; gives an analysis of the readers needs and detailed specifications of the writers knowledge of the condition and circumstances. The External Proposal discussion section gives the list of options that compare and benefits and drawbacks of the problem, purchase and upgrades list, project schedules and costs. It includes tables that show the needs, purpose, costs and reasons of software purchase etc. Additionally, it gives detailed analysis for software distribution and technical descriptions. This part discusses the writers approach to the subject and includes the writers qualifications which persuade readers their needs are applied to the project. The conclusion calls for the understanding of the imposed proposals problem; sums up recommendations making emphasis on benefits. Summary The two types of proposals show a difference in the sections part included, as well as particularly in the content discussed and recommendations. An external proposal involves more profound explanations and descriptions. It also requires more clarity since its written for multiple audience and requires more thorough explanation of the problem and more tables of comparison with suggestions and recommendations. Unless the external proposal, the internal proposal is intended for high-tech audience which should be familiar with the subject as much as the writer is. The external proposal requires deeper description and understanding of the problem. Therefore, more step-by-step information would be included. The external proposal would need to provide a works cited page so the reader could do further research for the problem and results. The internal proposal recommendations page is less descriptive as it provides a reduced summary of the projects concerns.

FORMAT:
Write your proposal in the form of a memorandum, beginning with the following:

To: From: Subject: Date: In the body of your proposal, avoid writing two or three pages of unbroken text; rather, use headings to indicate the separate sections: I. Statement of Problem II. Proposed Project and Purpose III. Plan of Activities with Deadlines IV. Evaluation