Writing at Workplace
Writing a proposal
Section A: Definition
A proposal is a written suggestion for a project, a plan, action or solutions for a problem. It should be written to the relevant person(s) who will make the decision of whether to implement the proposal or not.
Section B: Purpose
There is only one purpose of writing a proposal, which is to seek the approval of the person(s) making the decision to allow you to carry out your suggestion. Therefore, a well-written proposal is very important. If you can get your message across to the person(s) in a convincing manner, you will stand a high chance of obtaining the approval.
Section C: Things to consider when planning a proposal
1. Who will read your proposal
Think about your audience.
- What do they know and not know about the issue you are going to address?
- Is there any background information they need to obtain?
- What can they get from your proposal?
- How can you get your message across to them?
- How can you induce them to make the decision you want?
2. What is the problem you are addressing
- What is the issue at hand?
- Why do you need to deal with this issue?
- How serious is this matter?
- How urgent is it?
3. What is your solution
Consider the problem thoroughly in order to think of a reasonable solution.
- Is your solution feasible?
- Is it convincing enough for the audience to agree?
- Is there a suitable cost?
- How many parties are involved in carrying out the solution?
Section D: Content
1. Title
The title of your proposal should be concise showing the topic to the audience clearly at first glance.
e.g. Proposal for an English Summer Camp for underprivileged children.
2. Situation/Problem
Give some background information about the issue you are addressing. State the purpose of your proposal.
e.g. Children of underprivileged families do not have access to many resources, including extra-curricular activities which may be useful to their academic studies. If they do not have the chance of joining this type of activities owing to financial reasons, it may hinder their development in the academic aspect. This leads to the purpose and necessity of this proposal.
3. Solution
The solution should be simple and straightforward addressing exactly the issue mentioned in the previous section. Therefore, the problem needs to be clearly defined so that the solution can be logically followed.
e.g. This proposal serves to suggest one suitable activity for them to obtain opportunities in improving their English in a fun and interesting way, i.e. an English Summer Camp enhancing all areas of the students’ English through engaging and interesting educational activities, and improving the students in both mental and physical ways.
4. Procedure and budget
Include all the steps involved in carrying out your solution and the amount of money required in order to persuade your reader(s) to approve of your proposal.
e.g. Regarding the proposal for the English Summer Camp, the procedure and budget are as follows:
- Select 50 students eligible for the English Summer Camp.
- Find organisations which are experienced in organising this type of camp.
- Read in detail their information and budget (HK$10,000) and choose the most suitable one.
- Decide on which teachers will be involved in the camp.
- Hold meetings with the chosen organisation and confirm the activities and the duration of the camp.
- Inform the parents of the purpose and the details of the camp.
- Ask the students to fill in a questionnaire to elicit their opinions on the camp.
- Hold evaluation meetings with the organisation to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this activity.
5. Advantages
In this section, mention the benefits of approving your proposal in order for your reader(s) to decide on approving your proposal.
e.g.
- The students will get the chance of joining an English activity to practise and improve their English. If we do not organise this activity for them, they will seldom have this opportunity.
- The organisation will provide all the materials required for holding the camp, and all we need to do is to select the suitable students and teachers.
6. Difficulties
Write the possible obstacles for the reader(s) to consider.
Regarding the summer camp proposal:
- It may be difficult to select an appropriate organisation to organise the camp. It takes time to scrutinize all the organisations in order to choose the most suitable one.
- Choosing the suitable venue for holding the camp may be a problem, but the organisation will find the solution for us.
- The weather is an unexpected factor, so we need to have a Plan B for the proposed outdoor activities in case it rains.
7. Final recommendation
You need to reiterate the benefits of your proposal in the final recommendation so as to draw the attention of the reader(s) for their approval.
e.g. If the proposal is approved and the solution is implemented, the underprivileged students who have been selected will surely obtain the benefits of having the opportunity to join a valuable extra-curricular activity to improve their English without any cost to them.
Section E: Things to note
- Use simple and straightforward language so that the reader(s) can easily understand you.
- Before you actually write the proposal, write an outline in order to help you organize your ideas including the situation/problem, solution, procedure and budget, advantages and difficulties.
- Proofread your proposal carefully to make sure there are not any mistakes in grammar, punctuation and spelling; otherwise, your proposal may have the chance to be rejected.
Exercise
Watch a YouTube video about some skills of writing a proposal from 4:27 to 6:17 and from 9:37 to 10:44, and answer the questions.
Title: What is Proposal Writing?
Channel: Technical Writer HQ
To persuade your audience to think, feel and act in a certain way.
Benefits that will accrue to your audience if they accept your proposal
- What problem are you trying to address?
- Why is it a problem?
- Why is it worth solving?
Why your solution is better than the other solutions.
Explain your approach, details about resources, and risk mitigation strategies.
- Keep it short.
- Avoid exaggeration.
- Add a call to action.
- Proofread and edit.
Use computer based tools.
The following is a sample of a proposal.
Proposal for an English Summer Camp for underprivileged children
Situation
Children of underprivileged families do not have access to many resources, including extra-curricular activities which may be useful to their academic studies. If they do not have the chance of joining this type of activities owing to financial reasons, it may hinder their development in the academic aspect. This leads to the purpose and necessity of this proposal.
Solution
This proposal serves to suggest one suitable activity for them to obtain opportunities in improving their English in a fun and interesting way, i.e. an English Summer Camp enhancing all areas of the students’ English through engaging and interesting educational activities, and improving the students in both mental and physical ways.
Procedure and budget
- Select 50 students eligible for the English Summer Camp.
- Find organisations which are experienced in organising this type of camp.
- Read in detail their information and budget (HK$10,000) and choose the most suitable one.
- Decide on which teachers will be involved in the camp.
- Hold meetings with the chosen organisation and confirm the activities and the duration of the camp.
- Inform the parents of the purpose and the details of the camp.
- Ask the students to fill in a questionnaire to elicit their opinions on the camp.
- Hold evaluation meetings with the organisation to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this activity.
Advantage
- The students will get the chance of joining an English activity to practise and improve their English. If we do not organise this activity for them, they will seldom have this opportunity.
- The organisation will provide all the materials required for holding the camp, and all we need to do is to select the suitable students and teachers.
Difficulties
- It may be difficult to select an appropriate organisation to organise the camp. It takes time to scrutinize all the organisations in order to choose the most suitable one.
- Choosing the suitable venue for holding the camp may be a problem, but the organisation will find the solution for us.
- The weather is an unexpected factor, so we need to have a Plan B for the proposed outdoor activities in case it rains.
Final recommendation
If the proposal is approved and the solution is implemented, the underprivileged students who have been selected will surely obtain the benefits of having the opportunity to join a valuable extra-curricular activity to improve their English without any cost to them.
Further References
1. Proposal Writing Examples to Help You Win Your Contracts in 2022
This webpage gives examples on proposal writing and highlight the popular sections in writing a proposal.
https://www.proposify.com/blog/proposal-writing-examples
2. How to Write a Proposal Letter (With Template and Example)
Although this website focuses on how to write a proposal letter, there are some very useful tips on different sections in writing a proposal for your reference.
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-write-a-proposal-letter
3. Proposal Templates
In this webpage, there are a lot of free proposal templates for reference and information on how to create a proposal.