The Purpose of a Proposal

Even though you might not ever need to do a proposal for new books and software, the guidelines for a good proposal are the same no matter what type of proposal you need to write. The most important goal of a proposal is to get your project or suggestions approved. The goal of my proposal is to get new textbooks and software for my keyboarding classroom. The proposal that I will show you is an example of an internal proposal. This means that it is written for someone inside my organization.

The Plan of a Proposal

efore you begin writing any form of technical communication, there are three !uestions you should consider" Who is my audience? #ou need to decide to whom you are writing the proposal. #ou need to make sure that you think about your audience and what they might already know or not know about your topic. What do I want my audience to get from my proposal? The overall purpose of the proposal should be to get the readers$ approval. #our main purpose should be clearly stated. The readers should not have to figure out what you are re!uesting in the proposal. The best advice is to state your purpose up front and then fill in details later in the proposal.

How can I make sure my audience understands what I want them to know? #ou must put yourself in the shoes of your readers. Think about what they want to hear. Think about what they don$t want to hear. %et someone else to read your proposal before you submit it. &ake sure that his or her reaction is what you expected the reader$s reaction to be.

The Style of a Proposal

The basic writing style of a proposal is the same for any type of technical writing. 'or proposals to be effective try to follow these tips" (tate the purpose clearly at the beginning of the proposal. (tate the background information the reader will need to understand your proposal.

)se language that everyone can understand. )se short sentences that are clear and to the point. &ake sure that your ideas are not hidden between unnecessary words. &ake sure that the reader has all the important information needed for the final decision.

The Writing of a Proposal

*ow that you know and understand the basics for all types of technical writing, it is time that I show you the specifics for writing an effective proposal. +roposals will either be accepted or rejected. ,bviously, you want your proposal to be accepted. To help make this possible, follow the six steps listed below.

-. Your proposal should define the problem and state how you plan to solve the problem. #our proposal should assure your readers that you can solve the problem effectively. Everything in the proposal should revolve around the problem and an effective way to solve it. .. Do not assume that your readers will believe your solution is the best. The purpose of your proposal is to convince your readers that your solution is the best. #ou should not be over confident that they will approve of your solution. /o your best to look at the proposal and solution from the reader$s point of view. 0. Your proposal should be researched thoroughly. If possible, you should provide readers with examples and facts. These items usually make your proposal more meaningful and convincing. Try to keep your opinions out of the proposal. ,pinions are not facts, and most readers will not support them. The best advice is to research other articles and proposals on your topic. #ou can always include this information in your own proposal. 1. Your proposal should prove that your solution works. &ake sure that your solution is possible. #ou should include an analysis of your plan and possible results of your solution. Try a pre2test of your solution to see if it works. #ou may need to revise your solution before submitting your proposal. 3. Your proposal should be financially feasible. Think about the finances of the company or person to whom you are writing the proposal. &ake sure that they can afford the solution you are proposing. &ake sure to explain why your solution would be worth their time and money. 4. Your finished proposal should look attractive. The finished proposal should be as perfect as you can get it. This includes the overall appearance of the proposal and the content inside the proposal.

The Conclusion of my Article

I hope you have enjoyed reading my article on proposals. I hope that you will be able to use my instructions and my sample as a basic guide for writing your own proposal one day. 5ust to let you know, my proposal was approved. I now have a brand new set of %lencoe 6eyboarding textbooks 7 software sitting on the table in my classroom. This proves that following the guidelines for writing an effective proposal does work. *icely written proposals are the best way to get your ideas where they need to go. They are also the best way to get your problem addressed and your solution implemented. elow you will find each section of my proposal described in detail.

Section 1:
This section is the purpose of my proposal. &y purpose is stated clearly and upfront in the first sentence of this section. In this section, I also made the recommendation for a solution to solve the problem. This is also clearly stated. 8s you can see, I did not make the purpose section very long. I wanted my purpose to be clear and unmistakable. I used the rest of the proposal to explain the purpose and the solution to my problem in more detail.

Section 2:
In this section of my proposal, I began to define the problem better. I used this section for background information abotu the problem. I also used this section to explain why the problem exists and why it should be addressed.

Section 3:
This section describes my proposed solution to the problem. The solution is clearly stated in the first sentence of this section. &y solution is to order new textbooks and software9 however, I don$t just say that. I provided an exact textbook and publisher that I felt would be the best choice. I also provided names of two other schools that use this same textbook and software. This proves that I have done my research on keyboarding textbooks and software. I also used this section to describe the eact books and software and the benefits of using each one. The goal of this section is to get my superintendent to believe that my proposed solution will solve the problem and improve learning in my classroom.

Section 4:
This section lets my superitendent know the exact cost of purchasing the new books and software. I don$t try to hide it with words. I used a nice table to show the name and cost of all materials that I need.

Section 5:
The last section of my proposal is the conclusion. &y conclusion restates the problem and the solution for the last time. &y conclusion also includes last minute pointers about how the software and books will help the students at my school. &y conclusion ends the proposal on a positive, reinforcing note.

HOW TO MAKE AN EFFECTIVE PROPOSAL

Brian A. Muhammad 1213 1C !!

P"#i$%&ni& N%'ri Bandun' Pr"'ram S$udi T%#%&"muni&a(i