Assignment
Developing a proposal is one of the competencies for Technical Reporting. Proposals are persuasive reports that seek to gain funding or to make a change in a public or private organization. Your proposal will require a rationale or a justification for the change you are proposing. You will need to develop a plan to make the change outlined in the rationale. You will work on this project to build your writing and researching skills. You may work with a partner or small group if you prefer. Please inform me right away if you and another student in the class have chosen to work together on this assignment.
Start by identifying a need or problem you would like to talk about. Then move on to developing the proposed solution and stating the audience who would receive your proposal and give approval for the change you are recommending. The most important thing to remember is that your proposal has to be based on a need for change or a problem that needs to be solved - start with that rather than with a solution. Focus on a real problem, and understand the problem before formulating a solution.
Find a real problem at school or in the community that can become the focus of your proposal. Pick a topic that will allow you to combine traditional research methods (accessing secondary sources) with primary research (such as an interview) to find information that will contribute to a solution for the problem you identify.
Your plan will include a number of components, such as a budget explaining the costs of implementing the proposal, a timeline/schedule showing how much time will be needed for each stage of the plan, and an explanation of the people who will be required to put the plan into action. These components will be included in the Discussion portion of the report.
I. Provide an overview of the entire report, including a brief statement of the problem and your proposed solution.
II. Identify the audience that is the target of the proposal (the group or organization that can approve the change you are proposing).
III. You may feel the Abstract repeats some of the information that is provided in the rest of the report, which it does! The Abstract provides a separate summary of this information that acts as a preview for the reader. You still need to include these points in the report.
1. Introduction/Rationale
a. Background of the situation
i. Please note that the introduction for this report does not serve the same purpose as the introduction of an essay. The introduction is a major section of the report and should contain the following parts:
2. Description, definitions, and explanation of the problem
3. Discussion/Plan
a. Explanation of implementing the solution
b. Timeline for implementation
c. Description of needed technology, materials, equipment, personnel
d. Description of needed facilities
e. Cost estimates of needed items
f. Audience for the proposal
g. Expected results and probable success
4. Conclusion
a. Connect the main points in the proposal to recommended actions.
b. Emphasize the benefits of implementing this proposal.