,,f,j',lV' *;

?e.f 7

;;, !::,. l:

{. {^l; 7:; {. ;;

:.;

j:.;.,

: ".' ?

Short, Informal Reports, and Long, Formal Reports

See Chapters 15 and'16 for

more discussion of short, informal reports and long, formal reports.

\7hen you write a proposal, your goal is to sell an idea persuasively. Consider this sce:. - Your company is growing rapidly. As business increases, you believe that several ch.'- must occur to accommodate this growth. For example, you think that the coffrpon\' r: a larger facility. This new building could be located in your city's vibrant new dou-n: expansion corridor, in a suburban setting, or entail the expansion of your curreni A new building or expansion should include amenities to improve recruitment of ner'. ployees, such as workout facilities, daycare, restaurant options, and even a gaming r, Finally, as part of new employee recruitment, you believe that the company must inc-: its diversity hiring pracrices.
:

How will you convey these ideas to upper-level management? The topic is large anc require extensive financial obligations, time for planning, and a commitment to staffing. A short, informal report will not suffice. In contrast, you will have to write a :' of longer, formal report-an internal proposal for your company's management. Additional examples of internal proposals include the following:

e Your company needs to improve

its mobile communication abilities for

-

employees who work at diverse locations. To accomplish this goal, you write .: internal proposal requesting the purchase of Wi/Fi-compatible laptops, handh. computers, and cell phones with Internet access.

r r

Your company's insurance coverage is skyrocketing. As a member of the hum: resources staff, you have researched insurance carriers and now will propose insurance options to upper-level management. Your company is migrating to a new software platform. Employees will need training to use the software. In a long, formal report, you propose consulting companies who can offer the training, optional schedules, funding sources) an. posttraining certification.

twhereas internal proposals are written to management within your company) exter':, proposals are written to sell a new service or product to an audience outside your cc: pany. Your biotechnology company, for example, has developed new software for rning virtual cell cultures. The software simulates cell runs and displays synchron. strip charts for sterile monitoring. Data from the runs are graphed for comparison F-: poses. Not only will your company sell the software, but also the company provides c,, sulting services to train clients in the software use. Your responsibility is to write ,

external proposal selling the benefits of this new corporate offering to a prospecr
client.

Many external proposals are written in response to requests for proposals (RFPs). Ottecompanies, city councils, and state or federal agencies need to procure services from oth. corporations. A city, for example, might need extensive road repairs. A governmen:, agency needs Internet security systems for its offices. A hospital asks engineering comp: nies to submit proposals about facility improvements. An insurance company needs to b; a fleet of cars for its adjusters. To receive bids and analyses of services, the city will u'ri:, an RFP, specifying the scope of its needs. Competing companies will respond to this RF:

with an external proposal.

526

cHAPTER 17

RFeT&c' sow, boilerplafe, and o: when I read about proposals, I hear strange terms like mean? ioirciiea and unsoticiied. what do these words A: Here's a table defining these common proposal terms'
Proposal Terms
RFP

Definitions
and Request for Proposals-means by which external companies agencies ask for ProPosals and Terms and Conditions-the exact parameters of the request expected responses

T&C

sow
Boilerplate Solicited Proposal Unsolicited Proposal

scope of Work or Statement of

iJdr, o"[u.tubl"t, p.ttonn.l

work-a summary of the costs' certifications, and/or company history

proposals Any content (text or Sraphics) that can be used in many A proposal written in response to a request A proposal written on your own initiative

commitments reIn each of these instances, you ask your readers to make significant and finances' Only a long' gurdlng employees, schedules, equipment, training, facilities' your content sufficiently formal proposal, portiury .ot"pl.t" *lth-research-,'will convey
and successfully.

Research and

Documentation See Chapter 5 for more

discussion of research and documentation.

CR;TffiR'& FSR PR*P*sAX-s

To guide your readers through a proposal, you

will

need to provide the following:

. Title page r Cover letter . Table of contents o List of illustrations o Abstract o Introduction

www. prenhall. com/gerson For more information about sample proPosals, visit our companion Web site.

www.prenhall.com/Serson
For more information about long, formal reports, visit our companion Web site.

r r . '

Discussion (the body of the proposal) Conclusionl/recommendation

Glossary

Works cited (or references) page ApPendix

contents, lists of illustrations, For information about title pages, cover letters, tables of !6.Each of these compoChapter see appendices, discussion, glossaries, works citid]and Following is in-. that.chapter' in covered thoioughly q,pl*j of long, form"l ,.po.i, is ".r* io.-urio' specificaliy related io yoo. p.opool't abstract, introduction, and conclusion/ recommendation.

Amgta.ect your audience for the proposal will be diverse. Accountants might read your information descriptions and process- a1alyabout costs and prici.rgi;eri.iur6 might read your technical
ses,

human resources

p.*"""4

might

r"ead

yoni e-ployee biographies' and shipping/delivery

PROPOSALS

527

mieht read your text devoted to deadlines. One group of readers will be management-

.l
:

orherr? Because rhese readers are busy with managementconcerns and might have lirtle tec

For information about proposats, checkoutthese Web

sites.

: :

need it presented in low-tech terminology. You can achieve both these objectives through

I I : :
I
:

Capture Planning (http://www.

captureplanning.com/) provides proposal samples, templates, +inc an.l aaco c+r rdiac

i , I r
I

'

SERA Learning

(http://www.sera.com/). co to their "Funding" link for proposal tips and templates.

. smittr Richardson a Foundation(http://www. : srf .org/grants/template. : php#) provides a proposal I template to help : applicants apply for r funding. Their template : gives a great overview of , typical proposal I components. : . "Templates make it : easier to write winning ; proposals."(http.//www. i usatoday.com /money/ : smallbusiness/columnist/ : abrams/2005-03-11: abrams_x.htm). USA , Today discusses the value , of and components for : Proposal templates.
...'...'.'..'..''.''''.'.''..''.''.

tech reader. If the intended audience is upper-level management, this unit might b. called an executive summary. To accomplish the required brevity, limit your abstra;' to approximately 3 to 10 sentences. These sentences can be presented as one paragraFi' or as smaller units of information separated by headings. Each proposal you write u': focus on unique ideas. Therefore, the content of your abstracts will differ. Noneth.less, abstracts should focus on the following: (a) the problem necessitating your pr, posal, (b) your suggested solution, and (c) the benefits derived when your propos.: iuggestions are implemented. These three points work for external as well as intern--pf oposals.

abstract or executive summary. The abstract is a brief overview of the proposal's key points geared toward a lov

For example, let's say you are asked to write an internal proposal suggesting d cotlr:: of action (limiting excessive personnel, increasing your company's workforce, improviryour corporation's physical facilities, etc.). First, your abstract should specify the proble:: requiring your planned action. Next, you should mention the action you are planning : implement. This leads to a brief overview of how your plan would solve the problem, thi.' benefiting your company. If you were writing an external proposal to sell a client a new product or service, 1'c'-would still focus on problem, solution, and benefit. The abstract would remind the reac' ers of their company's problem, state that your company's new product or service coui: alleviate this problem, and then emphasize the benefits derived. In each .ur., yo., not only want to be brief, focusing on the most important issues' b'-.. also you should avoid high-tech terminology and concepts. The purpose of the abstract :, to provide your readers with an easy-to-understand summary of the entire proposal : focus. Your executives want rhe bottom line, and they want it quickly. They don't want i waste time deciphering your high-tech terms. Therefore, either avoid all high-tech term nology completely or define your terms parenthetically.
CHAPTER 17

5?S

The following is an example of a brief, low-tech abstract for an internal proposal' Abstract Due to deregulation and the fecent economic recession, we must reduce our workforce by L2%.

Our plan for doing so involves

. r

Freezing new hires

An effective abstract highlights the problem, possible s0lutions, and benefits in the proPosal

Promoting early retirement

o Reassigning second-shift supervisors to our Desoto plant . Temporarily laying off third-shift line technicians
Achieving the above will
economrc difficulties. us to maintain production during the current

n?r#*u *ti*ffi
our introduction should include two primary sections: purpose and problem' urpose. In one to three sentences) tell your readers the purpose of your proposal- This to achieve' o.Oor" statement informs your readers wby you are writing ot wbat you hope it's redundant; not it's i ri",.-""f repeats yorri abst.act to a certain extent. However, line each read them of iteration. Although numerous people read your report, not all
section of it. They skiP and skim. that your The purpose statement, in addition to the abstract, is another way to ensure in the read have iust d.r, orrd.rrtand your i.tterrt. It either reminds them of what they purpose Your abstfact' ;tfact or informs ihem for the first time if they skipped over the thesis, the first senement is synonymous with a paragraph's topic sentence' an essay's in a letter, or the introductory paragraph in a shorter report'

Audience for more discussion of meeting the needs of the audience.

See Chapter 4

The following is an effective purpose statement'

A purpose statement expresses the Soal of the proposal.

F Pnrpor. Statement: The purpose of this report is to propose the immediate will installation installation of the 1,02473 Nrr-etical Control Optical Scanner' This ensufe continued quality checks and allow us to meet agency specifications.
the purpose statement should be limited to one to problem must be more de, y-ur discussion of the ee sentences for claritY and conci a new facility' your com-. add to proposal internal an led. For example, if you are writing that must be solved' If problem a hav. Yo" limited. nv's current work space must be to'o your prospective equipment, of piece new a sell to proposal *ri,l"g nr, "rt.rn"l "r. problem. client's the solve will proposal rt must rr."d b.tt". equipment. Your your introduction,s io*, on the problem, which could average one to two pages, is It emphartant for two reasons. First, lt highlights the importance of your proposal. your persuade you section, problem this In priority. for your readers the proposal's statclearly by Second, attention. immediate n.eds d.r, thut a problem,.oiy ."irt, "ni resection problem The situation' of the knowledge ih. probl.-, you also reveal yoor audience your introduction, the of section this ;i; y;;t ."p.riir.. Thus, aftei reading help yo-ur o.rli ,..og.rize the severity of the probiem and trust you to solve it. One way to especially techniques, highlighting of use the nd the protl.,,' is ihrough aders un

lem (Needs Anatrysis)"

'sfhereas

adings and subheadings' See Figure 17 '1 fot a sample introduction'

PROPOSALS

529

Fa&URc

17.1

lntrCIdL.leti*n witFn purpese $tatca:'lea:t amd ,ueed$.&r:a$ysis

1.0 Introduction L.1 Purpose Statement

:pecifi; dctrits t0 ex;!air ihe i:rcblern.

Prcviel*

First, the survey will This is a proposal for a storm sewer survey for Yakima, identify storm sewers needing repair and renovation. Then it will recommend publ:works projects that would control residential basement flooding in Yakima.
1.2 Needs Analysis
1.2. l. lncreased Flooding Residential basement flooding in Yakima has been increasing. Fourteen basements were reported flooded in2007, whereas 83 residents reported flooded basements in 2008.

'WA.

*n;ng $c srlows ihat ycij

';

i:rl*rs ieLrii the reaCel's'''''"""'@

n*ed rilrj hlgniights i-hr piop*s;l's ifi'ri:r*ance.

1.2.2. Propert)' Damage Basement flooding in Yakima results in thousands of dollars in property damage. The following are commonly reported as damaged property.

r r

'Washers Freezers

o Dryers

o Furniture o Furnaces
Major appliances cannot be repaired after water damage. Flooding also can result ir expensive foundation repairs.
1.2.3. Indirect Costs Flooding in Yakima is receiving increased publicity. Flood areas, including Yakima. have been identified in newspapers and on local newscasts. Until flooding problems have been corrected, potential residents and businesses may be reluctant to locate in Yakima. 1.2.4. Special-Interest Groups -WA, population. In Citizens over 55 years old fepresent 40 percent of the Yakima, city council meetings, senior citizens with limited incomes expressed their distress over property damage. Residents are unable to obtain federal flood insurance and must bear the financial burden of replacing flood-damaged personal and real property. Senior citizens (and other Yakima residents) look to city officials to resolve this financial dilemma.

,.;::

When writing the texr for your proposal, you need to sell your ideas persuasively, deve- : your ideas thoroughly through research, observe ethical technical communication standar.:' organize your content so the audience can follow your thoughts easily, and use graphics.
Persuasive writing

chapter 10 for more discussion of persuasive communication.

See

ilsr:1;'n*l:igal::"lg iierl*:esrvri',.. A successful proposal will make your audience act.'Writ, persuasively is especially important in an unsolicited proposal since your audience has n is wrir=asked for your report. A solicited proposal, perhaps written in response to an RFP, to meet an audience's specific request. Your audience wants you to help them meet a need solve a problem. In contrast, when you write an unsolicited proposal, your audience has n asked for your assistance. Therefore, in this type of proposal, you must convincingly p.:suade the audience that a need exists and that your proposed recommendations will bene:'
the reader.

530

CHAPTER 17

I
I I

f I
I

To write persuasivel5 you should accomplish the following:

I
I I I I f | t I I I I | | I I | f f
I

r o .

Arouse audience involvement-focus on your audience's needs that generated this proposal. Refute opposing points of view in the body of your proposal. Give proof to develop your content, through research and proper documentation. Urge action-motivate your audience to act upon your proposal by either buying rhe product or service or adopting vour suggesrions or solutions.
as the

eheCfbniiG Resorrrces
www. prenhall.com/gerson
For more information about persuasive communication,

r:searchirg Conreut for Frr:p*satrs. As in any long, formal report, consider developing your
:rntent through research. This can include primary and secondary sources such following:

o Interviewing customers, clients, vendors, and staff members . Creating a survey and distributing it electronically or as hard-copy rext . Visiting iob sites to determine your audience's needs . Using the Internet (online access to libraries, search engines, corporate \7eb sites, etc.) . Reading journals, books, newspapers, and other hard-copy text
content. They will decide what amounts of money to budget, how to allocate --rne, what personnel will be needed to complete a task, and if additional equipment or facilres will be required. Therefore, your proposal must be accurate and honest. You cannot :rovide information in the proposal that dishonestly affects your decision makers. To write =n ethical proposal, you must provide accurate information about credentials, pricing, comredtors, needs assessment, and sources of information and research. Ifhen using research, for =rample, you must cite sources accurately to avoid plagiarism, as discussed in Chapter 5. the content, use modes

visit our companion

Web site.

Research

ornnrunicating Etbieali.v" SThen you write a proposal, your audience will make decisions I :ased on your

for more discussion of research and documentation.

See Chapter 5

Ethics for more discussion of ethics.

See Chapter 3

lrganizing Yt:u:'Con{ent, Your proposal will be long and complex. To help your audience I ,nderstand

t I I J | I I I I I I
J
I

of organizatron.

These can include the following:

. . . .

Comparison/contrast-rely on this mode when offering options for vendors,

software, equipment, facilities, and more. Cause/effect-use this method to show what created a problem or caused the need for your proposed solution. Chronology-show the timeline for implementation of your proposal, reporting deadlines to meet, steps to follow, and payment schedules. Analysis-subdivide the topic into smaller parts to aid understanding.

For more information about ethical considerations, check out the following link.

o The Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science, http://www.

onlineethics.orgl

Methods of Organization for more discussion of orsanization

See Chaoter 3

I eization. Consider applying

The discussion section of your proposal lends itself to many different modes of orgavarious modes of organization to the key components of your :roposal's body. (See Table 17.1.)

| - sirg Craplrics.
|
I

Graphics, including tables and figures, can help you emphasize and ;larify key points. For example, note how the following graphics can be used in your pro| :osal's discussion section.

I i | I i ' I

. .

Tables. Your analysis of costs lends itself to tables. Figures. The proposal's main text sections could profit from the following figures. . Line charts-excellent for showing upward and downward movement over a p"riod of time. A line chart could be used to show how a company's profits have decreased, for example.

. Bar charts--effective for comparisons. .

Pie charts--cxcellent

Through a bar or grouped bar chart, you could reveal visually how one product, service, or approach is superior to another.

for showing percentages. A pie chart could help you show either the amount of time spent or amount of money allocated for an activity.
PROPOSALS

531

iit11-u

.,:':,..1

i:.i-i.,r:i

:::.ttti,a:t:i:ia:.;.:,, :::,; 't?.:a l:,t,:r:,.-,ait.,'

Spatial descriptions of mechanisms, tools, Process analyses

Analyses of the existing

situation, your suggested solutions, and the benefits your audience will derive Comparative approaches to solving a problem

facilities, or products

explaining how the product or service works Analyzing managerial chains of command

chronological instructions explainin= how to complete a ta-.,

Comparing and contrasting purchase opilons

Chronological schedules for implementation, reporting, maintenan := delivery payment, or completion Certifications Comparative cost charts

Corporate and employee credentials

PrevioUS

Years in business

satisfied clients Projected milestones

(forecasts)

Biographical sketches

accomplishments

of personnel

Visual Aids
See Chapter 9

for more

a a a

discussion of figures and

tables.

Line drawings-effective for technical descriptions and process analyses Photographs-effective for technical descriptions and process analyses Flowcharts-a successful way to help readers understand procedures Organizational charts-excellent for giving an overview of managerial chains of command

Sum up your proposal, providing your readers closure. The conclusion can restate the pr : lem, your solutions, and the benefits to be derived. Your recommendation will suggest : next course of action. Specify when this action will or should occur and why that date is .portant. Figure 17.2 is a conclusion/recommendation from an internal proposal.

F{*t"iffig
5ilin:n;::ze ti:r L.ei
e

7"3 C*r3elusisn/*?*eorffi

rnerxdetesffi

for

Er:teraiai Fnsp*sa!

;Eiini:ili.: of

lle

irclcla!.

3.0 Solutions for Probiem

Our line capability between San Marcos and LaGrange is insufficient. Presently, we are 23o/o under our desired goal. Using the vacated fiber cables will not solve this problem because the current configuration does not meet our standards. Upgrading the current configuration will improve our capacity by only 9"/o and

still present us the risk of service outages.

4.0 Recommended Actions
'We suggest laying new fiber cables for the following reasons. They

o Provide 63"/" more capacity than the current system o Reduce the risk of service outages . Allow for forecasted demands when current capacity is exceeded

.
necanimeild flll*';v-1.:p

Meet srandard configurations

predate stare

;rli{ii1 r:r{i shrsr ihe

If

hi*efiir

these new cables are laid by September 1, 2008, we plans to be implemented by the new fiscal year.

tariff

532

CHAPTER 17