Problem phase/segment. When confronted with a problem that they need or want to resolve, proposal writers must first identify the problem, and investigate all the related conditions of the problem (who is affected by it, and to what degree they are affected, etc.). Writers must also uncover who has the authority to implement a solution to the problem, and -- most importantly -- analyze all the possible causes of the problem (identify the historical, precipitating, and root or perpetuating causes). In the best situations, working on the problem phase of a proposal involves discussing the problem with the person(s) whose responsibility it is to act, even before actual writing has begun.

Often the intended audience can provide additional information for assessing the feasibility of any proposed solution, but more importantly, they often must be convinced that there is a "real problem" to address. If they are convinced in preliminary discussions that the problem is urgent enough or worthy enough to be acted on, they may order or solicit a proposal. If not, writers may submit an unsolicited proposal. The latter rquires more work to write, in part because the writer does not have the cooperation of the audience and thus is not apt to benefit from the audience's knowledge and position.

Discovering and Developing Supporting Arguments

In similar fashion, writers discover and develop solution elements of a proposal (Supporting arguments and sub-arguments). Most importantly, writers work hard to articulate the benefits for the audience of acting promptly to address the problem by implementing the writers' proposed solution and recommendations.

Ex.: How writers discover and develop supporting proposal elements (arguments and sub-arguments): Individually or in a group, writer(s) ask:

• What are the positive, beneficial consequences that will follow if the proposed solution is put in place?
• What negative, harmful, and/or unethical consequences of the problem will be eliminated or reduced once the solution proposed is implemented?
• Does the proposed solution have "altruistic" appeal as well as practical appeal?
• What is the writer's level of commitment; what will s/he/they gain; what are the writer(s)' credentials for proposing the solution, or for leading or participating in the implementation of a solution?
• What objections might be raised by others to the proposed solution? Why? How might we answer these objections?
• How can I/we demonstrate the feasibility of my/our solution in terms of costs, time, personnel, equipment, etc.. What are the trade-offs?
• Does the proposal improve on prior proposals? Have previously blocking causes to implementing a solution been removed, or are there new circumstances or knowledge that this proposal builds upon?
• What first action should be recommended?

Solution phase/segment. In addition to identifying the problem, its conditions, and its causes, writers of a full proposal must also identify possible solutions, recommend a particular solution that addresses or elimates problem causes, and argue for the feasibility of the recommended solution, keeping the needs and concerns of the intended audience, and the affected parties, in mind. Proposal Project -- p. 3

What is a Proposal for a Feasibility Study?

A feasibility study establishes the existence of a problem and offers an evaluation of two or more alternatives for action on the problem, usually recommending one of them to the organization's management in a feasibility report, but, when a problem is so complex that additional research is necessary in order to first identify possible solutions, a proposal for a feasibility study is often written first, and if this proposal for study is accepted, then a study will be conducted, out of which in turn, a feasibility report will result.

This sounds complicated, but in practice it works like this: You are upset because two students have been killed at an intersection on campus. Deciding that the situation is dangerous, you decide to propose a traffic light. After talking to campus security and the department of transportation officials you discover that your solution is not the only possible way of solving the problem. Something needs to be done, certainly, but the officials won't act on your particular solution -- they need more information to confirm facts related to the situation and to explore the feasibility of various possible solutions -- better lighting along the roadway, a traffic light, a walkway over the street, etc.. You still are committed to doing something about the problem, but because the problem is more complicated than you thought at first, you realize that a feasibility study is called for, so you write a proposal to the commissioner arguing that they conduct such a study, realizing that they are going to need solid reasons for doing so, considering the cost of such studies.

As you can see, a proposal for a feasibility study is a kind of truncated proposal, since it primarily focuses on the problem part of the proposal process. Writers of the proposal for a feasibility study first identify and analyze the problem within the organization, and then they propose to the organization's management that researchers conduct a feasibility study to further explore potential solutions in order to determine which, if any, might be feasible, that is, do-able, given the organization's power and resources.

What is a Justification Report?

A justification report is also a truncated proposal, only in this case, it assumes that a problem has been identified, that conditions and causes have been analyzed, and that two or more solutions have been identified. Given that all these elements are in place, the writers of a justification report mainly focus on justifying one of the solutions, whether the latter is a call for a purchase, an investment, a new personnel line, or a change in procedure in an organization.

For example, let's assume that the commissioner of transportation ordered a study (as you recommended for the dangerous intersection above), and the resulting feasibility report suggested three solutions: eliminating parking along all sides to the approach to the dangerous intersection in question, building an elevated walkway across the street, or installing a traffic light that is pedestrian operated. You have been asked to evaluate these three possibilities (benefits and drawbacks of each) and then to select one for action by the department of transportation. In this case, you would marshall your evidence, make a careful comparison, and recommend and justify taking a particular action.

How is a full proposal different from the two forms above? ** A full proposal includes both phases **

A formal proposal (justification, feasibility, or full) is almost always accompanied by a cover letter or letter of transmittal. It also usually includes a well�written executive summary; and all necessary references and supplementary materials (resumes, specifications, survey results, interview notes, drawings, maps, etc.) are Proposal project -- p. 4

included in the report body or in an appendix. Finally, all items are carefully labeled and cross-referenced for reader accessibility.

Summary Advice Argument construction and analysis are central to effective proposals. Not only are writers making and defending their articulation of the problem, but they are also claiming that a particular solution will resolve the problem, and providing evidence for the feasibility of the solution.

Directions:

Write a 2-3 page Full Proposal addressing a problem that concerns your group. (cover letter, supporting materials, and references are additional pages)

Tips for Proceeding:

1. Read Chapters 15 & 16 in your textbook, and then define, or "invent" (discover, describe, and analyze) a problem for a proposal report.
   See your class-writing packet for information (ex. of a short proposal letter), and there is some useful information on pp. 383-385 about proposals for class projects, and a sample proposal for a student report. See also pp. 466-467 (16-5 and 16-6) for some ideas that you can modify.

   It is important that you choose a problem or scenario that is reasonable and do-able in the time you have for this project. Some research is required and you can make your task easier by selecting your project carefully. For example, you might focus on the problem of computer accessibility for students at UMass, and propose a program to help students purchase computers at reduced cost.

   As part of the group process you will need to describe the problem thoroughly, conduct a survey, compile the results, find out who on campus has authority to act on and/or implement a solution to the problem, conduct an interview with that person (or persons). In the interview you would alert the person to the problem (bring your survey results to his/her attention), ask for assistance with feasibility information for a proposal you wish to submit to him or her, and arrange for feedback on the proposal once it has been received and evaluated by the audience.

   As you can see, some research is involved; and interpersonal communication skills are required as well. You will probably want to divide up the necessary research tasks along with the writing and editing tasks, so that demands on each group member's time are about equal. Conduct your research early so that you have ample time for editing before the proposal is mailed or delivered to the authority/audience who can act on it.

2. For help with the feasibility format see p. 431, but note that your report will vary because you are writing a full proposal rather than reporting on a study that has already been completed. (For justification format also see p. 431, but keep the same caution in mind.)

   Note that proposal formats vary greatly -- as writers you need to organize the report for the efficiency of the reader , and use descriptive headings and sub�headings that let the reader know what each section of the Proposal project -- p. 5

   report is trying to accomplish or present. Some model proposals may be handed out or displayed in class, so you can see how formats can vary, depending on readers' needs, strategies used in report-writing, or rules set out for producing such reports.

3. You are expected to draft, get thorough (tough!) peer edits (2), substantially revise, (possibly get additional edits and revise again) and proof-read carefully. When you hand in your report, it must be in a folder, and accompanied by the original survey you conducted, compiled survey results, interview questions, hand-written notes, references, diagrams, early drafts, signed edits, etc.. Failure to meet these conditions will result in your being assigned a grade of F for the project, with no opportunity to resubmit (and also likely a failing grade for the course if plagiarism is suspected)..
4. ) Readibility, conciseness, clarity, and cohesion are always standard requirements for business writing, and of course, you should pay careful attention to page layout/design (to ensure information accessibility). Write a letter of transmittal for your report, be sure that your report pages carry clear document identification. The report should have an executive summary at the beginning, and use heads and sub�heads to organize and signal content. Also, write transitions between sections, check sentences and paragraphs for logical and complete development, and list any references you used. Even though your text [Locker] often relies on MLA documentation style guidelines, you should use APA guidelines for citing and referencing your sources.

   Due date information:

   Your report must be handed in on the date due; not at the end of class, and not after class! If it is late, it will be assigned a grade of F, and there are no resubmissions allowed for papers handed in late at this point in the semester.

   Important notes about group process and grading:

   As in the case of the group consultant report, your group should meet at least once as a whole group to get organized; conduct as much of your communication by phone and email as you discuss the project, and divide up the research. Discuss time constraints and different work styles, and choose a discussion leader, as well as a group manager (the group manager should coordinate meetings, route materials between members, etc.). Get together again to write up the proposal report, letter, and summary, and to plan for revising and editing. A word of caution: writing should not be left to anyone who has not been a full participant in the entire process.

   Document the efforts of individuals and the group by selecting a group manager; the group manager should report separately in a memo concerning problems with group process (such as specific members not meeting their responsibilities to the group). Note: it is our resubmission policy for this assignment that only groups who document problems within their group will have the opportunity to resubmit the report, providing the report is complete and on time. No advance notification by memo (by an individual or the group) means that you will not have the privilege of resubmitting as an option.

   Note that all members of the group receive the same grade, unless you provide written reasons why this procedure should be modified in some way. As mentioned above, your reasons for giving a member or members a lower or higher grade than the rest of the group, should be specified in a performance memo that: a) specifically provides evidence supporting such a claim; b) clearly specifies your alternative grading recommendation; and c) is signed, whenever possible, by all members of your group.

   Proposal project -- p. 6

   Criteria for Grading:

   Your proposal will be graded based on the following key criteria --

   1. thoroughness of analysis and completeness in addressing proposal arguments and sub-arguments, especially causal analysis of the problem, and development of the benefits section (benefits of the solution)
   2. overall fitness of the problem as identified and solution(s) recommended
   3. appropriateness of tone; "you-attitude" demonstrated
   4. page lay�out and design (overall appearance, readability, and accessibility of the content)
   5. completeness of task (cover letter, summary, references, survey results, interview questions, edits, group memo, etc.)
   6. overall convincingness and quality of the proposal -- if it isn't deliverable, it will not receive a high grade
   7. technical correctness and style (check spelling, syntax, grammar; think carefully about word selection, sentence length, and coherence (can the reader make transitions from one idea or section to another?)

   Remember that your proposal will be mailed or delivered to the audience, so provide a suitable envelope �� addressed correctly (and with sufficient postage if it requires mailing off�campus).

   Good Luck!! Revised 3-26-97, EdC