Practical models for technical communication - Shannon Kelley 2021

Proposals defined
Proposals and short reports

A proposal is a technical document written for decision-makers to convince them to choose a specific course of action. It’s often the first step to getting a project started. A proposal begins with research on a problem. The proposal’s goal is to provide enough information for a decision-maker to green-light a solution to the problem.

See Chapter 7 for business email and memo formats.

Proposals are often used within an organization to request changes. For example, maybe you’d like a standing desk in your work space. How would you convince your boss to approve the request? Or maybe the proposal is about a significant external issue. For instance, your engineering firm would like to bid on a bridge retrofit for the city. Either way, to write a successful proposal, you must do two things:

” Inform the decision-maker about the issue

” Suggest a plan of action

Shorter proposals are often presented in a business email or memo format with headings. Longer proposals, which can contain as many as ten sections, generally have a cover letter and are submitted as a separate document, either electronically or in print. A basic format like the one included in this chapter can get started (figure 10.1).

Figure 10.1. Basic Proposal Format. Many organizations and businesses have their own proposal format. This basic format can be adapted to fit almost any project.

Proposals at Work

Let’s take a look at a proposal submitted by an employee tasked with solving computer issues for the company. Roy is the IT manager at Widget World, a midsize computer parts company. Roy’s job duties include recommending changes that will benefit the company’s bottom line or increase productivity.

See Chapter 11 for more on long reports, including feasibility studies.

Roy discovers that his workplace spends a large amount of money every year buying and maintaining desktop computers. Roy believes he has an answer that could save the company money. He knows that many offices are converting to a virtual machine (VM) system in place of traditional PCs for every employee. The new system, however, requires an investment of cash up front. How will he convince his boss that the expense of the new system is needed?

While writing his proposal, Roy keeps his audience’s needs in mind. He suspects his boss will be cautious at best and skeptical at worst, so he collects relevant data to support his proposal. He may gather more than what is needed for the proposal in case his boss wants a full feasibility report, a long report that studies whether a solution is reasonable and beneficial. But Roy also needs to decide how much research to give his boss. The decision of what to include and what to leave out is part of the challenge of shorter reports and proposals.

See Chapter 5 for more on primary and secondary research techniques.

Roy focuses his research on the facts and evidence his audience needs to make a decision. He researches the cost of the current systems, the cost of buying the new system, and the long-term net savings. Roy also researches the current annual cost of buying and maintaining desktop computers at his company. He knows by the time a decision is made, costs of current systems and the new system will likely increase, so he will add those projections to his recommendation. In addition to crunching numbers, Roy surveys his coworkers and administrators to determine current attitudes and habits of computer usage. The blend of hard data and personal opinions will play a big part in whether his proposal is agreeable to his boss.

Proposals and the Problem-Solution Framework

Think back to the Problem-Solution Framework presented in Chapter 1. This concept will help you create a successful document. When writing a proposal, always consider the problem and solution in relation to the specific situation.

In a proposal, the problem takes the form of an issue that needs resolution or an opportunity that could be realized (figure 10.2). After clearly establishing the problem, you must present a solution in the form of a message. To be convincing, your solution must be realistic and rooted in evidence (rather than guesswork). As with all documents, consider how your audience and purpose contribute to your message.

Figure 10.2. Problem-Solution Framework: Short Report. The purpose of a proposal is to point out a problem in the form of an issue or opportunity. An effective proposal shows how the issue can be resolved or the opportunity can be realized.

Audience

A successful proposal carefully considers the user’s situation and other factors that impact decision-making. The user of a proposal is typically a manager. One common reason a proposal fails is that it does not accurately or honestly recognize the current situation, which includes both the user’s and the company’s needs at the moment.

Timing is an important part of a proposal. Because of this, we recommend that you work directly with your audience during the research phase whenever possible. Conduct interviews, send emails, or administer surveys to collect information from others to find out if the time is right and the audience is ready to listen. While Roy works on his proposal, he can meet with his boss and get her perspective so he can better address any concerns.

Here are a few questions to determine the direction of a proposal:

” What is the problem being addressed?

” Whom does this problem impact?

” Why does this problem exist?

” Why does this problem persist?

” Why is it worthy of a solution?

” What are the potential hazards the problem presents?

Additional questions a proposal may address include the following:

” Is there a limited budget or a tight schedule?

” Does this proposal align with other goals?

” How will the proposal be shared and distributed?

” Who makes the final decision?

” Do any regional, cultural, or linguistic factors affect the acceptance or implementation of this proposal?

See Chapter 1 for more on creating a user profile.

In Roy’s case, he must keep in mind that his boss, Carmen, is not a technology expert. As a result, Roy must explain the technical side of the proposal in a way that won’t frustrate his boss. He needs to use plain language and avoid technical jargon that he and his fellow IT professionals use. Roy also needs to consider that, like most bosses, Carmen is cautious about any expenses associated with the proposal. He needs to make a case for why the project will be worth the associated costs. Even if Carmen agrees with his proposal, she will need to take it to the board, which consists of a multinational group of stakeholders. Roy’s proposal must be clear and convincing enough to make Carmen want to take that next step.

Purpose

Your purpose is to provide an evidence-based, objective argument so the user can make an informed decision. This goal will help you identify what information to include as you write your proposal. Decision-makers who read proposals are busy people. Keep your document simple, short, and focused. Avoid the temptation to overload the user with information. This is not a situation where more is better. Instead, be selective and share only the best information.

Roy’s purpose is to convince his boss that the hardware upgrade will benefit the company in spite of the up-front expense. He explains this purpose by showing Carmen that the current setup is hurting the company’s bottom line by generating unnecessary long-term maintenance costs. He must show that his proposed hardware upgrade is feasible, realistic, and cost effective in the long run.

Message

Your message is shaped by the type of proposal you choose. In the following section, we’ll introduce several proposal types. Keep your message in line with the document type. For example, you don’t write a planning proposal the same way you write a sales proposal. The intent of your specific proposal type and the needs of the user matter when creating your message.

Roy’s proposal was not requested by his boss, so he must convince Carmen that the project is worthwhile. As a result, his tone must be persuasive while also rooted in facts. Roy uses a format similar to a goods and services proposal that includes cost savings resulting from a proposed purchase. While he’s not offering a good or service to a customer, his approach will be similar because he must show his boss that the benefits of the project outweigh the investment.