Adapted from “Field Guide to Consulting and Organizational Development” – to obtain the entire

book, select “Publications” at http://www.authenticityconsulting.com

Sample Proposal for Organizational Development Services

This sample proposal might be a useful reference for you and your client as you both specify and
communicate a project plan for change. Information in the proposal will be useful to external and
internal consultants. In this example, the organizational development and change activities are
conducted in the overall context of development and implementation of a Strategic Plan. Ongoing
coaching during the project guides the successful organizational change and learning that results
during, and shortly after, implementing the Strategic Plan. Of course, the final content of your
proposal depends on the preferences of your client and you.
Note that many consultants do not include estimated numbers of hours for project activities in their
proposals, as in this sample. These consultants base their consulting fees on the project’s overall
value to the client, rather than on the number of hours required in the project. These consultants
believe that information about the number of hours in the project detracts clients from focusing on
the total value of the project.

Background
The consultant, OD Bob, met with the client contact, ED CEO of the Transitioning Business (TB),
on July 1, 2005 regarding a possible organizational development project. Also in attendance at that
meeting were two Board members who, together with Ed, comprised the Search Committee. During
the meeting, Ed described TB’s current challenges, which included the need for attention to strategic
planning, finances, staffing and public relations – and probably more areas, but Ed was not sure
which yet. Ed explained that TB had experienced recurring cash shortages and recurring conflicts
among members of the Board and among employees. Ed added that things seemed to be getting
worse.

OD Bob described how an overall systematic approach to organizational development would be the
most effective approach to addressing TB’s major problems. He added that, during times of major
change, it often is best to include some Board and leadership development in the project to help
leaders understand and guide the change throughout the organization. OD Bob added that the
organizational development activities would best be conducted in the overall context of short-term,
internally strategic planning, including the development and implementation of the Strategic Plan.

After some discussion, participants agreed that a systematic approach to overall organizational
development would be highly useful to TB. Ed asked OD Bob to provide a proposal that described
more specifics on how OD Bob might work with TB. This proposal itemizes OD Bob’s proposed
project and includes: outcomes, overall activities and deliverables, work plan, evaluation plan,
schedule, roles and responsibilities of the consultant and client, costs and payment terms. The
proposal also includes description of OD Bob’s qualifications as a consultant, along with reference to
relevant clients whom Ed could contact regarding the quality of OD Bob’s work.

Project Outcomes
The following outcomes are typically achieved from implementation of a realistic, relevant and
flexible Strategic Plan with focus primarily on addressing internal priorities:

1. Effective Board governance, including oversight and operations.

2. Clear delineation and coordination of Board and employee roles.

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3. Common vision and goals for all leaders in the organization.

4. Structures and processes to guide the Board and all employees toward achieving the new
vision.
5. Stronger financial management, analysis and decisions.
6. Stronger marketing, including research, advertising and promotions.
7. Enhanced credibility and image among stakeholders.
8. Overall, more proactive direction-setting, decision-making and problem-solving.

Initial Project Activities and Deliverables

1. Organizational assessment and development planning, including initial assessment and
recommendations, resulting in a written Assessment Report and an Organizational
Development Plan to address issues described in the Report.
2. Board development, including engagement, staffing and organization of members, along
with comprehensive, step-by-step guidelines and materials for all critical and ongoing Board
activities, resulting in a written Board Development Plan.
3. Strategic planning, including customizing planning process, identification and/or
clarification of all critical issues and specific strategies to address each issue, resulting in a
written relevant, realistic and flexible Strategic Plan.
4. Leadership and supervisory development, including identifying performance goals for each
position, clarifying roles and organization, and customizing employee performance
management system, along with comprehensive, step-by-step guidelines and materials for all
critical leadership and supervisory activities, resulting in an Organization Chart, a Staffing
Plan, job descriptions and an updated handbook of Personnel Policies.

Project Work Plan

Ongoing Coaching for Change Management and Learning
Coaching will be focused on the successful implementation and evaluation of the Strategic Plan,
resulting in an overall successful organizational development and change effort. Learning will be
identified, documented and shared on an ongoing basis during the project.

1. Half-hour coaching sessions with Chief Executive Officer every two weeks for
approximately 7 months.
2. Monthly, half-hour coaching sessions with Board Chair for 7 months.

Phase #1: Organizational Assessment and Development Planning

1. Review organizational information, for example, history, products and services, and current
activities.
2. Coordinate quick, comprehensive, practical organizational assessment of all internal
functions, preferably with input from key Board members and employees, and then produce
written Organizational Assessment Report.
3. Provide written Organizational Development Plan that addresses issues described in the
Organizational Assessment Report.

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Phase #2: Develop “Plan for Plan” for Strategic Plan

Plan-for-Plan will specify parameters for developing the Strategic Plan, and will address at least the
following priorities.

1. Orient Board members about strategic planning, its purpose and their role in the planning.
2. Focus the Strategic Plan for a one-year period for the development of internal systems to
address the issues described in the Organizational Assessment Report.
3. Establish a Planning Committee to oversee development of Strategic Plan. Ideally, the
Committee is comprised of Board Chair, Chairs of committees, Chief Executive Officer and
key employees.
4. Analyze how members of Board and employees can realistically take part in strategic
planning, and then refine a three-month schedule of planning activities to develop and
approve a Strategic Plan document.
Shortly after this phase, various groups will be assigned homework to identify strategic goals and
strategies.

Phase #3: Identification of Strategic Goals and Objectives

Based on the issues described in the Organizational Assessment Report, goals in the Strategic Plan
might pertain to following areas that are in addition to those itemized in the previous section, “Initial
Project Activities and Deliverables.” Note that achievement of all of the strategic goals will not
necessarily be done within the four-month time period in which the Strategic Plan document will be
developed and approved. Also note that planners might modify the following list during planning.

1. Establishing financial policies and procedures, especially regarding zero-based and balanced
budgeting, product-based budgeting, and amounts of cash reserves per year, resulting in an
approved “Fiscal Policies and Procedures,” guided by the Board Finance Committee.
2. Staffing analysis, including identifying and organizing expertise needed to implement the
Strategic Plan, support desired products and services, modification of job descriptions,
analysis of employee performance management and compensation systems, resulting in
approved up-to-date job descriptions, employee performance management practices (in
Personnel Handbook), and compensation practices (in Personnel Handbook), guided by the
Board Personnel Committee.
3. Sustained public relations to key stakeholders, to convey the “transformed” Transitioning
Business, resulting in a public relations campaign, guided by the Board Marketing
Committee.
Shortly after this phase, various groups will be assigned homework to identify action plans.

Phase #4: Action Plans to Implement Strategic Plan

1. Action plans, in the Strategic Plan, will specify for each strategic goal:
a) Objectives
b) Responsibilities
c) Deadlines for completion

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2. Action plans will also include:

a) Staffing plans
b) Operating budget
3. Action plans will also include development of a one-year schedule during which the
Strategic Plan will be implemented, with provision of status reports to the Board and key
employees.
Shortly after this phase, various groups will be assigned homework to begin drafting the Strategic
Plan document.

Phase #5: Development and Approval of Strategic Plan Document

Includes:

1. Drafting Strategic Plan document

2. Review by Board and senior management
3. Approval by Board of Directors

Approaches to Evaluating Project

Focus of Evaluation Plan(s)
Evaluation planning should be based on the project’s goals and outcomes. After the goals and
outcomes have been finalized, the consultant and client will work together to establish the focus of
each Evaluation Plan. Plan(s) could focus on:

1. Project activities, as those activities occur (a formative, process evaluation).

2. Project deliverables (proposed deliverables are listed in the above section, “Initial Project
Activities and Deliverables”).
3. Outcomes achieved by the project (the proposed outcomes are listed in the above section,
“Project Outcomes”).

Contents of Evaluation Plan(s)

The consultant and client will work together to design the content of each Evaluation Plan, which
will include evaluation questions, information needed to answer each question, and methods to
gather and analyze that information.

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Proposed Project Schedule to Develop Strategic Plan

Approximate Time Required to Produce Strategic Plan Document
Week of…
Phase Aug Aug Aug Aug Sep Sep Sep Sep Sep Oct Oct Oct Oct Nov Nov
4 11 18 29 1 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27 3 10
1.
Organizational
assessment
and report

2. “Plan for
Plan”

3. Identify
goals and
strategies

4. Develop
action plans
and resource
needs

5. Draft, review
and approve
Strategic Plan

(Time is in hours. Board meeting time is included. Travel time is not included.)

CEO and Other Each Project Each Board Consultant

Senior Leaders Team Member Member
Activity
(addition to
Project Team)

Preparation 0 0 0 5
Phase 1: Organizational 5 for CEO 2 1 5
Assessment (6-week period)
Phase 2: Plan for Plan 5 for CEO 3 2 5
(1-week period)
Phase 3: Goals & Objectives 15 for CEO 10 8 30
(4-week period) 15 for other
Phase 4: Action and Resource 10 for CEO 3 4 20
Planning (4-week period) 10 for other
Phase 5: Approve Plan 5 for CEO 2 5 20
(6-week period) 5 for other
Total Hours Required 40 for CEO 20 20 85
30 for other

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book, select “Publications” at http://www.authenticityconsulting.com

Approximate Time to Completely Instill New Systems

The focus of this project is to instill new systems as a foundation to bring about change, such that the
outcomes of the project are achieved. However, the long-term health of the organization depends on
how well those new systems are fully integrated and utilized on a regular basis throughout the
organization. Complete change often involves changing the culture of the organization –
realistically, that can take a year or more. The amount of time to make those new systems an
automatic part of operations for the client depends primarily on the leadership and amount of
resources that the client can apply to the change effort, and on whether any unexpected major events
occur during that effort.

The overall organizational development activities in this project will occur during a seven-month
period, including a three-month period of coaching that follows the four-month development of the
Strategic Plan document. The coaching will be focused on successfully managing organizational
change during that seven-month period. Approximate time for coaching sessions is:

CEO Board Chair Each Board Consultant

Member
Activity
(addition to
Project Team)

Ongoing Coaching 15 for CEO 7 for Board NA 22

(biweekly with CEO; Chair
monthly with Board Chair;
for 7 months)

Roles and Responsibilities

Consultant
1. Provide prompt response to client communication.
2. Provide ongoing coaching to Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair as mutually
scheduled during the seven-month period.
3. Administer organizational assessment; analyze results and generate written Organizational
Assessment Report and Organizational Development Plan.
4. Generate written Board Development Plan.
5. Facilitate strategic planning process, including customization and development.
6. Review draft of Strategic Plan document.
7. Facilitate staffing analysis, including roles and structures, and review of Staffing Plan.
8. Facilitate development of employee performance management system.
9. Provide complete step-by-step guidelines and materials for organizational assessment, all
aspects of strategic planning, staffing analysis, roles and structures, and employee
performance management.
10. Generate written status reports shortly after end of all phases of project.
11. Regularly reflect, document and share learning from the project with the client and members
of the client’s organization.

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Client
1. Provide prompt response to consultant communication.
2. Provide adequate organizational information for consultant to understand the organization.
3. Finish organizational assessment.
4. Board Chair participates in monthly half-hour coaching sessions for 7 months.
5. Chief Executive Officer participates in biweekly half-hour coaching sessions for 7 months.
6. Board and staff coordinate and participate in meetings as planned, including Board training
and strategic planning sessions.
7. Promptly finish actions as necessary between meetings, including preparation for upcoming
meetings and actions identified from the meetings.
8. Board forms Planning Committee to oversee development of Strategic Plan, including
review of status of activities and written reports from consultant.
9. Generate written Strategic Plan, organizational chart, Staffing Plan, job descriptions and
arrange for expert review and development of updated personnel policies.
10. Regularly reflect, document and share learning from the project with the consultant and
members of the client’s organization.

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book, select “Publications” at http://www.authenticityconsulting.com

Proposed Costs and Payment Terms

Costs
Fees: Cost
Ongoing coaching for seven months
Phase 1: Organizational Assessment
Phase 2: “Plan for Plan”
Phase 3: Identify goals and objectives
Phase 4: Action and resource planning
Phase 5: Finalize Strategic Plan
Total Fees:

Materials and Expenses:

Travel expenses (estimated1) for four round trips
Session materials
Total Estimated Materials and Expenses:

Total Estimated Project Cost

Payment Terms
$ XXX invoiced to client upon signing contract (equal to fees for Phase 1).
$ XXX invoiced after Phase 2.
$ XXX invoiced after Phase 3.
$ XXX invoiced after Phase 4.
$ XXX invoiced after Phase 5.
$ XXX invoiced at end of seven-month period (this fee for coaching after the Strategic Plan
has been approved).
Materials and expenses invoiced within two weeks of incurring them; copies of receipts
attached to invoice.
Payments due from client within 30 days of receiving invoice from consultant.

Qualifications of Consultant
[In this section, you should insert information, such as your resume, information about your
company and a listing of references to past clients.]

1
Travel costs will be reimbursed based on actual incurred costs.

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