Agenda:

Project Proposal
Characteristics of good proposal
Types of Project Proposal
Proposal Preparation
Link-https://asana.com/resources/project-
proposal
Project Proposal
• A project proposal is like a written elevator pitch—its purpose is to present your project in a condensed but
efficient manner.
• A project proposal is a written document outlining everything stakeholders should know about a project,
including
• the timeline,
• budget,
• objectives,
• and goals.

• Your project proposal should summarize your project details and sell your idea so stakeholders buy in to the
initiative.
• The goal of your project proposal is to:
• Secure external funding
• Allocate company resources to your project
• Gain stakeholder buy-in
• Build momentum and excitement
Project Proposal -Situations
• A project proposal is typically written when you need to formally present a project idea to stakeholders,
decision-makers, or potential sponsors to gain their support, approval, or funding.
• Here are some specific situations when a project proposal is necessary:
• Seeking Funding
• Gaining Approval
• Client Projects
• Internal Projects
• Academic or Research Projects
• Nonprofit Initiatives
• Government or Public Sector Projects
• Business Ventures
Characteristics of good proposal
A good project proposal has several key characteristics that make it clear, compelling, and persuasive to its intended
audience. Here are the main characteristics:
1. Clear Objective: The proposal should clearly state the project’s goals and objectives. It should explain what the
project aims to achieve and why it is important.
2. Detailed Scope: It should outline the project's scope, including the specific tasks and activities that will be
undertaken. This helps in setting expectations and avoiding scope creep.
3. Well-Defined Methodology: The proposal should explain the methods and approaches that will be used to
achieve the project objectives. This includes detailed plans, strategies, and techniques.
4. Feasible Timeline: It should include a realistic timeline with key milestones and deadlines. This helps in planning
and monitoring the project’s progress.
5. Comprehensive Budget: A detailed budget that outlines all expected costs, including personnel, materials,
equipment, and other expenses, is essential. It should also explain how the funds will be used.
6. Clear Benefits and Impact: The proposal should articulate the benefits and impact of the project, including who
will benefit and how. It should also highlight the project’s significance and potential positive outcomes.
7. Risk Assessment: Identifying potential risks and challenges, along with strategies for mitigating them, shows
foresight and preparedness.
8. Strong Justification: The proposal should provide a strong rationale for why the project is necessary. This can
include background information, context, and evidence supporting the need for the project.
Characteristics of good proposal
9. Professional Presentation: A well-organized and professionally presented proposal is important. This
includes clear and concise writing, logical structure, and visual aids (charts, graphs, etc.) to enhance
understanding.
10. Stakeholder Engagement: It should identify key stakeholders and explain how they will be involved or
impacted by the project. This includes plans for communication and collaboration.
11. Measurable Outcomes: The proposal should define clear, measurable outcomes and criteria for success.
This allows for effective evaluation of the project’s progress and achievements.
12. Alignment with Goals: Ensure that the project aligns with the goals and priorities of the stakeholders or
funding bodies. This alignment increases the likelihood of approval and support.
13. Innovative Approach: Highlight any innovative aspects of the project that differentiate it from other similar
initiatives. This can make the proposal more attractive and compelling.
14. Ethical Considerations: Address any ethical considerations related to the project, ensuring that it complies
with relevant ethical standards and guidelines.
Types of project proposals
Types of project proposals
1. Solicited: You’ll send solicited proposals in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP). An RFP announces a
project in detail and asks for bids from qualified teams. Because you’re competing against other companies
for this type of proposal, you must do thorough research and write persuasively.
2. Unsolicited: You’ll send unsolicited proposals without an RFP, meaning no one asked for your proposal. In
this case, you won’t be up against other companies or teams, but you’ll still need to be persuasive because
you have no knowledge of whether the stakeholder you’re pitching to needs you.
3. Informal: You may have a client send you an informal request for a project proposal, in which case you can
respond with your project pitch. Because this isn’t an official RFP, the rules are less concrete.
4. Renewal: You’ll send renewals to existing clients in hopes that they’ll extend their services with your
organization. In this type of project proposal, the goal is to emphasize past results your team has produced
for the client and persuade them you can produce future results.
5. Continuation: You’ll send continuations as a reminder to a stakeholder letting them know the project is
beginning. In this project proposal, you’ll simply provide information about the project instead of
persuading the stakeholder.
6. Supplemental: Similar to a continuation proposal, you’ll send a supplemental proposal to a stakeholder
already involved in your project. In this type of proposal, you’re letting the stakeholder know the project is
beginning, while also asking for additional resources. You should persuade the stakeholder to contribute
more to the project in this proposal.
Proposal Preparation
• There is always a question of what to do with a project manager between assignments. For companies that
survive on competitive bidding, the assignment is clear: The project manager writes proposals for future
work. This takes place during the feasibility study, when the company must decide whether to bid on the
job.
There are four ways in which proposal preparation can occur:
• Project manager prepares entire proposal. This occurs frequently in small companies. In large organizations,
the project manager may not have access to all available data, some of which may be company proprietary,
and it may not be in the best interest of the company to have the project manager spend all of his time
doing this.
• Proposal manager prepares entire proposal. This can work as long as the project manager is allowed to
review the proposal before delivery to the customer and feels committed to its direction.
• Project manager prepares proposal but is assisted by a proposal manager. This is common, but again
places tremendous pressure on the project manager.
• Proposal manager prepares proposal but is assisted by a project manager. This is the preferred method.
The proposal manager maintains maximum authority and control until such time as the proposal is sent to
the customer, at which point the project manager takes charge. The project manager is on board right from
the start, although his only effort may be preparing the technical volume of the proposal and perhaps part of
the management volume.
How to write a project proposal
How to write a project proposal
Write an executive summary
• The executive summary serves as the introduction to your project proposal. Similar to a report abstract or an
essay introduction
• This section should summarize what’s coming and persuade the stakeholder to continue reading.
• Depending on the complexity of your project, your executive summary may be one paragraph or a few
paragraphs.
• Your executive summary should include:

• The problem your project plans to solve

• The solution your project provides for that problem

• The impact your project will have

• You should only address these items briefly in your executive summary because you’ll discuss these topics in
more detail later in your proposal.
How to write a project proposal
Explain the project background

• In this section, you’ll go into the background of the project. Use references and statistics to convince your
reader that the problem you’re addressing is worthwhile.
• Some questions to include are:
• What is the problem your project addresses?
• What is already known about this problem?
• Who has addressed this problem before/what research is there?
• Why is past research insufficient at addressing this problem?
• You can also use this section to explain how the problem you hope to solve directly relates to your
organization.
How to write a project proposal
Present a solution

• You just presented a problem in the project background section, so the next logical step in proposal writing
is to present a solution.
• This section is your opportunity to outline your project approach in greater detail.
• Some items to include are:
• Your vision statement for the project
• Your project schedule, including important milestones
• Project team roles and responsibilities
• A risk register showing how you’ll mitigate risk
• The project deliverables
• Reporting tools you’ll use throughout the project

• You may not have all these items in your proposal format, but you can decide what to include based on the
project scope. This section will likely be the longest and most detailed section of your proposal, as you’ll
discuss everything involved in achieving your proposed solution.
How to write a project proposal
Define project deliverables and goals
• Defining your project deliverables is a crucial step in writing your project proposal.
• Stakeholders want to know what you’re going to produce at the end of your project, whether that’s a
product, a program, an upgrade in technology, or something else.
• As the stakeholder reads through your vision, this will be the section where they say, “Aha, this is what
they’ll use my resources for.”
• When defining your deliverables, you should include:
• The end product or final objective of your project
• A project timeline for when deliverables will be ready
• SMART goals that align with the deliverables you’re producing

• While it’s important to show the problem and solution to your project, it’s often easier for stakeholders to
visualize the project when you can define the deliverables.
How to write a project proposal
List what resources you need
• Now that you’ve outlined your problem, approach, solution, and deliverables, you can go into detail about
what resources you need to accomplish your initiative.
• In this section, you’ll include:
• Project budget: The project budget involves everything from the supplies you’ll need to create a
product to ad pricing and team salaries. You should include any budget items you need to deliver the
project here.
• Breakdown of costs: This section should include research on why you need specific resources for your
project; that way, stakeholders can understand what their buy-in is being used for. This breakdown can
also help you mitigate unexpected costs.
• Resource allocation plan: You should include an overview of your resource allocation plan outlining
where you plan to use the specific resources you need. For example, if you determine you need
$50,000 to complete the project, do you plan to allocate this money to salaries, technology, materials,
etc.
• Hopefully, by this point in the proposal, you’ve convinced the stakeholders to get on board with your
proposed project, which is why saving the required resources for the end of the document is a smart
strategic move.
How to write a project proposal
State your conclusion
• Finally, wrap up your project proposal with a persuasive and confident conclusion.
• Like the executive summary, the conclusion should briefly summarize the problem your project addresses
and your solution for solving that problem.
• You can emphasize the impact of your project in the conclusion but keep this section relevant, just like you
would in a traditional essay.
Tips for writing an effective project proposal
Know your audience
• As you write your proposal, keep your audience (i.e. the stakeholders) in mind at all times. Remember that
the goal of the proposal is to win your audience over, not just to present your project details. For example, if
you’re creating a new editing tool for a children’s publishing house, can you determine whether your
stakeholders are parents and appeal to their emotional side when persuading them to buy in to your
product?
Be persuasive
• Persuasion is important in a project proposal because you’re hoping your audience will read your proposal
and do something for you in return. If your reader isn’t intrigued by your project, they won’t feel inclined to
help you. If you describe your editing tool but don’t mention the many features it will offer, how it will
benefit clients, and its positive impact in the industry, your audience will wonder, “Why should I care about
this project?”
Keep it simple
• While you should go into detail on your problem, approach, and solution, you shouldn’t make your project proposal overly
complex. This means you can discuss the project plan for your proposed editing tool without discussing what codes the
engineers will use to make each feature work.
Tips for writing an effective project proposal
Do your research
• A successful project proposal includes thorough research.
• Be prepared to back up your problem—and solution—with reputable sources, case studies, statistics, or
charts so you don’t leave your audience with questions.
• When writing your proposal, put yourself in the reader’s shoes and ask:

• Why is this a problem?

• How is this a solution to the problem?

• Has anyone addressed this problem before?

• What are the project costs?

• If you can answer these questions, then you’ve likely done enough research to support your proposed
initiative.
Questions?