What is section “11-5a Proposal Structure” about? Answer in one paragraph or longer.

11 5-A

Proposal Structure

A proposal includes

1. details about the manner in which the problem will be solved and
2. the price to be charged or the costs to be incurred.

Often the proposal is a lengthy report designed to “sell” the prospective buyer on the ability of the bidder to perform. However, a simple price quotation also constitutes a proposal in response to a request for a price quotation.

The format of a proposal depends on the length of the proposal and the intended audience:

Format	Proposal Length and Intended Audience
Memo or email report	Short; remains within the organization
Letter report	Short; travels outside the organization
Formal report	Long; remains within the organization or travels outside the organization

Most work resulting from proposals is covered by a working agreement or contract to avoid discrepancies in the intents of the parties. In some cases, for example, users of outside consultants insist that each consultant be covered by a sizable general personal liability insurance policy that also insures the company. Many large firms and governmental organizations use highly structured procedures to ensure understanding of contract terms.

The following general parts, or variations of them, might appear as headings in a proposal:

1. Problem or Purpose,
2. Scope,
3. Methods or Procedures,
4. Materials and Equipment,
5. Qualifications,
6. Follow-up and/or Evaluation,
7. Budget or Costs,
8. Summary, and
9. Addenda.

In addition to these parts, a proposal might include preliminary report parts, such as the title page, transmittal message, and contents, as well as addenda parts, such as references, appendix, and index.

Problem and/or Purpose

Problem and purpose are often used as interchangeable terms in reports. Here is the introductory purpose statement, called “Project Description,” in a proposal by a firm to construct a commercial building:

Project Description:You will be offered a complete 3D architectural design from our architects for residential homes, business offices, housing complexes, and commercial buildings. The process starts with discussing the concepts, designs, and purposes of the building and extends to assessing the personality or lifestyle of the client to determine exactly what is wanted. Design scope is unlimited. Depending on what you want, we design comprehensive land and space planning, including building placement and irrigation and drainage design as well as the design of retaining walls, patios, driveways, lighting, pedestrian access, pools, courts, and other features.

Note how the heading “Project Description” has been used in place of “Purpose.” In the following opening statement, “Problem” is used as the heading:

Problem:Determining how well employees meet organizational goals, and identifying appropriate rewards for meeting these goals can be challenging. This report will examine the benefits of using our human resources software system to track and measure employees’ behaviors and outcomes to ensure your organization is on the path of success.

The purpose of the proposal may be listed as a separate heading (in addition to “Problem”) when the proposal intends to include objectives of a measurable nature. When you list objectives, such as “To reduce overall expenses for compensation management by 10%,” attempt to list measurable and attainable objectives, and list only enough to accomplish the purpose of selling your proposal. Many proposals are rejected simply because writers promise more than they can actually deliver.

Scope

When determining the scope of your proposal, you can place limits on what you propose to do, or on what the material or equipment you sell can accomplish. The term scopeneed not necessarily be the only heading for this section. “Areas Served,” “Limitations to the Study,” and “Where (specify topic) Can Be Used” are examples of headings that describe the scope of a proposal. Here is a “Scope” section from a consulting firm’s proposal to conduct a marketing study.

What the Study Will Cover:To assist Ginger Sensations in formulating a marketing strategy, Thomsen Consulting will provide an analysis of all competitors in the natural ingredient body moisturizer business, including their sales, target market, and promotion and distribution methods. In addition, Thomsen will provide an analysis of the market potential for Ginger Sensations’ unique product given the competition, product trends, and the target market for the product. Finally, Thomsen will provide recommendations for distribution, promotion, and placement of Ginger Sensations’ line of moisturizing products based on its analysis.

Another statement of scope might be as follows:

Scope:This report will examine employment trends for the past five years for the information technology (IT) specialists in the United States and Canada; and will use this data to provide recommendations to Western Data Systems to help it plan future staffing strategies.

Methods and/or Procedures

The method(s) used to solve the problem or to conduct the business of the proposal should be spelled out in detail. In this section, simply think through all the steps necessary to meet the terms of the proposal, and write them in sequence. When feasible, you should include a time schedule for implementation of the project.

Materials and Equipment

For large proposals, such as construction or research and development, indicate the nature and quantities of materials and equipment to be used. In some cases, several departments will contribute to this section. When materials and equipment constitute a major portion of the total cost, include prices. Much litigation arises when clients are charged for “cost overruns.” When contracts are made on the basis of “cost plus XX%,” the major costs of materials, equipment, and labor/personnel must be thoroughly described and documented.

Qualifications

Assuming your proposal is acceptable in terms of services to be performed or products to be supplied, your proposal must convince the potential buyer that you have the expertise to deliver what you have described and that you are a credible individual or company. Therefore, devote a section to presenting the specific qualifications and special expertise of the personnel involved in the proposal. You may include past records of the bidder and the recommendations of its past customers, and the proposed cost. Note how the brief biography of the principal member in the following excerpt from a proposal contributes to the credibility of the proposer:

Sofia Tranti, Senior Editor at Social Media Management and best-selling author of Marketing your Business on Social Media, is an award-winning businesswoman and writer. Her book has been featured in Fortune and Forbes and been the number-one-ranked business writing skills book on Amazon for over a year. Brenda holds a B.A. in English from New York University and an M.A. in Professional Writing from Yale University. She and her highly trained team leverage their combined 20 years of experience in social media management to design the marketing platform that best meets each client’s unique needs.

In another related section, the proposal might mention other work performed:

Major Clients:Palace Shopping Plaza, Duluth, Minnesota; eLearning Inc., Lansing, Michigan; Surf, Skate, and Ski, Chicago, IL; Minnesota State Teachers’ Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota; and CompuTation Software, Corp., Dayton, Ohio. Personal references are available on request.

Follow-Up and/or Evaluation

Although your entire proposal is devoted to convincing the reader of its merit, clients are frequently concerned about what will happen when the proposed work or service is completed. Will you return to make certain your work is satisfactory? Can you adjust your method of research as times change?

If you propose to conduct a study, do not promise more than you can deliver. Not all funded research proves to be successful. If you propose to prepare a study in your firm’s area of expertise, you may be more confident. A public accounting firm’s proposal to audit a company’s records need not be modest. The accountant follows certain audit functions that are prescribed by the profession. However, a proposal that involves providing psychological services probably warrants a thoughtful follow-up program to evaluate the service.

Budget or Costs

The budget or costs of the program should be detailed when materials, equipment, outside help, consultants, salaries, and travel are to be included. A simple proposal for service by one person might consist of a statement such as “15 hours at $200/hour, totaling $3,000, plus mileage and expenses estimated at $550.” Present the budget or costs section after the main body of the proposal.

Summary

You might conclude the proposal with a summary. This summary may also be used as the initial section of the proposal if deductive sequence is desired.

Addenda

When supporting material is necessary to the proposal but would make it too bulky or detract from it, include the material as addenda items. A bibliography and an appendix are examples of addenda items. References used should appear in the bibliography or as footnotes. Maps, questionnaires, letters of recommendation, and similar materials are suitable addenda items.

A short, informal proposal that includes several of the parts previously discussed is shown in Model document 11D. The proposal consists of three major divisions: “Purpose,” “Proposed Course of Instruction,” and “Costs.” The “Proposed Course of Instruction” section is divided into five minor divisions to facilitate understanding. Wanting to increase the chances of securing the contract, the writer made sure the proposal was highly professional and had the impact needed to get the reader’s attention. To add to the overall effectiveness of the proposal, the writer incorporated appealing, but not distracting, page design features. Printing the proposal with a laser printer using fonts of varying sizes and styles resulted in a professional appearance and an appealing document. The reader’s positive impression of the high standards exhibited in this proposal is likely to influence his or her confidence in the writer’s ability to implement the training program.