7. COMMON DOCUMENT TYPES Show
Proposals and progress reports are some of the most common types of reports you will likely find yourself writing in the workplace. These reports are persuasive in nature: proposals attempt to persuade the reader to accept the writer’s proposed idea; progress reports assure the reader that the project is on time and on budget, or explain rationally why things might not be going according to the initial plan. A proposal, in the technical sense, is a document that tries to persuade the reader to implement a proposed plan or approve a proposed project. Most businesses rely on effective proposal writing to ensure successful continuation of their business and to get new contracts. The writer tries to convince the reader that the proposed plan or project is worth doing (worth the time, energy, and expense necessary to implement or see through), that the author represents the best candidate for implementing the idea, and that it will result in tangible benefits. Not that kind of proposal. [1]Proposals are often written in response to a Request For Proposals (RFP) by a government agency, organization, or company. The requesting body receives multiple proposals responding to their request, reviews the submitted proposals, and chooses the best one(s) to go forward. Their evaluation of the submitted proposals is often based on a rubric that grades various elements of the proposals. Thus, your proposal must persuade the reader that your idea is the one most worth pursuing. Proposals are persuasive documents intended to initiate a project and get the reader to authorize a course of action proposed in the document. These might include proposals to
Proposals can have various purposes and thus take many forms. They may include sections such as the following:
There are 4 kinds of proposals, categorized in terms of whether or not they were requested, and whether they are meant to solve a problem within your own organization or someone else’s. From the following descriptions, you will see that can they also overlap:
If you are writing proposal assignments, identify the kind of proposals you are tasked with writing by placing them within the grid below. Given the kinds of proposals you must write, what forms will you use (memo, letter, report, etc.)?
Proposals written as an assignment in a Technical Writing classes generally do the following:
Additional Proposal Elements to Consider
All proposals must be convincing, logical, and credible, and to do this, they must consider audience, purpose and tone. Irish and Weiss[2] urge readers to keep the following in mind:
Sample Proposal OrganizationEach proposal will be unique in that it must address a particular audience, in a particular context, for a specific purpose. However, the following offers a fairly standard organization for many types of proposals:
Language ConsiderationsProposals are fundamentally persuasive documents, so paying attention to the rhetorical situation—position of the reader (upward, lateral, downward or outward communication), the purpose of the proposal, the form, and the tone—is paramount.
As always, adhere to the 7 Cs by making sure that your writing is
The Life Cycle of a Project IdeaA great idea does not usually go straight from proposal to implementation. You may think it would be a great idea to construct a green roof on top of the Clearihue building, but before anyone gives you the go ahead for such an expensive and time-consuming project, they will need to know that you have done research to ensure the idea is cost effective and will actually work. Figure 7.2.1 breaks down the various stages a project might go through, and identifies some of the typical communications tasks that might be required at each stage. Most ideas start out as a proposal to determine if the idea is really feasible, or to find out which of several options will be most advantageous. So before you propose the actual green roof, you propose to study whether or not it is a feasible idea. Before you recommend a data storage system, you propose to study 3 different systems to find out which is the best one for this particular situation. Your proposal assumes the idea is worth looking into, convinces the reader that it is worth spending the time and resources to look into, and gives detailed information on how you propose to do the “finding out.” Figure 7.2.1 Phases of a project and some accompanying communications tasks.[3] [Image Description]Once a project is in the implementation phase, the people who are responsible for the project will likely want regular status updates and/or progress reports to make sure that the project is proceeding on time and on budget, or to get a clear, rational explanation for why it is not. To learn more about Progress Reports, go to 7.3 Progress Reports. Figure 7.2.1 image description: Once there is an idea, a project goes through a design process made up of four stages.
[Return to Figure 7.2.1] What are the two categories of external proposals?External proposals fall into two categories: solicited and unsolicited. Most proposals are solicited through a request for proposal (RFP) posted by an organization that needs a specific product or service.
Which of the following types of business messages is used to offer data facts and feedback without analysis or recommendations?Informational reports provide data, facts, feedback, and other types of information without analysis or recommendations.
What are three major ways to focus the organization of an analytical report?The three most common ways to organize analytical reports are by focusing on conclusions, focusing on recommendations, and focusing on logical arguments.
When should you determine whether there might be a need to follow up after delivering a report or proposal?There's no standard rule for when you can/should follow up after a proposal is sent. However, most people tend to allow for three to five business days. Or, if you have a proposal tracking software, you may find it appropriate to follow up the day after the individual reads the proposal.
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