document that aims to address a particular problem or issue. it is a bid or offer to initiate a project for an individual or group. it usually ranges from 1,000 to 2, 500 words depending on the complexity of the project being proposed. A good project proposal specifies the following: ◦ goals and objectives that the project wants to accomplish; ◦ project plan that details how to set goals and objectives will be accomplished; ◦ financial, human (e.g., experts, consultants) and technical (e.g., equipment and facilities) resources useful in implementing the project; and ◦ budget that specifies how much money is needed and for what purpose it will be spent. 1. Solicited internal ◦ It is used when the target reader is within the organization. ◦ It responds to a specific request within the organization. ◦ The problem has been identified within the organization and the decision to solve it has been made. 2. Unsolicited internal ◦ It is used when the target reader is within the organization. ◦ It is a self-initiated proposal that no one asked for. ◦ The target reader has not yet identified that a problem exist within the organization; hence, no decision has been made to solve the problem. 3. Solicited external ◦ It is used when the target reader is not within the organization. ◦ It responds to specific request from someone who is not within the company. ◦ The problem has been identified and the decision to solve it has been made. 4. Solicited external ◦ It is used when the target reader is not within the organization. ◦ It is a self-initiated proposal that no one asked for. ◦ The target reader has not yet identified that a problem exists; hence, no decision has been made to solve the problem. 1. Cover Letter ◦ Introduces the proposal to the reader. ◦ States the project proposal title, date the proposal was requested (if solicited), general purpose and scope of the proposal, and acknowledgement of people who have contributed to the completion of the proposal. ◦ Includes the highlights of the proposal and directs the readers to these highlights. 2. Title Page ◦ Includes the project title that is concise and informative. ◦ Includes the lead and organization , place and date of project, client’s or donor’s name, proponent’s name and the department or organization he/she represents, and date if submission. 3. Abstract / Executive Summary ◦ Includes the objectives, implementing organization, major project activities, and total project cost. ◦ Usually composed of 200 to 250 words and highlights only the major points; some abstracts may be longer depending on the culture of the funding agency. ◦ Uses a paragraph format. 4. Context of the proposal ◦ Describes the socio-economic, cultural, and political background in which the proposal is situated. ◦ Presents data collected from other sources that are relevant to the planning stage. 5. Project Justification ◦ Provides a rationale for the project. ◦ Includes a problem statement that specifies the problem addressed by the project. ◦ Points out why the problem is an issue that requires immediate attention ◦ Specifies the target group’s needs and arise from the adverse effect of the described problem. 5. Project Justification ◦ Presents the approach or strategy that will be used to address the problem. ◦ Describes the capability of the implementing organization or group by stating its track record. Note: When writing this section, justify why your organization or group is the best group to implement the project. 6. Personal Involved ◦ List the people involved in the project, their corresponding roles, and their summary of qualifications. 7. Project Implementation ◦ Is divided into an activity plan which specifies the schedule of activities and a resource plan which specifies the items needed to implement the project. ◦ Describes the activities and resource allocation in detail, as well as the person in charge of executing the activities. ◦ Indicates the time and place of activities. 8. Budget ◦ Presents the expected income and expenses over a specific time period ◦ Itemizes the budget 9. Monitoring and Evaluation ◦ Specifies when and how the team will monitor the progress of the project. ◦ Specifies the method for monitoring and evaluation. ◦ Specifies the personnel in charge of monitoring and evaluation 10. Reporting Scheme ◦ Specifies the schedule for reporting the finances and progress of the project 11. Conclusion ◦ Briefly describes the project, the problem it addresses, and its benefits to all stakeholders through a summary. ◦ Directs the readers back to the good features of the project. ◦ Urges the readers to contact the proponent to work out the details of the project proposal. 12. References ◦ List all the references used in drafting the project proposal using the format required by the funding agency. 1. Decide what the problem is and prepare a rough idea on how this problem can be addressed. 2. Develop or select a framework that will help you organize your ideas systematically. 3. Identify your specific activities, outputs, resources, and methodologies. 4. Build your project proposal team and appoint a project leader who is responsible for coordinating activities and communicating with the funding agencies. 5. Identify the organization that will probably fund your project. These can be government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private companies and foundations, and international funding agencies. 6. Hold an initial meeting with your team to discuss the plans in preparing the project proposal. 7. Allot sufficient time for planning. 8. Involve all the team members by assigning specific responsibilities to them. 9. Be realistic with your project proposal. Make sure that your objectives and activities are within the given time and resources. 10. Contact the funding agency if some items and requirements are not clear to you. 11. Always put yourself in the shoes of the receiver of the project proposal. 1. The title page must be unnumbered but it is considered page i; the back page of the title page is unnumbered as well; but it is considered page ii; The abstract, which follows after the title page, is considered page 1 and must already be numbered . 2. Do not use abbreviations in the title page. 3. Attach the curriculum vitae of the personnel who are part of the team. 4. In the project implementation section, use a Gantt chart for presenting the timeframe. 5. Write the abstract only after you have completed the report. 6. Study other successful proposals that are similar to yours. 7. Be factual but use technical terms sparingly. 8. Choose a reader-friendly format. 9. Use action words to make your proposal more dynamic. Write T if the statement is true and F if false. 1. A project proposal mainly informational. 2. A Gantt chart is one way to present the schedule of activities. 3. A one-word title is more preferred to a descriptive title. 4. A project proposal is usually one page only. 5. It is ideal to include only the total budget needed. Write T if the statement is true and F if false. 6. Only the team leader should write the project proposal. 7. Opinions add credibility to the proposal. 8. The project proposal needs to address a specific problem. 9. The qualification of personnel is crucial to the approval of project proposal. 10. There is only one format for a project proposal.