Proposals & Reports

GROUP PRESENTATION

GROUP MEMBERS
Why Are We All Sitting Here?
The Learning Objectives ….
 Distinguish between
 Formal and informal reports
 Discuss
 Components of informal proposals
 Guidelines about informal proposals
 Discuss
 Components of reports
 Guidelines about reports
 Specify
 Tips and guidelines for writing reports

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What actually are Proposals?
Proposals are used to
Make PERSUASIVE offers to
1. Solve problems
2. Provide services
3. Sell Equipment.
Proposals can be
 Solicited
 RFP ( Request for proposal )
 Unsolicited
Types of proposals
 Formal
 Informal
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What differs them?

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The format

 How to go about it
 Follow convention
 Improvise
 Why follow convention
 Refined, efficient, inclusive
 Time tested
 Acceptability
 Standardization
 Improvise
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Components of Informal
Proposal

 Introduction
 Background
 Proposal
 Staffing
 Budget
 Authorization Request

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Informal Proposal

Introduction

Identify a serious problem

Promise a solution
Specify a key issue or
benefits

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Informal Proposal

Background
Identify the problem and
discusses the goals or
purposes of the project

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Informal Proposal

Proposal,
Scheduling
 Discuss the plan for solving
the problem.
Management of the project
How its progress can be
audited

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Informal Proposal

Staffing
 Describes the credentials and
expertise of the project leaders.
 Identifies the size and
qualification of the support staff.

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Informal Proposal

Budgets
 List of proposed project
costs
Item Wise estimate
Lump Sum estimate

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Informal Proposal

Authorization
 Informal proposals often
close with a request for
approval or authorization

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Tips for Writing Proposals

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Introduction

 Explain why the proposal is being made

 Develop a persuasive “hook”
 Suggest excellent results, low cost, or
exclusive resources
 Identify a problem or name a key issue or
benefit.

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Background, Problem

 Discuss the significance of the proposal

and its goals or purposes.
 For unsolicited proposals, convince the
reader that a problem exists
 For solicited proposals, show that you
fully understand the problem and its
ramifications
 Repeat the language of RFP

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Proposal, Plan

 Present your plan for solving the problem

 Describe implementation and evaluation
 Outline a schedule showing dates

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Staffing

 Explain the specific credentials and

expertise of the key personnel for the
project
 Show that your support staff and
resources are superior to those of the
competition.

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Budget

 Itemize costs carefully. Proposals are

contracts.
 Present a deadline for the bid figures.

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Authorization

 Ask for approval

 Make it easy to reply.

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Special Components of Formal
Proposal
 Copy of RFP
 Letter of Transmittal
 Abstract of Executive Summary
 Title Page
 Table of Contents
 List of Figures
 Appendix

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Components in Formal and
Informal Proposals
 • Generally optional in
Copy of RFP informal proposals
 Letter of transmittal
 • Generally appearing in
Abstract or summary informal proposals
 Title page
 Table of contents
 List of figures
 Introduction
 Background, problem, etc.
 Schedule
 Staffing
 Budget
 Authorization
 Appendix

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Report Components

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 Formal Report Components
Supplementary Parts
bibliography

appendix
Text of Report recommend.

conclusion

body
introduction

Prefatory Parts exec. sum.

contents
memo
title page
cover

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Cover

cover

•To protect the pages

•To give a Professional
Finished Appearance

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 Title Page

Name of the report in all caps

Receiver’s name, title, and
organization
Author’s name, title, and
organization
Date submitted

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Letters or Memo of
Transmittal
Announce the topic
Describe the project and preview the

conclusions
Close by
 Appreciation for assignment
suggesting follow-up actions
acknowledging the help of
others
Offering to answer questions

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Formal Reports

Table Of Contents
Show the beginning page
number
Connect page numbers and
headings with dots

List Of Figures
A list of tables, illustrations,
or figures

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Executive Summary / Abstract

Summarize report components

Gauge the length of the summary
Summary for executives
Abstract for technical readers

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Introduction

 Explain the problem

 Describe the
problem’s
background
and significance.
 Clarify the scope
and limitations
 Consider relevant
literature
 Consider describing
data sources,
methods, and key terms
 Close by previewing
the report’s
organization
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Body
Discuss, analyze, and interpret the
research
findings or proposed solution to the
problem
Arrange the findings in logical
segments
Time, Component, Importance,
Criteria, Convention
Clear, descriptive headings

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Conclusion

Explain what the findings mean

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Recommendations

Require an appropriate introductory

sentence
Make enumerated recommendations
Suggest actions

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Appendix

Include items of interest to

selected readers
Indicate data-gathering tools
like questionnaires

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References and Bibliography

List all references in “Notes,”

“Works Cited,” or “References.”
include a bibliography
showing all the works cited

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Formal Reports Tips

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Preparing Formal Reports

 Analyze the report problem and purpose

• Develop a problem question
Are customers satisfied with our service?
• Develop a purpose statement
The purpose of this report is to investigate
customer satisfaction and to recommend
areas for improvement.

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Preparing Formal Reports

 Anticipate the audience and the issues

• Consider primary and secondary audiences.
• (What do they already know?
• What do they need to know?)
• Divide the major problem into sub problems for
investigation

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Preparing Formal Reports

 Prepare a work plan

• Include problem and purpose statements.
• Describe sources and methods of collecting data.
• Prepare a project outline and work schedule.

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Preparing Formal Reports

 Collect data
• Search secondary sources.
• Gather primary data.

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Preparing Formal Reports

 Document data sources

• Prepare note cards or separate sheets citing all
references
(author, date, source, page, and quotation).
• Use one documentation format consistently

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Preparing Formal Reports

 Interpret and organize the data

• Arrange the collected data in tables, grids, or
outlines
that help you visualize relationships and interpret
meanings.

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Preparing Formal Reports
 Prepare the graphics
• Make tables, charts, graphs, and illustrations –
but only if they serve a function.
• Use graphics to clarify, condense, simplify, or
emphasize
your data
A picture is worth a thousand words

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Preparing Formal Reports
 Compose the first draft
• Write the first draft at a computer.
• Use appropriate headings as well as
transitional expressions to guide the reader

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Preparing Formal Reports

 Revise and proofread

• Revise to eliminate wordiness, ambiguity, and
redundancy.
• Look for ways to improve readability, such as
using bulleted or numbered lists.
• Proofread three times:
 Word or sentence meaning,
 Grammar and mechanics
 Formatting.

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Preparing Formal Reports

 Evaluate the product

 Ask yourself, “Will this report achieve its purpose”?
 Encourage feedback so that you can improve future
reports

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Title Page

Arrange title is all caps

in inverted pyramid style
use large font size

Highlight name and the title

of report recipient

Identify name and

title of report writer

Omit page number

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 Memo of Transmittal
Includes 13/4 to
11/2 inch top margin

Use memo format for

internal report

Announces report
Give broad overview Highlights report
findings and
Establishes name of recommendations
receiver
Acknowledges help
of others

Offers to answer
Uses lowercase questions and looks
roman numeral to forward to follow up
indicate second page actions

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Table of Contents/List of Figures
Margin 11/2 to 2
inches
Use dotted line

Indent secondary
headings

Include tables and

figures in one list

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Executive Summary

Tells purpose of
report

Summarize
finding

Draws conclusion

Enumerates four
recommendations
Number pages
with lower case
roman numerals

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2-inch margin

Establish
significance of the
problem

Document
statistics
with
footnotes
references
Uses MLA
referencing style

Describes
background of
problem

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Describes
what the study
includes and
excludes

Discusses how the

study was
conducted

Use computer-
generated
graphics

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 Introduces body of
report with functional
head
Interprets and
discuss results
of survey
Introduces figure as part
of another statement

Summarize finding of
survey question in
table

Presents bar chart

for visual
comparison

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Add personal
interpretation

Introduces mere
findings and relates
them to the report’s
purpose

Clarifies and
emphasizes
meaning of findings
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 Bibliography

Magazine
Online Newspaper
WWW Online Magazine

Book
Interview

Journal

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Did we reach some where ??
Objectives Revisited
 Discuss
 components of informal proposals
 special components in formal proposals
 Distinguish between
 proposal and reports
 Formal and informal reports
 Discuss
 components of formal reports
 How to go about them
 Specify
 tips and guidelines for writing formal
reports
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Questions
And Answers
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