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Part 3 - Write a Formal Client Proposal
The purpose of writing a project proposal is to recommend a course of action and a set of deliverables based on the findings of your research. A proposal offers the opportunity to formalize the work your team is willing to undertake and provides a clear timeline of when and how your work will proceed. You should construct your proposal so that it persuades your client of the necessity and value of the work you plan to do. In addition to the guidelines below, the second half of Bowdon and Scott's Chapter Five provides a number of suggestions about preparing proposals.
Your written proposal should be carefully and professionaly designed in terms of both content and appearance. It should also include the following sections addressed directly to your client:
- Cover
Letter- This contextualizes your proposal and provides an overview
of your recommendations. It should convey confidence in your team's
abilities and the value of the materials you will produce. It should
also request a response to the proposal.
- Title
Page-
This provides a name for the project, the names of team members, the
organization's name, and the date submitted.
- Executive
Summary- This briefly summarizes the main points of your proposal
and what is contained in each section.
- Need
Statement- Using what you learned through client research,
you should identify the specific needs that your work will fulfill for
the organization. This should demonstrate your understanding of the
organization's mission and how your proposal can further support these
goals.
- Project
Description- This provides a detailed explanation of the deliverable
your team will create in relation to the needs identified above. You
should discuss what material(s) you plan to create with as much clarity
and specificity as possible.
- Costs
and Resources- This
section should include any expenses the organization would face if it
decides to implement your final deliverables. For example, if you construct
a web site, what internet hosting costs would they incur. How often
would the site have to be updated and would they have to pay someone
outside the organization to do it?
- Timeline- This is a detailed schedule of when each phase of the project will be completed. You should include a discussion of how you will achieve each milestone, as well as an indication of collaboration or evaluation needed from the client at various points.