Proposal

The proposal outlines the plan of the implementing organization about the project, giving
extensive information about the intention, for implementing it, the ways to manage it and
the results to be delivered from it. A proposal is an essential marketing document that
helps cultivate an initial professional relationship between an organization and a donor
over a project to be implemented.

A proposal is a very important document. In some cases, a concept note precedes a

proposal, briefing the basic facts of the project idea. However, the project idea faces a
considerable challenge when it has to be presented in a framework. The proposal has a
framework that establishes ideas formally for a clear understanding of the project for the
donor. Besides, unless the ideas are not documented in writing, they do not exist. Hence, a
proposal facilitates appropriate words for the conception of an idea. Proposals have
recently become more sophisticated. This reflects the increased competitiveness and larger
resources existing in the Non-government sector.

Enormous opportunities existing in the sector have led to the trend of making proposal
writing a profession. Proposal writing poses many challenges, especially for small and
unskilled NGOs. (Introduction to Proposal Writing: How to Write Proposals)

Planning a Proposal

Knowing how to write a persuasive, captivating proposal is essential for success in many
fields.

1. Define your audience. You need to make sure that you think about your audience
and what they might already know or not know about your topic before you begin
writing. This will help you focus your ideas and present them in the most effective
way. It's a good idea to assume that your readers will be busy, reading (or even
skimming) in a rush, and not predisposed to grant your ideas any special
consideration. Efficiency and persuasiveness will be key.
  Who will be reading your proposal? What level of familiarity with your topic
will they have? What might you need to define or give extra background
information about?
 What do you want your audience to get from your proposal? What do you
need to give your readers so they can make the decision you want them to
make?
 Refine your tone to meet your audience's expectations and desires. What do
they want to hear? What would be the most effective way of getting through
to them? How can you help them understand what you're trying to say?

2. Define your issue. It is clear to you what the issue is, but is that also clear to your
reader? Also, does your reader believe you really know what you are talking about?
You can support your ethos, or writing persona, by using evidence and explanations
throughout the proposal to back up your assertions. By setting your issue properly,
you start convincing the reader that you are the right person to take care of it.
 What is the situation this issue applies to?
 What are the reasons behind this?
 Are we sure that those, and not others, are the real reasons? How are we sure
of it?
 Has anyone ever tried to deal with this issue before?
 If yes: has it worked? Why?
 If no: why not?

3. Define your solution. This should be straightforward and easy to understand. Once
you set the issue you're addressing, how would you like to solve it? Get it as narrow
(and doable) as possible.
 Your proposal needs to define a problem and offer a solution that will
convince uninterested, skeptical readers to support it.Your audience may not
be the easiest crowd to win over. Is the solution you're offering logical and
feasible? What's the timeline for your implementation?
  Consider thinking about your solution in terms of objectives. Your primary
objective is the goal that you absolutely must achieve with your project.
Secondary objectives are other goals that you hope your project achieves.
 Another helpful way of thinking about your solution is in terms of
"outcomes" and "deliverables." Outcomes are the quantifiable results of your
objectives. For example, if your proposal is for a business project and your
objective is "increase profit," an outcome might be "increase profit by
$100,000." Deliverables are products or services that you will deliver with
your project. For example, a proposal for a science project could "deliver" a
vaccine or a new drug. Readers of proposals look for outcomes and
deliverables, because they are easy ways of determining what the "worth" of
the project will be
4. Keep elements of style in mind. Depending on your proposal and who'll be
reading it, you need to cater your paper to fit a certain style. What do they expect?
Are they interested in your problem?
 How are you going to be persuasive? Convincing proposals can use emotional
appeals, but should always rely on facts as the bedrock of the argument. For
example, a proposal to start a panda conservation program could mention
how sad it would be for the children of future generations to never see a
panda again, but it shouldn't stop there. It would need to base its argument
on facts and solutions for the proposal to be convincing.
5. Make an outline. This will not be part of the final proposal, but it will help you
organize your thoughts. Make sure you know all of the relevant details before you
start.
 Your outline should consist of your problem, your solution, how you'll solve
it, why your solution is best, and a conclusion. If you're writing an executive
proposal, you'll need to include things like a budget analysis and
organizational details.
Writing a Proposal

1. Start with a firm introduction. Make your proposal as purposeful and useful as
possible. Use some background information to get your readers in the zone. Then
state the purpose of your proposal.
 If you have any stark facts that shed some light on why the issue needs to be
addressed and addressed immediately, it's a safe bet that's something you
can start with. Whatever it is, make sure what you start out with is a fact and
not an opinion.
2. State the problem. After the introduction, you'll get into the body, the meat of your
work. Here's where you should state your problem. If your readers don't know
much about the circumstance, fill them in. Think of this as the "state of affairs"
section of your proposal. What is the problem? What is causing the problem? What
effects does this problem have?

3. Propose solutions. This is arguably the most important part of your proposal. The
solutions section is where you get into how you will address the problem, why you
will do it in this way, and what the outcomes will be.
 Discuss the larger impact of your ideas.
 Addressing why you will do something is as important as stating what you
will do.
 Research your proposal extensively
 If your proposal doesn't prove that your solution works, it's not an adequate
solution. If your solution isn't feasible, nix it. Think about the results of your
solution, too. Pre-test it if possible and revise your solution if need be.

4. Include a schedule and budget. Your proposal represents an investment. In order

to convince your readers that you're a good investment, provide as much detailed,
concrete information about your timeline and budget as possible.
 When do you envision the project starting?
 At what pace will it progress? How does each step build on the other?
  Can certain things be done simultaneously?

5. Wrap up with a conclusion. Succinctly wrapping up your general message. If there

are consequences to your proposal not being undertaken, address them. Summarize
the benefits of your proposal and drive home that the benefits outweigh the costs.
Leave your audience thinking ahead. And, as always, thank them for their
consideration and time.
6. Edit your work. Write, edit, and design the proposal. Revise as necessary to make it
clear and concise, ask others to critique and edit it, and make sure the presentation
is attractive and engaging as well as well-organized and helpful

7. Proofread your work. Editing focuses on getting the content as clear and concise
as you can make it. Proofreading makes sure that your content is free of mistakes.
Go over your proposal carefully to catch any spelling, grammar, or punctuation
errors.

(Morgan, 2015)
 Project Report

During the implementation of a project, a project report has to be generated in order to

paint a mental image of the whole project. Ultimately, a project report must maximize
the insight gained with minimal effort from the reader. Apart from describing its
results, it must also explain the implications of those results to the organization and its
business operations.

1. Write a Project Status Report

 to keep an updated flow of information in relation to the project’s progress

 to immediately address issues and concerns that may come up at any point of
the project’s implementation or duration
 to document reasons for changes and adjustments made to the original plan for
the project
 to monitor fund utilization and to ensure that the project expenses are still
within the budget
 to serve as a basis for decision-making and addressing problems
 to keep track of the team’s performance and individual contributions
 to act as a uniform procedure for communicating project development to the
stakeholders.

Status reports are most effective when they follow a standard form with predefined fields that need to be
regularly updated. Doing so will save time and provide consistency and predictability of the information the
stakeholders will receive about the status of the project.

Project status report includes the following:

1. Summary/Overall Health of the Project

2. Facts on the Project Progress.
3. Target vs. Actual Accomplishments
 4. Analysis
5. Action(s) Taken
6. Risks and Issues
7. Resources
8. Budget
9. Schedule

2. Risk Registers

All projects, or any activities of business, face risks. It is just a matter of how an
organization identifies, assesses, analyzes, and monitors these risks. With a Risk
Register, an organization is equipped with a tool to better respond to problems that
may arise because of these risks. It helps in the decision-making process and
enables the stakeholders to take care of the threats in the best way possible.

Risk registries should include the following:

1. Risk Identification
2. Risk Analysis
3. Risk Evaluation
4. Risk Treatment

Keys to an Effective Risk Register

1. The first risk register must be created as soon as the project plan and the risk management
plan have been approved.
2. Active risks during a particular period must also be included in the project status report.
3. Risk management is an iterative process which is why the risk register must also be
updated from time to time.
4. The numerical value assigned to the likelihood and severity levels must remain constant
throughout the duration of the whole project.
5. Likewise, any terms used must be defined, and this definition must be utilized consistently.

3. Project Closure Report

As the end of a project, a Project Closure Report signals its culmination. Its submission
officially concludes a project and implies that funds and resources will no longer be needed,
and everything will go back to its status prior to the implementation of the project.

What to include :

1. Budget
2. Schedule
3. Change Management
4. Quality Management
5. Risk and Issue Management
6. Human Resource Management
7. Project Organization Structure
8. Communication Management
9. Feedback
10. Lesson Learned
11. Other Metrics

Keys to an effective project closure report

1. The closure report is mostly a summary of all efforts related to the project.
2. Emphasize the high points the project delivered, how efficiently it was done, and
what has been learned from the process.
3. If there are notable variances during the project implementation, make sure to
provide a fact-based explanation on it.
4. A critical point in a project closure report is establishing the link between the project
performance, the lessons learned, and the steps that will be taken by the
organization for its continuous improvement.

4. Executive Summary

An executive summary, on the other hand, is composed of different sections

discussing almost every significant aspect of an undertaking. It consists of
sequentially arranged key points supported by conclusions and recommendations.

(How to Write a Project Report: Step-By-Step Guide [+ 4 Free Templates])

 Value Added Audit

All organizations exist to add value to their stakeholders. Value is defined as the
relative monetary or material worth, merit, or importance of a good or service.
‘Value Added’ can vary considerably from one audit department to another or from
one entity to the other.To shareholders, value is added by raising the value of stock.
Value to management means no surprises. To regulatory authorities, value is added
when there is strict compliance to laws and regulations. To Internal Auditors, value
added auditing refers to audit work that helps management improve the business,
rather than simply verifying compliance with policies and procedures. Value added
auditing means to:

 Provide independent and objective operational analysis

 Examine every function, process, and activity of the entity
 Help an entity achieve its strategies and objectives
 Follow a systematic and disciplined approach in its assessment
 Evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and
governance processes

How to structure an effective report?

Audit Report- the significant output of the audit process

A clear written expression of significant observations & recommendations
based on the policies, processes, risks, controls – Identifies potential opportunities for
improvements – Identifies issues/ non-conformities – Helps in making informed decisions

Effective Audit Report

 Engage the audience
 Reflect self-identified risks and issues
 Specify and simplify the facts
  Create a call to action

How to make Audit reports:

1. Know the audience and answer the questions:
 Who will be the most important readers of the report?
 How much do they know about the subject?
 How do they plan on using the report?
 Why should they care about an auditor’s recommendations?
 How the problem impacts the reader?

2. Decide on the best report format and presentation:

 A brief summary
Start with the main point, state the critical issue first then follow up with details
 Central message
Context for the findings
Include Audience concerns to consider
 Elements of a finding
Possible use of text boxes, graphics and verifiable statistics
 Use layers for multiple audiences
Takes the reader’s knowledge of the subject into account
 Discuss report message throughout the audit
 Use short, simple sentences
 Use words your audience understands
 Use color and visuals effectively
3. State your aims and objectives for the audit
 Provide bigger picture
Why this report matters
Help the reader understand what all the audit findings mean
 Determine what are the risks
 Determine levels of effect
 Create your call to action
 Link findings to business strategy/objectives
 Risk rate the findings and the implications if findings
 are not remediated

(How To Write An Impactful Audit, 2013)