Proposals, as Richard Johnson-Sheehan points out, are fundamentally "tools for managing change." The world is always changing, and a clear, persuasive proposal helps you manage or respond to that change in ways that are best for you or your organization.

Purpose

At work, you'll write proposals for one of two basic reasons:

1) To solve a problem - E.g. outdated computer technology, increased traffic congestion, declining test scores

2) To take advantage of an opportunity - E.g. new funding available, the emergence of a new technology or market, an economic upswing

In both cases, the proposal typically presents some type of project to meet the need, and requests authorization and/or funding to carry out that project. These "projects" typically fall into one of three classes:

• Research: The proposal offers to study or to solve a problem. A university's microbiology research team might use a research proposal to request funds from the National Science Foundation.

• Sales: The proposal offers a product: a small computer firm might use a sales proposal to sell a computer system to an airline to use in making reservations.

• Service: The proposal offers to perform work: A local artist may propose to teach a night class at a community college or an interior design firm might use a service proposal to offer to restructure a workspace for a local doctor who just set up an office in the community.

In other words, you need to know "what you're selling" before you can design the most effective proposal.

The contexts for proposals -->

Sources

Johnson-Sheehan, Richard. Writing Proposals: Rhetoric For Managing Change. New York: Allyn & Bacon, 2001.