Project Proposal Template

About Project Proposals

The project proposal converts an idea or policy into the details of a potential project,
including the outcomes, deliverables, major risks, costs, stakeholders, and an
estimate of the resourcing and time required.
The project proposal expands the initial concepts to do the following:

Provide broad details of the objectives, scope, resources, budget, milestones,

risks, stakeholders and related projects of the proposed project;

Define the guidelines/standards to be applied throughout the proposed project;

and

Get authorization to proceed to the next step of the proposed project.

A project proposal is developed to provide senior management with:

A broad overview of a proposed project, including how you intend to manage and
deliver the results from the proposed project; and

A mechanism to facilitate formalized agreement to continue to a clearly set out

next steps.

By documenting each proposed project, it provides a framework that:

Allows an informed decision to be made whether to continue to the next step in

the proposed project;

Helps you recognize that further information or details relating to the proposed
project are required before an informed decision can be made; and

Provides an informed comparison between a number of proposed projects.

This document should be expanded to a project business case or business plan,

allowing further definition of the business problem/proposed project and scope of the
potential project(s).
Approval to proceed to develop a project proposal is usually obtained as a result of
making an initial proposal (verbal or written) to senior management, or directly as a
result of a request from senior management.
What you need before you start:

Knowledge and understanding of the proposed project(s).

Knowledge of your corporate proposal guidelines.

Optional:

Agreement to proceed with the development of the project proposal from

senior management.

Corporate/business plan for the business unit.

Departmental project management guidelines.

What you will have when you are finished:

A complete project proposal that is ready for acceptance by senior
management.

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Project Proposal Template

How to Use This Template

The template contains sections which are either optional or can be developed at a
number of levels of detail, depending on what you need.
A number of different text styles have been used within this template:

Text in italics is intended to provide a guide as to the kind of information that can
be included in a section and to what types of projects it might be applicable.

Red text enclosed in <brackets> is intended to be replaced by whatever it is

describing.

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<Project Title>
Project Proposal
Version <#>
<DD/MM/YYYY>

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Project Proposal

<Name of Your Company>

Deliverable No.: <n.n>
Title: <Proposed project/Project Title>
Objective:
What is the aim of this proposed project?
Scope:
What are the broad boundaries of the proposed project?
Reason:
Provide a brief explanation as to why the business area has identified the
project as a priority.
Priority:
<Critical, High or Medium>
Responsible Officer:
<Name, Title>
Deliverable(s):
What will be delivered at the end of the proposed project?
How to Measure Success of the Proposed Project:
Describe the measure(s) that will indicate that the proposed project has been
successfully completed.
Resources:
What human resources, and other resources (if applicable) will be required
for the project?
Estimated Expenditure:
What is the estimated expenditure required for the proposed project?
Key Stakeholders:
List the key stakeholders or stakeholder groups who will be affected by the
proposed project.
Major Risks:
What are the major risks to achieving project success? What are the
consequences if the project is not undertaken?
Minimizing the Risks:

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Project Proposal

What steps will be undertaken to minimize these major risks to the success of
the project?
Related Projects and Interdependencies:
List any projects which are dependent on this proposed project, or projects
that are interdependent on this proposed project, or projects upon which this
proposed project is dependent.
Guidelines/Standards:
What guidelines, standards or methodologies will be applied to the work
undertaken in the proposed project?
Project Size:
What is the size of the proposed project?
<Small, Medium or Large>
Governance:
Describe any special management arrangements that will be put in place to
govern the proposed project.
Business Partner/Sponsor:
Who is the sponsor or business partner who will champion the proposed
project?
Project Milestones:
List the major milestones, scheduled start, scheduled finish and who has
been assigned accountability.

ID

Description

Who

Scheduled Scheduled
Predecessor1
Start
Finish

The activities appearing in the predecessor column must be completed before the activity described
can begin.

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Project Proposal

Recommendation
What is the next step for which you are looking for authorization? Do you
want to develop a business case, feasibility report, business plan, or do you
want authorization to complete the activities as per this proposal?

Endorsement
Responsible Officer:

Date:
<Name, Title>

Project Sponsor:

Date:
<Name, Title>

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