Introduction

Without direct project funding, most non-governmental organisations (NGOs) would not be able
to accomplish their goals. Writing clear, thorough and targeted project proposals is therefore essential
to an NGO’s success.

Mastering the art of proposal writing requires a unified approach to project management. This
guide is therefore intended to serve as a basis for delivering training sessions related to the process, as
well as the end product of project design.

A project proposal is a detailed description of a series of activities aimed at solving a certain

problem. The proposal should contain a detailed explanation of the:

• Justification of the project;

• Activities and implementation timeline;
• Methodology; and
• Human, material and financial resources required.
The project proposal should be a detailed and directed manifestation of the project design. It is
a means of presenting the project to the outside world in a format that is immediately recognized and
accepted. The training sessions on project proposal writing aim to create an understanding of:

• The role of the project proposal and the activities related to each stage;

• How to deal with projects and project proposals from an organizational perspective;

• How project proposals fit into project management; and

• How to structure a good project proposal.

How to Write a Project Proposal?

Once the groundwork has been completed, proposal writing can commence. The key
decision to be made at this stage is the structure of the project proposal (including the content
and length). The structure is determined by the nature of the project as well as by the funding
agency’s requirements. In the variety of formats, application forms, project design outlines, and
grant application guidelines, it is possible to detect some common elements.

PROPOSED FORMAT:

 Title page- A title page should appear on proposals longer than three to four pages. The
title page should indicate the project title, the name of the lead organization (and
potential partners, if any), the place and date of project preparation and the name of
the donor agency to whom the proposal is addressed.
  Project title- The project title should be short, concise, and preferably refer to a certain
key project result or the leading project activity. Project titles that are too long or
too general fail to give the reader an effective snapshot of what is inside.
Effective and Ineffective Project Titles:
a.) Effective project titles
■ Raising Environmental Awareness in the Newly Independent States
■ Citizens Protect Lake Debar

b.) Ineffective titles

■ Environmental Education

■ Protection of the Watershed of Lake Dojran from the Wastewater Flowing Through the
River Dragomir Originating from Local Households

 Contents page- If the total project proposal is longer than 10 pages it is helpful to include a
table of contents at the start or end of the document. The contents page enables readers to
quickly find relevant parts of the document. It should contain the title and beginning page
number of each section of the proposal.
 Abstract- Many readers lack the time needed to read the whole project proposal. It is therefore
useful to insert a short project summary — an abstract. The abstract should include:
• The problem statement;
• The project’s objectives;
• Implementing organizations;
• Key project activities; and
• The total project budget.
Theoretically, the abstract should be compiled after the relevant items already exist in their
long form. For a small project the abstract may not be longer than 10 lines. Bigger projects often
provide abstracts as long as two pages.

Context
This part of the project describes the social, economic, political and cultural background from
which the project is initiated. It should contain relevant data from research carried out in the
project planning phase or collected from other sources. The writer should take into
consideration the need for a balance between the length of this item and the size of the overall
project proposal. Large amounts of relevant data should be placed in an annex.

Reference:
http://documents.rec.org/publications/ProposalWriting.pdf
STEPS:
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.[1][2]

 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. Think about the following when you plan this part:
 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?
Don't: write a summary obvious to anyone in the field.
Do: show that you've conducted in-depth research and evaluation to understand the
issue.

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
Don't: forget to comply with all requirements in the RFP (request for proposal) document.
Do: go above and beyond the minimum whenever budget allows

 Your proposal needs to define a problem and offer a solution that will convince uninterested,
skeptical readers to support it.[4] 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.[5]

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?
Don't: overuse jargon, obscure abbreviations, or needlessly complex language ("rectification of
a workplace imbalance").
Do: write in plain, direct language whenever possible ("letting employees go

 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.[7]
 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.