Project Proposal Writing

Alemseged Gerezgiher
Mekelle University
Institute of Population Studies

Also affiliated with Admas University

 Contents
❑What is project proposal?
❑Why we need to write project proposal?
❑What are the components of a proposal?
❑Qualities of winning proposal
❑Sample templates
 Training objectives
By the end of this training, you can be able to:
❑ Understand the essence of project proposal
❑ Understand the steps in writing a winning project proposal
❑ Identify/distinguish various forms of project proposals
❑ Identify requirements for proposals of various donors
❑ Write winning project proposals
❑ Familiar with application procedures and post-application
communication procedures
What is a project proposal?
 Project proposal defined…..
A proposal is a request for
financial assistance to
implement a project.
 Project proposal defined…..
A project proposal is a key document
that describes an external or internal
project.
It states details like goals, objectives,
important dates, milestones and requirements
needed to start and complete the project.
 Project proposal defined…..
The proposal outlines the plan of the implementing
organization about the project giving extensive
information about
• The intention of the project
• Ways to implement it
• Ways to manage it
• Results to be delivered
• Means of verification
 Project proposal defined…..
To get acceptance, the proposal should
• Provide a logical presentation of the project idea
• Illustrate the significance of the idea
• Show the idea’s relationship to past actions
• Articulate the activities to be performed
• Demonstrate the organizational and manpower
capacity
 Sources of funding

◦ National and regional government

Domestic funding agencies,
◦ charitable foundations,
--------------------------------
◦ businesses,
◦ individuals, and
◦ other sources.
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Foreign
❑ Foreign governments
❑International donors
❑International NGOs
 Types of Project Proposals

Solicited project
Unsolicited project proposals Project
proposals (RFPs/RFAs)
- sent without RFP
Continuation project
proposals
- as reminder of continuation Renewal project
of an existing project proposals
- to renew existing
contracts

Supplemental project
proposals
- to ask for additional
resources
 Secure fund – the main purpose of project proposals is securing
fund to implement problem solving activities.

Gain decision makers buy-in – project proposals are written to seek

favor of decision makers.
Depends on the
Resource allocation- project proposals aim/aid allocation of
type of the
organizational resources
proposal
Build momentum and excitement - project proposal aims to build
momentum and excitement among management, employees and
stakeholders
Project proposal
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

◦ Is essential selling (marketing) tool ◦ Affected by unexpected

◦ Realization (concretization) of a changes
project idea (changes a project idea ◦ The funding industry is volatile
into consumable form)
◦ Avenue for clear understanding of ◦ Tight deadlines
the project for the donor ◦ Predetermined templates
◦ Now days, the main source of (guidelines)
finance for many organizations ◦ Rejection rate is high
Writing a winning project proposal
•A winning proposal must address:
• What is the problem which the project will try to solve?
• Which group of people will benefit from the solution?
• To which development objective will the project contribute?
• What is (are) the immediate objective(s) of the project?
• What will the project actually produce (outputs) to enable the
achievement of the immediate objective(s)?
• How will it produce the outputs? What activities will be undertaken?
• What financial, material and human resources (inputs) are needed?
• What is the institutional framework or implementing organization
structure?
Cont’d
Points to focus on:
◦ Clarify the purpose of your project
◦ Define the scope of work
◦ Determine the broad project goals and specific objectives
◦ Be aware that there are a number of grant making organizations
◦ Identify the requirements of the grant making agency
◦ Make certain that the resources you seek can be obtained from the
grant making organization that your contacted
◦ Know maximum amount available
A project proposal
is a selling document written to:
◦ Influence decision-makers
◦ Convince them to commit dollars/birr in support of a specific
project
A winning proposal addresses an important question with
an innovative idea, well expressed, with a clear indication
of methods for pursuing the idea, evaluating the findings,
and making them known to all who need to know
You have to play by the Rules
◦ Get the (most recent) guidelines
◦ Read the guidelines
◦ Follow the guidelines
Proposal writing is a skill and requires considerable
knowledge
COMPONENTS OF A WINNIG PROJECT PROPOSAL

There is a variations in
terminology and specific
requirements from donor
to donor. But the
underlying questions and
concepts will be the
same.
Cont’d….
1. Cover letter 10. Activities
2. Proposal Title 11. Inputs
3. Executive Summary 12. Organization and Administration
4. Organization Information/Introduction 13. Monitoring and Evaluation
5. Background/ Project context 14. Phase Out Strategy and Sustainability
6. Problem/need Statement 15. Project Budget
7. Beneficiaries
8. Project Goals and Objectives
9. Project Outputs
 1. Cover Letter
The cover letter is important because it is the piece of
information about your project proposal read by donors or
funders. It should:
◦ quickly gain the reader attention,
◦ show why the particular agency can be interested in your
proposal,
◦ convey the importance and urgency of your project,
◦ keep the letter short and to the point,
◦ make it look good
2. Proposal title and title page
Project title: Title page:
• Make the title short and do not • For proposals longer than 3 pages
forget to keep the interest of • Name of lead organization and
your reader’s mind. potential partners
• Place of proposal preparation
• As much as possible, make it
• Date of proposal preparation
concise, persuasive, positive
and one that capture your • Name of donor agency to whom the
proposal is written
donor’s attention.
3. Executive Summary
•Clear and concise summary of the entire proposal
•Help the donor understand and visualize the project.
•It should contain
• The problem
• The solution
• Objectives
• Key project activities
• The significance and impact
• At times, the budget
•1-3 pages
4. Organizational Information /Introduction/
➢Describe the organization that seeks
funding.
➢Briefly summarize the organization’s history,
mission, clients, track record of achievement
and current programs undertaken
The WHO?
➢Include also some background information
about the location, how the organization is
managed and does work, and other details
that build the creditability of the organization
should be included in this part of the project
Expertise
proposal, i.e. evaluation of your program,
letters of support and referring agents. Capacity
5. Background/Context
➢Here give some background
information on geographic and
climatic information, political and
The WHERE
administrative scenario and socio- Statistics
economic status, etc.
➢Provide relevant data from research Trends
carried out in the project planning
phase or collected from other Dynamics
sources
6. Problem Analysis/Statement
The problem/Need statement or situation
description is a key step in grant proposal writing.
It is where you convince the funder that the issue
you want to tackle is important and shows that
your organization is an expert on the issue.
In developing problem/Need statement:
◦ State the problem/Need using facts and figures
◦ Use statistics that are clear and support your
argument
◦ If possible use research and comparative
statistics
◦ Don't assume that the funder knows much
about your subject area
◦ Describe why this need/situation is important
◦ Describe your issue in as local context as
possible
 7. Development Objective /General Objective /Goal

➢Logically flow from the problem statement

➢Used to state the ultimate/ desired end, a
solution to the problem.
➢In project proposal writing, a distinction is
made between development objective and
immediate objective.
Specific/ immediate Objectives
•are short term:
•S – Specific
• M – Measurable outcomes
• A – Achievable, attainable
• R – Relevant
• T – Time-bound, achievable
in a specified time period
 8. Beneficiaries
The beneficiaries and the satisfaction of their needs is the
major motivating element to bear in mind when preparing
a project proposal.
The needs of beneficiaries must be compatible with the
project’s objective.
Note that terms like “target group”, “target population”,
and “target audience” are often used instead of
beneficiaries in various project proposal documents.
9. Project Outputs
Outputs are the results of project
activities (services made available,
infrastructure built, financial products,
human resources trained, etc.)
intended to achieve the immediate
objective.
Outputs are tangible and visible.
10. Project Activities
Activities are the action taken to produce the
output.
Activities take place over time and are
coordinated to be complete by the date
required in the description of the output.
11. Inputs
➢Are the financial, material equipment, logistics) and
human resources (project team, partner organization)
necessary for carrying out the activities.
➢Identifying local resource is important for a project to be
“sustainable”, capable of carrying on after the completion
date
12. Organization and Administration
The project’s internal organization
as well as its relations to partner
organizations has to be expressed in
hierarchical and operational terms.
 13. Monitoring and Evaluation
A proposal must include a plan for
M&E and method to be followed
This is extremely important for
funders
Include the following information: -
◦ Indicators
◦ Who should monitor and evaluate?
◦ What to monitor and evaluate?
◦ How to monitor and evaluate? And
◦ Resource requirements
 14. Phase-out Strategy & Sustainability
➢Institutions or communities who will take over
the project have to be identified and indicated
from the outset during the formulation stage.
➢Furthermore, if you continue this project in the
future, how will it be supported?
➢This is a difficult question to answer effectively
since most funders don't want to support the
same set of project forever.
➢What the funder really wants to see is that you
have a long-term vision and funding plan for the
project. This is important not only for the funder
but for the success of the project or organization.
15. Project Budget
Budgets are cost projections.
Attach a one or two-page budget showing:
Expenses:
◦ Personnel Expenses
◦ Direct Project Expenses
◦ Administrative or overhead expenses
Income:
◦ Earned income
◦ Contribution income (cash and in kind)
Qualities of a winning proposal
❑Funds, grants, financial support come through a proposal!
❑Writing skill is a very crucial input for a winning proposal.
❑In turn, to write, we need to READ!
❑Before you start writing
◦ Get the GUIDELINE
◦ READ it carefully
◦ FOLLOW it strictly
 Some Characteristics of Well-written, Fundable Proposals
✓Innovation
✓Relevance
✓Demonstrated Competence/expertise of PI
✓Feasibility Study
✓Time Schedule
✓Enthusiasm
✓Simple Straightforward Language
✓Complete Literature Search
Top 10 Reasons for an Unsuccessful Proposal
1. Project doesn’t address agency priorities
2. Guidelines not followed
3. Not a compelling idea
4. Ideas not clearly presented
5. Methodology appears to be flawed
6. Overuse of jargon
7. Overly ambitious
8. Narrative and budget don’t correspond
9. Sloppy presentation
10.The work has already been done
If your proposal is rejected. . .
Don’t give up!
Get reviews
Talk to agency contact
Re-evaluate, revise and resubmit
Look for other potential funders
What do evaluators look from your proposal?
Sample selected templates
➢RFAs/RFPs from
◦ EU
◦ USAID
◦ DFID
◦ GIZ
◦ UN agencies
◦ ETC
➢Call for consultancy
End of the Session!
Part Three