Ethiopian Civil Service University

College of Urban Development & Engineering

Project Proposal

By : Goitom Abraha(PhD)

Week Three
 Project Proposal
• A project proposal is a detailed description of a series of
activities aimed at solving a certain problem.
• Project proposal is a contract document in which you clearly
specify what problem you will solve or what task you will
accomplish.
• You say when, where, and how you will do this.
• You specify how the funding agency will be able to assess your
progress and determine when you have appropriately completed
the project.
• Mastering the art of proposal writing requires a unified approach
to project management.
• A different way to think about a proposal is as a detailed
planning document.
• The proposal is a very detailed plan of how you will do this work.
• Sometimes, the work of preparing the proposal itself may be a
major step toward your goal.
 Project Proposal….Cont’d
• As you write a proposal, keep in mind that your job is to convince
the Resource Provider that you will be successful in what you set
out to do.
• Your attention to detail in the proposal provides evidence of your
ability to carry out the work of the project.
• What makes a good proposal?
• One attribute is appearance. A strong proposal has an attractive,
professional, inviting appearance.
• In addition, the information should easy to access.
• A second attribute is substance. A strong proposal has a well-
organized plan of attack.
• A strong proposal also has technical details because technical
depth is needed to sell your project.
• Remember: A proposal is a persuasive document.
 Writing Project Proposal
• Before you start writing a proposal, make sure you have a relatively clear
understanding of the overall mission or purpose of the project and the
goals you want to accomplish.
• ■ Interview prospective beneficiaries.
• Though feedback was likely received when the previous project ended, new
benefits and conditions may have arisen since that time. Speak to
prospective beneficiaries to ensure that what you are planning to offer is
desired and needed.
• ■ Review past project proposals.
• Avoid repeating mistakes and offering to reproduce results that have
already been achieved. Donors will be unlikely to provide more funding for
something that should already have been done.
• ■ Review past project evaluation reports.
• Don’t count on project members to remember all the mistakes and areas
for improvement from previous efforts.
• ■ Organize focus groups.
• Make sure that the people you need are willing and able to contribute.
 Writing Project Proposal…Cont’d
• ■ Check statistical data.
• Don’t let others discover gaps and inaccuracies in the data you
are relying on.
• ■ Consult experts.
• Outside opinions will give you ideas and credibility.
• ■ Conduct surveys, etc.
• Gather as much preliminary information as possible to
demonstrate commitment to the project and to refine the
objectives.
• ■ Hold community meetings or forums.
• When the public feels that they have been consulted on an issue,
they will be much more likely to cooperate and support the
project.
 Writing Project Proposal…Cont’d
• A simple, short, clear statement of the overall mission or purpose
is highly desirable.
• A technical proposal, often called a "Statement of Work,” is a
persuasive document.
• Its objectives are to:
• 1. Identify what work is to be done
• 2. Explain why this work needs to be done
• 3. Persuade the reader that the proposers are qualified for the
work, have a plausible management plan and technical approach,
and have the resources needed to complete the task within the
stated time and cost constraints.

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 Writing Project Proposal….Cont’d
• After your general purpose becomes clear, begin to think about more
specific goals and objectives.
• These goals are stepping stones to the successful fulfillment of the
larger mission.
• Each of these goals is in turn supported by one or more objectives.
• These objectives and sub objectives are precise and measurable.
• 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.

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 Writing Project Proposal….Cont’d
• In the variety of formats, application forms, project design
outlines, and grant application guidelines, it is possible to detect
some common elements.
• 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.
• Further, if there is a published list of judges/reviewers available,
as is usually the case for scientific applications, try to compose
your proposal so that it piques the interest of one or more of the
judges' expertise.
• 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
 Basic Components of Project Proposal…Cont’d
• 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.
 Basic Components of Project Proposal…Cont’d
• Main Terms of the Proposal Writing Process are:
• ■ Indicators — those elements of the project plan that translate
the project’s purpose and results into measurable units (quantity
or quality) and thus provide the basis for measuring the impact.
• ■ Input — the investment of resources (human, material or
financial) invested in the project.
• ■ Output — the results achieved.
• ■ Activity plan — a description of the flow, timeline and
responsibilities for the project’s activities.
• ■ Resource plan — a description of how the resources will be
used in relation to the activities.
• ■ Gantt chart — a specific model for activity plans that illustrates
how the activities interconnect.
• ■ Income — the funds secured for the project’s implementation.
 Basic Components of Proposal…Cont’d
• Required Format
• Format consists of the layout and typography of a document. In
formatting your proposal, use the guidelines.
• One aspect of layout is the incorporation of illustrations.
• In your proposal, each illustration should have a name and be
formally introduced in the text.
• Illustrations consist of figures and tables.
• Figures include photographs, drawings, diagrams, and graphs.
• Each figure should have a stand-alone caption, and the key
points and features should be labeled.
• Tables are arrangement of words and numbers into rows and
columns.
• Use tables to summarize lists that the audience will try to find
later (the budget, for instance).
Basic Components of Proposal…Cont’d
 Basic Components of Proposal…Cont’d
• The following is a typical U.S. Department of Education project proposal.
1. Problem Statement. Includes needs assessment and brief summary/analysis
of the literature.
2. Methodology. Provides a detailed discussion of methodology to be used to
solve the problem. May contain a substantial analysis of the research
literature.
3. Plan of Operation. Provides a detailed discussion of steps to be followed in
implementing the methodology.
4. Evaluation. Covers the formative evaluation of ongoing work and summative
evaluation of the overall project.
5. Key Personnel. Gives the names and qualifications of personnel who will be
working on the project.
6. Adequacy of Resources. Analyzes the adequacy of total resources available to
the Resource Seeker, including local and grant-provided resources.
7. Impact. Analyzes the short- and long-term impact of the project.
8. Organizational Capability. Provides a description of the overall capabilities
and resources of the organization submitting the proposal.
9. Budget. Includes a detailed budget and budget notes.
10.Appendices. Some may be required and others may be optional.
 Basic Components of a Proposal…Cont’d
• Cover
• It indicates 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.
• The project title should be short and descriptive
• a. Title of project in initial capital letters
• b. The sponsoring company and contact person’s name and
information
• c. Team name and individual member names
• d. Date
• e. An appropriate picture of the product, a team logo, or both
• In all cases the Cover Sheet should be signed by an authorized
official of the organization which will administer and be held
accountable for the grant funds.
 Basic Components of a Proposal…Cont’d
• Table of Contents
• It is helpful to include a table of contents at the start 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.
• Omit this if your proposal is very short, or under five pages, which
typically happens in a pre-proposal or some proposals to private
foundations.
• Include the major sections, but do not make the contents so detailed
that the information is hard to find.
• Please include a table of contents listing the contents of your
submission as well as the attachments that you wish to be
considered.
 Basic Components of a Proposal…Cont’d
• Abstract (also called Project Summary)
• Many readers lack the time needed to read the whole project
proposal. It is therefore useful to insert a short project summary or
an abstract.
• The Executive Summary is a short, precise summary of your project
proposal.
• Please ensure to include a brief outline of your project
description and how your project contributes to the achievement
of national development.
• Briefly state the problem, significance, objectives, method, and
anticipated outcomes.
• What will be done, by whom, how, over what period of time? What
is the problem/need? Who will the outcomes benefit?
• The abstract is the most important component of the proposal.
• If the length is not mandated, it should be no longer than one half
to one page maximum.
• Theoretically, the abstract should be compiled after the relevant
items already exist in their long form.
 Basic Components of a Proposal…Cont’d
• Statement of Need
• The problem statement provides a description of the specific problem(s)
the project is trying to solve, in order to “make a case” for the project.
• Furthermore, the project proposal should point out why a certain issue is
a problem for the community or society as a whole, i.e. what negative
implications affect the target group.
• There should also be an explanation of the needs of the target group that
appear as a direct consequence of the described problem.
• The needs of the target group that have arisen as a direct negative impact
of the problem should be prioritized.
• An explanation as to how this decision was reached (i.e. what criteria was
used) must also be included.
• For example, if the problem is stated as “… poor infrastructure in the
community” the list of needs associated with this problem may be:
• • improved water supply in quality and quantity;
• • better roads; and
• • improved solid waste collection.
 Basic Components of a Proposal…Cont’d
• Goals/Objectives
• This is a general aim that should explain what the core problem is and
why the project is important, i.e. what the long-term benefits to the
target group are.
• Some examples of a project goal might be:
 Raising environmental awareness;
 Improving the quality of life in the community; and
 Fostering social empowerment among women from deprived rural
areas.
• The objectives should address the core problem in terms of the benefits
to be received by the project beneficiaries or target group as a direct
result of the project.
• Project objectives provide a more detailed breakdown of the project
goal.
• A project will likely have multiple objectives.
• Objectives should be formulated as a clear statement of what is expected
to be achieved through project implementation.
 Basic Components of a Proposal…Cont’d
Human Resources
• List the key personnel involved in the completion of the project.
• Please describe how and by whom the proposed project will be
managed and executed and identify how the knowledge, skills
and abilities required for implementation will be met.
• This procedure provides credibility to the selected intervention.
• One way to think about the key personnel component is that the
funding agency is "hiring" you to do some work.
• The funding agency wants to hire well-qualified people.
• Thus, you need to tell the funding agency who it will be hiring and
provide solid evidence that the key personnel are qualified to carry
out their duties.
• This section of a proposal might be organized into subsections, with
one subsection per key project staff member. The subsection on each
key staff member should include information on his or her full-time
 Basic Components of a Proposal…Cont’d
• Project Activity, Methodology and Outcomes
• Although you may not know all the details of the problem solution,
you should know a first design on how you will attack the problem,
and you should have some design concepts.
• The purpose of this section is to present the process by which you
will arrive at the final answer.
• Project Site (Geographic, Physical).
• Describe the activities to be performed to meet the stated
objectives; defend your choice of activities; discuss who will
perform these activities; include a timetable.
• Why did you choose to address the issue in the manner that you have? Are there
other approaches? If so, why aren't they appropriate to the situation?
• What are the specific activities involved? Who will do them?
• Present a timeline of activities. Tables and charts work best here
• What specific outcomes will be achieved? What will change?
 Basic Components of a Proposal…Cont’d
• The proposed approach (type of intervention)
• The project proposal should describe the strategy chosen
for solving the problem and precisely how it will lead to
improvement.
• One way to describe the approach related to the need
previously stated as improved water supply could be:
“intervention to provide basic water supply facilities in the
community,” with some description of the specific features
of the solution proposed.
• Project Monitoring (Progress Reporting)
• This section should contain a description of how the
organization will monitor the progress and the outcomes of
the project and its contribution to indicate achievement.
•
 Basic Components of a Proposal…Cont’d
• Evaluation
• Explain what a successful outcome will be for this project.
• A well-written proposal contains detailed plans for both formative and
summative evaluation.
• Formative evaluation refers to an evaluation of the project while it is ongoing,
allowing midcourse corrections. A summative evaluation evaluates the overall
project based on data gathered both during and after the project.
• Large projects will have full-time professional evaluators on staff or include a
contract for an outside evaluation.
• Outside evaluators are used when the intent is to have impartial evaluation by
people who are not intimately involved in implementation of the project.
• The evaluation plan must be closely tied to the detailed outline of the mission,
goals, and objectives of the project and to the detailed plan of operation.
• Thus, you may want to include figures and tables in the evaluation component
that are similar to some of those in the other parts of the proposal. Such
redundancy in a proposal is bothersome to some reviewers, but it is very helpful
to others because it makes a proposal easier to read.
 Basic Components of a Proposal…Cont’d
• Dissemination
• Dissemination should be linked to your project goals and objectives. your
dissemination plan should target policy-makers, media, and affected populations.
• Describe your communication strategy.
• Identify key groups of people who would benefit by knowing the results of your
project work. Indicate what information will be conveyed to these groups and how
this will be done.
• Perhaps part of your dissemination could be done through a World Wide Web
server.
• A clear statement of your electronic dissemination strategy shows that you know
how to use this technology for educational purposes.
• Impact
• This component assesses the project's potential impact on the world, nation, state,
school district, and other entities if the project is funded and carried out
successfully.
• Discuss both the short- and long-term impact of the project.
• What can your project do to solve the local problem and contribute toward solving
the larger problem?
 Basic Components of a Proposal…Cont’d
• Project Work Plan
• This section of the proposal should present the detailed work
plan for the project.
• This should cover how the project objectives will be
accomplished, what outcomes will be produced, what needs
to be done and by whom, how the work will be organized,
within what time frame, and how the outcomes of the project
will be monitored.
• Provide a schedule of work outlining the project’s objectives,
strategies, outcomes, main tasks and timelines.
• This is such an important idea that many funding agencies require
you to develop a plan for the commercial distribution of materials
being developed in a project.
• Develop a dissemination plan. Develop a careful dissemination
plan for the project materials and results.
 Basic Components of a Proposal…Cont’d
• Organizational Capability
• The organizational capability component of the proposal contains an
analysis of local resources available to the Resource Seeker, including
libraries, research facilities, office space, and computer facilities.
• Discuss the resources available in the community, then from the
organization, and then from individuals involved in the project.
• Focus on resources directly related to project activities. In case of
Education these might include the following: libraries; computing
facilities, including an Internet connection; media production
facilities; research facilities; access to students, classrooms, and
schools; and related projects and additional personnel at the site.
• Create lists of resources with specific examples to illustrate the
range and breadth of your resources. Focus on examples that suggest
that your site is particularly well suited to carrying out the project.
 Basic Components of a Proposal…Cont’d
• Budget and Continuation Funding
• Break down the costs of the project.
• Arrange by budget categories. Briefly explain how budget items
were calculated. Details about personnel their names, salary and
benefit rates; travel rates with dates, if known; specification
numbers of equipment needs; amounts and costs per item of
supplies; and indirect costs rates..
• Indicate how the project will be funded or be sustainable after the
grant funds have run out.
• Provide your best estimate of how project funds will be spent for
your first design.
• Your proposal should include a detailed Budget Justification
explaining an estimate for each line item.
• A budget is accompanied by budget notes that explain the items of
the budget that may not be obvious to a reviewer.
 Basic Components of a Proposal…Cont’d
• Appendices (also called Attachments)
• Depending on the format for the main part of the proposal, some
of the components described above may be included as
appendices.
• The usual documentation to be annexed to the project proposal is:
analysis related to the general context (e.g. a civil society sector
assessment); policy documents and strategic papers (e.g. a local
environmental action plan); information on the implementing
organizations (e.g. annual reports, success stories, brochures and
other publications)
• additional information on the project management structure and
personnel (curriculum vitae for the members of the project team);
maps of the location of the target area; and project management
procedures and forms (organizational charts, forms, etc).
Thanks