Project Proposal

What is Project Proposal?  A project proposal is written, to make an offer and to try to convince a supervisor or a future customer to accept it. In a project proposal you state that, in exchange for time and/or money, you will give them something that they want (an analysis of a procedure, for example), make something they desire (a prototype of a new product), or do something they wish to have done (redesign an existing structure).

Core Contents of Project Proposal  Title Page  Cover letter  Summary  Description of the organization  Statement of problem and / or need/ Justification  Project objectives/Goals  Outline of proposed activities/ Methods  The amount requested/Budget  Duration  Outcomes/Outputs  Evaluation Plan

Cover letter  First thing the funder reads  Must engage the reader so (s)he reads the rest of the proposal  Personal, to the point, concise  Structure: project title, goals and objectives, total amount requested, duration of the project)

Summary  A succinct, clear synopsis of the project  Not more than a page  Description of the organization  Statement of problem and / or need  Project objectives  Outline of proposed activities  The amount requested

Introduction  Description of the applicant (mission, vision, values, strategic objectives, structure, team)  Short list of organization’s achievements  Who are you beneficiaries and partners  Why do you apply to this funder?

Need/Justification  What is the problem or need?  Describe the problem in relation to your target group  Place the problem in a larger context your organizations works in  Use figures and concrete examples (case studies)  Relate it to the funders guidelines and priorities

Objectives/Goals  All objectives should be SMART

Methodology/Activities  Answer to the question “HOW?”  Right place to give details and figures  Put activities in the time order  Give reasons why you selected this method  Be consistent with overall project goal, objectives and the context  Make references to previous use of the method by you or other organizations

OUTCOMES / OUTPUTS  Know the difference  Outcome: long term result / effect (hard to measure)  Output is a very concrete result / product (easily measurable)  Provide both outcomes and outputs in a clear structure

EVALUATION PLAN  Strategy to measure the success  Explanation of the criteria used to measure the success  Includes: - quantitative indicators (numbers) - qualitative indicators (contents) - vision of success (what you want to achieve)

BUDGET  Structure: human resources, purchases, operational costs, activities  Clear budget items (how did you come up with the amount you’ve indicated in the budget line)  Explanations to the budget in annex (why you need a particular amount, offers, etc.)

Work Plan  A work plan describes a project to be accomplished and outlines how it will be done.  Similar to Gantt Chart