English 302/Clarke
FINAL Major Assignment : A Formal Proposal
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DUE DATE: Friday, August 3(final regular class day)
SPECIFICS including EXPECTATIONS, REQUIREMENTS, and POINTS OF EMPHASIS.
STYLE and FORMAT
(You may select your own format -- letter, or more lengthy manuscript/business report, but MAKE CERTAIN that the format fits the Situation/Purpose/Context. This will include your own specific problem/solution/audience dynamic, as we have discussed)
PURPOSE:
This proposal, in a very fundamental and personal way, is an act of initiative on your part, not least of which one that demonstrates your knowledge of the culture, context, and history of your business, profession, or institution.
OVERVIEW:
As a thinking person and valued employee of your institution or company, you seek to demonstrate your ability to solve problems; to recognize 'better ways' or areas needing improvement; to make work life more efficient, profitable, or useful to everyone concerned. Just as importantly, perhaps, you wish to receive credit for this initiative, and to 'register' it for others to see. (An "official" record of your proposal, for posterity, i.e.)
Apply this problem-solving proposal by beginning with a Statement of Purpose. (Compose this to yourself, but I may ask you to articulate this before we enter completion stage.)
• In this assignment consider your Audience to be a person or persons in authority -- in other words, those who can approve or disapprove your proposal. I recommend business report techniques described in the "Learning Objectives" of Bovee in both chapters 12 and 13.
Acting as an "unsolicited" agent, construct a proposal which will convey your ideas for change and improvement in the best possible light, using the proverbial "you attitude." You may submit your proposal either internally or externally (that is, outside the company), but make sure the proposal is appropriate to that strategy.
Organize your Proposal clearing, using Intro, Body, and Close. (see Learning Objectives #6 and 7, Chapter 12 in Bovee) Make sure your original Statement of Purpose, and especially your clarification of the problem are clearly fulfilled in the Final Draft Version.
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Recall from our class discussions that the Organization of your Proposal is perhaps as significant as "the idea" itself.
In the Introduction:
1. Indicate, formally, that the document IS a Proposal.
2. Refer to, or remind the Audience of your relationship to them, your credibility, and/or your background qualifications to be making this proposal.
3. Try to obtain the Audience's Attention and Interest in this project.
4. Give an overview of the background and context of the problems at hand and/or the compelling need for a change/improvement.
In the Body of your Proposal, try to:
1. Describe the purpose and benefits of the proposal.
2. Lay out the methods, procedures, and theories behind your proposal.
3. Focus on positive outcomes of the proposal
4. Make commitments to specific tasks and dates.
5. Anticipate objections and discuss alternatives to your ideas, but also explain how your came to your own conclusions.
6. Be honest about the costs and responsibilities of this proposal.
In the Conclusion:
1. Orient the conclusion in a positive way that reviews the benefits, thanks them for considering your ideas, and urges the Audience to commit to the proposal.
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NOTE: Once again, Audience is significant in this assignment, as your "receiver" will be the person or persons to either approve or "thumbs down" your proposal.
Your GRADING RUBRIC will consists of evaluations of style and organization, purpose, "you" attitude, creativity of the problem/solution dynamic, and grammatical correctness.
REMINDER: Please include a Visual Element which supports or fulfills the body/evidence portion of your proposal. This Visual Element may be a graph, map, picture, table, data sheet, or diagram. Please make this element clearly applicable to your proposal's analytical portion -- in other words, choose visuals that reinforce your proposal's argument. This visual may be incorporated into the appropriate place in the written text, appear as an addendum, or precede the written text.