?What is the writing proposal process 

A written proposal is a very important document that include a brief information about your project, idea, problem needed to suggest. Also, the written proposal is an initial document that written for your idea, project, grant or others. You may write a proposal for your dissertation in a university, or to a governmental grant or may you write a proposal to persuade a client/ donor about your project idea. There are many cases in writing a proposal document depending on the goal to write your proposal/ proposal problem.

 Written proposal purposes 

The main purpose for writing a proposal document is to persuade the reader to accept your proposed idea/ problem. In technical and academic the purpose of writing the written proposal document is to persuade the reader/ supervisor to implement your proposing idea plan or to approve your proposing project/ problem.

 What is the general structure of a good proposal? 

A good and effective proposal has a general based structure to build your written proposal document. Building proposal structure may different from each other according to the type and goal of writing proposal. But here you will implement the general form of writing a proposal document, proposal contains four major elements which are:

Introduction

Sometimes called an abstract or executive summary which include a brief information about the other below elements to give a reader an overview of the whole proposal idea/ problem. You can write this part of proposal at the end stage of writing to brief the whole important information exists in your proposal. A brief of what the problem/ idea and solution problem and also the briefing plan to do for the proposed project/ idea/ problem.

 Statement of problem/ issue 

Here in this element of proposal writing, you will define the problem/ idea, what is the purposes for issuing the problem/ idea? And the main argument in problem you’re your background information about the proposed problem/idea and finally what is the important to issue your proposed idea/ problem?

• Solution

Define the solution to your proposed problem/ idea and explain clearly your plan to execute this solution step by step and what activities you will do at this stage? Also explain what is the benefit of your solution of your idea/ problem rather than other previous solution on the same problem/ idea? In addition to all of this provide an overview of the qualification needed in personnel and their experiences.  

• Conclusion

The final part or section of writing a proposal document is the conclusion. Which you will rewrite again the main point and goal of your written proposal on a particular problem/idea. Explain the cost of your proposed idea/ project/ problem against the benefit of the proposed idea/ problem. Finally thanks the reader for reading your proposal document and provide a contact information.

 Good proposal document characteristics: 

The list below includes five general characteristics for any written proposal document:

1. The written proposal document should be clear and persuasive the reader about your project/ idea/ problem.
2. Any written proposal document cab be solicited proposal or unsolicited proposal.
3. Generally, proposal document written for an external reader and sometimes the proposal document written for your company (internal readers).
4. According to the third characteristic point, the proposal document may prepare by individual person or by a company/ an organization which the proposal document prepared for individual readers or organizations.
5. Not all proposals have the same length, a written proposal document may be two pages length. Also, there are written proposal with many pages of length depending on the proposal goal.

 What comes before submitting your proposal? 

If you finish writing your proposal document of your proposed idea/ problem, then you need to review some points to sure that your proposal document is ready to submit. Writing proposal document is not finish here, follow these steps to submit your written proposal document:

• First step: check the jargon that you used in your written proposal document. Use an alternative simple definition for these jargons because not all readers understand these jargons. 
• Second step: be sure that you used an active voice instead of passive voice in your written proposal document. That’s important to explain clearly your proposed idea/ problem.
• Third step: the last step in each type of writing is proofreading process. Also, as any writing, you need to proofread your written proposal document from grammatical errors, mistakes, punctuations errors and misspelling.

Now you are finish from writing proposal document and make important checks. So, your written proposal document is ready to submit.

 Types of written proposal documents 

Written proposal documents can be classified according to three major field which are:

1. Classified proposal by structure: proposals documents may be formal proposal document or informal proposal document
2. Formal proposal document: formal proposal is written to get governmental grants for big projects/ ideas.
3. Informal proposal document: informal proposal document is written to identify business problems/ ideas, provide suggestion for business problem/ idea or to identify project goals.
4. Classified proposal by audience: proposal documents may be internal proposal document or external proposal document
5. Internal proposal document: the proposal document is written for internal readers in your company/ organization.
6. External proposal document: the proposal document is written for readers outside your company/ organization.
7. Classifying proposal by source of origin: proposal documents may be solicited proposal document or unsolicited proposal document
8. Solicited proposal document: solicited proposal document is written for a request to write proposal, so solicited proposal is written to respond for proposal request.
9. Unsolicited proposal document:  unsolicited proposal document is written without a request for proposal.

Other proposal types:

• Renewal proposal document: also called competing proposal. A renewal project proposal is written when terminate an ongoing project or there are project resources no longer used.
• Supplemental proposal document: supplemental project proposal is written/ required when there is a need to more resources for a project more that proposed project resources.
• Continuation proposal document: called non-competing proposal. Continuation proposal document is an update for ongoing projects or for remainder for an ongoing approved project.
• Preproposal: this type of written proposal document requested by the donor/ sponsor to minimize the effort of applicant in preparing a full proposal.

Tips to write a good proposal document:

1. Start your written proposal document with a brief summary about your idea/ problem sited in your proposal. Good summary makes your proposal good and bad summary may get you lose when present your proposal.
2. Depends on facts when writing your proposal about your idea/ problem. When the proposal is closely to the true and facts, then your idea/ problem has a good chance to win.
3. Make your sentences and paragraphs short and clear to make reader understand your proposed idea/ problem.
4. Use an active voice not a passive voice, the active voice explains ideas/ problem quickly.
5. Write your proposal for your proposed idea/ problem in a conversional way
6. Use punctuations in a right way to explain your idea/ problem for readers
7. Proofread your written proposal document when it finished writing and consult an expertise person about your proposal document to get feedback.
8. Read your written proposal aloud. When you reading your proposal loudly, you may feel more clearly if you propose your idea/ problem in a good way. A good way to make the readers understand what does you mean.  

 Video: Writing Proposals  

With greetings: Al - Manara Consulting to help researchers and graduate students