Static Manner

1.The current situation section of a proposal frames the problem/issue/opportunity. Our textbook includes the current situation as part of the introduction. Because the current situation should contain more detail than typically included in an introduction, the proposal you write will consider the intro and current situation as two separate sections. The current situation section explains what has caused a need to make a change or shift direction. In short, the current situation section establishes your argument and sets up the project plan, which details the solution. We’ll focus on the project plan a different assignment this week. Page 432 in our textbook will be helpful in drafting this section. As you draft, focus on addressing the following points/questions:

1. Identify and define the issue/problem/opportunity.

2. Discuss the causes of the issue/problem/opportunity and how these causes led to the issue/problem/opportunity. What is the background of the problem/issue/opportunity?

3. What are the sources of information that support framing of the current situation?

4. Discuss the effects or impact of not doing anything about the issue/problem/opportunity

You’ll want to, of course, weave your responses to the above moves in a fluid, coherent manner. In other words, the current situation should not simply answer the questions in a static manner. Consider strategies from Chapters 7 & 9, for example. Keeping the primary reader-users (the action takers) in mind is key. In what ways can you frame the current situation, following the above moves, to address the primary reader-users’ needs, values, and attitudes?

The Current Situation draft should be 500-600 words

2. The proposal project plan establishes the step-by-step plan for (re)solving the issue/problem/opportunity you’ve identified. Our textbook refers to this section as the “Proposed Program” or “Plan of Work”

The plan should be detailed, providing reader-users a thorough understanding of what is necessary to successfully move forward, resolving the problem/issue/opportunity. You’ll want to consider strategies discussed in Chapters 7 & 9, and refer to the section on page 433.

As you draft, your project plan should address the following points:

1) Identify your overall solution. Provide an overview of your plan and what it will do. Briefly discuss the major steps of the plan.

2) Provide a detailed step-by-step plan. Partition each step into its minor steps (e.g. What needs to be done to complete each step?).

3) Summarize the final deliverables or outcomes of your plan. What will be created or achieved when your proposed plan is completed? How does it address the problem/issue/opportunity?

While the project plan follows this intro, body, conclusion format, it can be helpful to consider headings and subheadings for this section. Using lists is also a useful strategy when creating the step-by-step plan. For example, your project plan might following this structure:

1. Step 1: Overall Summary of Step

A. First

B. Second

C. Third

2. Step 2: Overall Summary of Step

and so forth.

That’s just one suggestion, of course; but having that level of organization can make it easy for reader-users to follow your logic for the plan. Consider strategies in for headings in Chapter 9.

The project plan draft should be 600-700 words