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What is a Proposal? In business and government, a proposal is a persuasive document designed to convince the organization that a law, product, strategy, or service you are proposing is the correct course of action. Proposals may be unsolicited or requested (i.e., an RfP – Request for Proposal). A goal or objective is not by itself a Proposal, though all Proposals have an objective. A Proposal must include a clear statement of the actions that will be taken by the organization to achieve the goal.
You have received an RfP for a project or potential law for the government to undertake or work on in the next legislative session, or if in California, potentially a ballot proposition for the voters to consider. You can choose any level of government, Federal, State, local, including even SCC, but you can only dictate what ONE governmental entity can do. So, you can mandate CALIFORNIA, but not each state independently. Texas, for example, would be able to do something different. If you want ALL states, then it must be a Federal mandate. You can mandate Fairfield, but you can’t mandate ALL cities. If you want ALL cities, it would need to be at state or federal level. Etc. This comes into play for things like prison related topics (most inmates are in state prisons, not federal), education (most education rules are set on state/local level) etc. Pick a ROLE and PLAY it. You can be a citizen, a businessperson, a congressperson, an executive, a member of a non-profit or Political Action Committee…Anything you want. Then assume that persona for your style and approach. (This is not a requirement, but can make it fun. I DO want you to put yourself in the spot of being someone actually trying to get your proposal enacted.)
Pick a topic from anything that you would like to see the government do or law that you would like to see passed. Good ideas are found in the ISideWith Survey. Based on YOUR answers, what do you think should/should NOT be done by Government? Topic selection is part of the grading criteria. If you pick something overdone (2nd Amend, abortion, marijuana, gay marriage) that is fine, but expect to be graded more stringently for plagiarism. You will also have a higher standard for research and creative/new ideas and approaches.
BE PRECISE with your Proposal. Tell me EXACTLY/SPECIFICALLY what action you are proposing to do. This is NOT a paper to “talk about” an issue, or explore possible paths, or only discuss pros and cons. For example: Bad – “Lets talk about speed limits and traffic fatalities” Good: “This is a proposal to decrease speed limits on all interstate highways to 35mph.” Proposal statement itself must be in BOLD type. Ex: “Traffic fatalities are increasing to an unacceptable rate, therefore, This is a proposal to decrease speed limits on all interstate highways to 35mph.” DO NOT bold everything, just the statement. The actual proposal is NOT limited to 1 sentence. However, it MUST be precise and complete. If it is part of your plan, it should be IN the proposal statement. Think of it as an extended thesis statement.
ANYONE can come up with a nice sounding idea, but that is less than half of what you need for a good proposal. YOUR task is to connect an idea or goal to a specific plan to achieve that goal and propose that plan be enacted. Example: “Schools should OPEN!” Duh. How specifically will that be accomplished?
Standard for all work is typed, double spaced, 12 point, Arial or Times New Roman Font (this is to give a standard idea for how much a “page” is, mostly just needs to be readable size and font). Abstract is single spaced. Please “Justify” your text ( Select all, then Ctrl-J -this makes it look more professional). Total text (What YOU write) should be 3000 words or more. Turn in as attachment only (no hard copy required), in Canvas. Internal Citations/footnotes and Bibliography required – details below. You MUST provide internal citation (parenthetical) or footnote for ANYTHING/EVERYTHING that you use from any other source. Can use “parentheticals” = Author last name, pg # if available and date if more than 1 article by same author in parentheses AFTER the information used. DO this EVEN IF you name the author in the text. Ex: according to Bundenthal, “Parentheticals and internal citations are essential for a passing grade.” (Bundenthal, pg. 1, 2021.)
You MUST cite ALL graphs, etc. IN the chart, in your text after any reference, and ALSO in the Bibliography. In MSWord, right click on your Chart and use “Insert Caption” for LABEL and Cite
Please take advantage of SCC Writing Center for help or use Purdue OWL or other websites linked below. OR ask me for feedback for your rough draft.
IF you are using WORD, GOTO References, then Insert Citation. Choose APA or MLA style
DO NOT EXPECT to pass if you do not properly cite
Alphabetize Works Cited by the first word in the citation. In most cases, the first word will be the author’s last name. Where the author is unknown, alphabetize by the first word in the title, ignoring the words a, an, the. For each author, give the last name followed by a comma and the first name followed by a period. In a parenthetical, put author’s last name followed by a comma, the year of the article, and page # if available.
You MUST use MS Office or Open Office, PDF or Google Docs (Do not require me to sign in to Google docs or get permission to access. DOWNLOAD it into Canvas so you can see it properly attached. You can download OO free Open Office ). Recommend saving file as a PDF and submitting that. This helps with retaining margins and page breaks and makes paper look more polished.
DO NOT ZIP FILES! DO NOT SUBMIT .pages files!
Include the following elements. Label them ( “Abstract,” “Introduction,” etc. Do not label title page) and start each new section on a new page:
Title page (feel free to be creative here with design. You want something attractive to draw in potential readers)
Title of proposal
Name of organization, writer, writers, submitting proposal (You can be ANY level of government you want, from Solano ASSC to US Federal)
Date on which the proposal is submitted
Table of Contents
Provide complete, clear listing of contents with page numbers. Do not include title page
List of illustrations, charts, etc.
Abstract (or summary) No more than 1 page – 3 paragraphs, one for each bullet function, single spaced. Submit (copy and paste) a “sample”/rough draft abstract as a progress check on the project, then include in final paper as well. Needs to be an abstract not an intro: A summary, condensed statement of what your proposal will cover:
Clear statement of your proposal in BOLD font. Needs specific wording: “I propose that…” or “This is a proposal to…”
Clear overview of what your paper will cover in order to support the proposal: “In order to support the proposal, this paper will examine…1., 2., 3….”
Clear statement of expected outcome if proposal goes into effect. “If this proposal is enacted the following outcomes are expected…”
Make it easier on yourself (and me to grade) by just using my exact wording. A,B,C, should be their own paragraph even if short.
Introduction (Purpose and Problem)
1 page minimum. Double spaced. Purpose – tell your readers the reason for your proposal (explain why you are writing and what you hope to achieve);
Highlight the importance of your proposal. Include data or anecdote to grab attention of reader.
Clearly state the problem (and reveal your knowledge of the situation).
Note: Spend more time explaining the problem than on stating the proposal’s purpose.
Discussion (the body of the proposal)
5 pages of text minimum suggested (a full-page chart does not count as a page). Sell your idea, service, or suggested solution. What will make the reader support or vote for the proposal? Provide any or all of the following components as needed for you specific topic.
Examples of what you might include in your discussion, but you may choose what issues and organization you feel is appropriate (#1 mandatory):
Analysis of problem – studies, strategies, techniques.
A “literature review” similar to our other assignment.
Details of proposal – How does it work? What would it do?
Analysis of political climate regarding issue -what are chances it could be done? Barriers?
Literature review – review some of the main authors/work that has defined your proposal area in the academic literature. (Prof Bundenthal really likes this idea. If you do it, put it first after your intro.)
Who needs to be involved and at what point
Options for solutions, particularly your recommended proposal
Chains of command (organizational charts)
Plan of action with different phases
Schedules for implementation
Budget, Etc.
Conclusion/recommendation
1 page minimum
Sum up your proposal and provide a sense of closure
If appropriate restate the problem, your solution, and the probable benefits
Glossary (optional)
In a proposal going to a multi-level audience, provide a glossary that explains any technical terms you have included. Make sure your glossary is in alphabetical order and is easy to read
Works cited/Bibliography
FULL CITATION for all material used listed here. Any reader must be able to go to your original source and see exactly what you saw.
Make sure to use standard citation format consistently and accurately (e.g., MLA citations)
Bibliography should be alphabetical
Tips:
•Present the benefits of your proposal or solution
•Anticipate the probable objections of your opponents and respond to or “preempt” them.
YOU MUST INCLUDE A MINIMUM of 5 CHARTS, GRAPHS, MAPS, or PICS in your Proposal.
Each one should have a citation for the original source and include approximately 1 paragraph of your analysis/text that explains that Image. Examples of this are seen in the Domhoff article and Letter from Bill Gates linked below. I want this information to DRIVE your body analysis. If you have good data, the text writes itself as you describe and interpret what we see. These DO NOT COUNT as a “page” so are in addition to the minimums listed above.
Do NOT simply cut and paste net info. It is your job to analyze, evaluate, synthesize, apply, and give context.
What does that chart/statistic MEAN? Why is it RELEVANT? What questions does it present? What are the answers? Your grade will depend on your “value added” –ie, what analysis, interpretations, perspectives do you make that add to our understanding of the problem area. Insert these into the Text and use text wrap or lines to divide from regular text. If you find good charts/data and explain them, the body writes itself.
My expectation is that you will find and properly cite these charts via your research. However, if you have data that is not in chart form, it is quite easy to in MS Office with Excel or Open Office and other programs. If you create your own, please make it clear and I will give you significant bonus consideration. You MUST cite ALL graphs, etc. in the paper. In MSWord, right click on your Chart and use “Insert Caption.”
You MUST use MS Office or Open Office, PDF or Google Docs (you can download OO free http://www.openoffice.org/ ).
When you use data from a chart in the text, you should still have a citation after that data.
DO NOT ZIP FILES! DO NOT SUBMIT .pages files!
Sources:
No specific number are required, but a minimum of 10 is expected (but that is a “soft” number. Quality sources are more important than quantity.). You need to be the “expert” on your Proposal so you ought to have a background which includes the basic statistics and relevant positions/theories about the topic. You are being graded on this aspect of your overall presentation and “selling” of your Proposal.!
Citations:
You must provide an internal citation/Parenthetical/footnote for ANY information or quote you get from an outside source. “Parentheticals” = Author last name, pg # if available and date if more than 1 article by same author in parentheses AFTER the information used. DO this EVEN IF you name the author in the text. Ex: according to Bundenthal, “Parentheticals and internal citations are essential for a passing grade.” (Bundenthal, pg. 1, 2021.)
IF you are using WORD, GOTO References, then Insert Citation. Choose APA or MLA style.
Cite ALL GRAPHS, PICS, Charts. Note: Google images is NOT a source. You have to find WHERE the info is from. If it is on a google image, but no source for the actual info, then AVOID IT! (In MSWord, right click on your Chart and use “Insert Caption.”)
BIG rule: Better safe than sorry. When in doubt CITE!
This is followed by full citation in the Bibliography. A Bibliography/Works Cited should list all sources in alphabetical order (by Author). Sources found/used online MUST have a full/working URL included. I (or any reader) must have enough information that I can easily find the original source. DO NOT ONLY list a web address. YOU MUST have the traditional info – Author, Title, Source, Date, Pg # as well. I do expect a specific linked URL/Address instead of just listing “Web”.