The Technical Proposal

The technical proposal is the final draft of work that will have been going on all semester. It is not a report. It is a leadership statement that puts information into action by proposing a research-justified solution to a well-defined problem. The proposal is a persuasive document. It tells what you want to do and why you are the best person to do the job. In effect, it takes the knowledge you have in a specific field of engineering and applies it to a real situation that is in need of a remedy.

When you enter the workplace as an engineer, the technical proposal work you have to do probably won't be exactly like this assignment. Neither will the technical proposal work for one firm be identical to that of another. This assignment does, however, give you practice in following one general form which can then be adapted to real workplace demands.

The heart of this proposal is a problem, paradigm, and plan which work together to create a unified concept. The paradigm should grow out of your conceptualization of the problem; the plan you present should be clearly rationalized by the problem. If you unify and focus your argument, you will be able to present a well-organized, logical paper. In its final draft, the technical proposal will be about 20 pages. This includes all parts of the assignment (listed below).

The Parts of the Technical Proposal

1. Letter of Transmittal (one page): This is the final letter to the foundation. It is the cover letter for the Technical Proposal. An opening paragraph will advise that the proposal is attached, as promised when foundation representatives attended the oral presentation. Middle paragraphs will recall the elements of the problem, research, and plan. A final paragraph will express confidence that the project has merit and deserves consideration for funding. Include a contact number.
   
   
2. Title Page (one page): Include title, name and address of the foundation, your name, and the date. A graphic might be used. This page needs attention to style as well as content.
   
   
3. Abstract (one page): The abstract needs to summarize the key information about the problem, research, and plan. Also include at least five Key Words in a list at the end of the abstract. The abstract is used to file your proposal on the RneedsU Foundation's web page. It needs to be written in the third person. One paragraph(single spaced) of about 100 words will complete this page. Number this page as lower case Roman numeral two (ii).
   
   
4. Table of Contents (one page): This page lists all sections and subsections of your paper along with the starting pages. Attend to formatting as well as content. Number this page as lower case Roman numeral three (iii).
   
   
5. Table of Figures (one page): List each figure along with its title. Show the page where the figure appears. Format should be consistent with the Table of Contents. Number this page as lower case Roman numeral four (iv).
   
   
6. Executive Summary (not over two pages): This brief writing is intended to reach a specific audience -- a busy senior executive who cannot take time to read an entire proposal but wants to know the general ideas from many proposals. The writing highlights the problem, refers to important literature relating to the problem, outlines the key elements of the plan, and closes with a statement expressing confidence that with funding this proposal will yield significant benefits. Number the starting page as lower case Roman numeral five (v).
   
   
7. Problem Statement (two pages): In this section you are introducing the problem and attempting to make a persuasive argument for the seriousness of the issue. Primary research information is essential in this section, and this must be used in conjunction with standards, formulae, or principles used in engineering to establish norms for problems such as the one which is the subject for this paper. A visual aide is also needed. The opening page of this section begins the use of Arabic numerals.
   
   
8. Review of Secondary Research relating to the problem (three to five pages): The literature review is the way the proposal gains authority. Examining the paradigms relating to the topic and the ways those paradigms have guided research and action in situations similar to the issue for your paper creates the foundation for the proposed plan of action. This section needs to be about twice the length of the Problem Statement section. Extensive review of scholarly and professional sources is needed. APA style should be used for citations.
   
   
9. Technical Plan (four or more pages): This is the section where the details of the plan are presented. Organization of the section will depend on the nature of the plan and the number of elements. The plan must logically follow from the literature review paradigm and models discussion with adaptations as needed for the specific issue being addressed. Bulleted or numbered lists can be useful for organizing the plan components. In this section, try to explain what needs to be done and how to go about getting things done. Include visuals to help show the plan. Consider using a time schedule.
   
   
10. Budget (one page): Be as detailed as possible. Strive for realistic figures. Items in the budget must be directly related to aspects of the Technical Plan. In some cases, it might be necessary to include budget justification statements for specific items.
    
    
11. Evaluation Plan (one to two pages): This is the concluding section of the paper. In it, explain how the plan's success will be evaluated. Also try for a strong persuasive statement to convince the foundation that this plan deserves funding.
    
    
12. References: At least eight sources need to be listed in APA style. The list should primarily include scholarly and professional sources. Remember that the overall persuasiveness of the proposal depends upon the strength of the authorities researched to help establish the logic for the plan.
    
    
13. Visual Aids: tables, graphs, drawings, etc. (integrated into the text): At least four visuals must be included in the paper, though many topics require more to clearly develop the Technical Plan section. One or two need to be used in the Problem Statement section. At least two are needed in the Plan section.
    
    
14. Appendix (if necessary; often not required): Visuals that are too large to integrate into the text might be placed in an appendix. Copies of questionnaires or other documentation relating to the primary research should be placed in an appendix.

The information above only generally reviews what is needed to complete the proposal. Complete details for each section will be discussed in class. Some sections will be drafted during class time. Peer revision will be done during the last week of classes.

See Grading for further information about the Technical Proposal assignment.

Sample papers can be found on the RneedsU Foundation web page for Student Proposals. These papers serve as good models which will help guide you through the organization of the proposal.

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