Advanced Proposal Writing: Planning the Project€™s 8 Guidelines ... improve their skills at...
Transcript of Advanced Proposal Writing: Planning the Project€™s 8 Guidelines ... improve their skills at...
Advanced Proposal Writing: Planning the ProjectProposal Writing 201
Agenda
• Introductions
• Objectives and Agenda
• Steps in Team Building
• Developing the Project
• LUNCH
• Developing the Project, Cont.
• Tips for Proposal Writing and Editing in Teams
• Questions & Process for Session 202
“Any proposal manager (or outside consultant, for that
matter) who claims to know how to run a serious proposal
effort without chaos should be quietly and briskly dismissed
from reality. Chaos is the very nature of the proposal beast,
and the manager who accepts this fact is ready to face
another one: While the chaos of proposal work cannot be
eliminated, it must be controlled. Otherwise, it will eat the
managers, the proposal team, and the proposal itself alive.”
Pugh, 1993, p. 82 (quoted in Sweet, 2003, slide 5)
Objectives
• To Recognize the Importance of the Team
Building Process and What Each Member Can
Contribute
• To Develop the Project as Fully as Possible in
Advance of Proposal Writing
• To Understand the Unique Aspects of Team-
Based Proposal Writing and How to Create a
Strong Proposal
Three-Step Process
1. Build the Team
2. Develop the Project
3. Craft the Proposal
Four Stages of Team Building
1. Forming
2. Storming
3. Norming
4. Performing
Develop the Project/Program
• Opportunity or need (or both) drive new projects and
programs
• Quality begets quality
• What do you think of McNamara’s six cornerstones?
How do you see them playing out (or not) in your
organization
Outline the ProjectThink about an RFP or a proposal template as the outline for a proposal:
• What information in each section will show the quality of your project/program?
• What credentials your organization as the expert in each section?
• Why is it important to think about budgeting early on?
McNamara’s 8 Guidelines
Focus on OutcomesExamine Your Intended
Outcomes Conduct Some Basic Marketing
Coordinate the New Program with Other
Current Programs
Explore if Client Services Can Be Delivered More Effectively via Collaboration
Plan Key Indicators of Program Success
Include Short-Range Focus in a Long-Range
Plan
Learn by "Testing the Waters"?
Plan Program Reviews
Theory of Change
• A program roadmap
• Links the program’s intended outcomes with the activities
necessary to achieve them. “All the building blocks required
to bring about a long-term goal.” (theoryofchange.org)
• Provides a tool for strategic planning, program development,
proposal writing, and communications
Theory of Change Process
Then…
The Road Map to Impact
If we…. Which will lead to…
Community or Social Change
Strategies & Activities Immediate Outcomes Intended Impact Intermediate Outcomes
Prepare and support mentors
to understand, support and
advocate for the needs of
teen parents.
Offer a rich curriculum
designed to meet the needs
of teen parents.
Provide (weekly, bi-monthly)
education and peer support
sessions
Foster strong relationships
among teen parents
Activities Short-Term Outcomes (0-6 months) Intermediate Outcomes (7-18 months)
Support
Teen parents feel supported, understood, accepted,
and empowered. They develop or discover: (1)
supportive relationships with adults and with peers
facing similar situations; (2) willingness to identify
and explore and try new strategies to address
education barriers; (3) techniques and support to
meet their responsibilities as parents while
continuing their education.
Long-Term
Outcomes
OrganizationProgram Name Theory of Change
Engagement, Effort, and
Enthusiasm
Teen parents develop a
sense of belonging to a
community. They intensify
engagement with the
program, peers, parenting,
and their own education
process.
Realization
Leads to Continued ParticipationThe 2 S’s:
Support and Skills
The 3 E’s: Engagement, Effort + Enthusiasm
Improvement
Realization
Participation
Prepare high schools and
colleges to create appropriate
learning environments
Provide support and
referrals to help teen
parents meet the needs of
their children.
Improvement College, Family, Career,
and Beyond
Teen parents
improve their ability
to advocate for
themselves.
Teen parents learn that effort will
improve performance.
Teen parents learn that they can
succeed.
Teen parents earn
college credits
and/or and
graduate from
college.
Teen parents discover that learning
and education are valuable.
Teen parents increase focus on
long term goals and overcoming
obstacles.
Teen parents
succeed in their
careers.
Teen parents
participate as
positive,
productive
members of their
communities.
Teen parents
improve academic
performance
Teen parents reduce/eliminate
unsupportive relationships and build
new supportive relationships.
Teen parents
improve their ability
to support their
peers.
Teen parents enroll
in college and
benefit from support
resources before
they encounter
issues
Teen parents
empowered! They
are independent,
self-sufficient
achievers
Teen parents set
and work toward
goals
Teen parents avoid subsequent
pregnancies.
Teen parents
improve their self
awareness and self
esteem.
Teen parents
improve their skills
at personal
presentation.Teen parents are hopeful – they
have a transformed vision of the
future.
Teen parents
improve the lives of
their children.
Recruit appropriate
participants
Recognize achievement
Address parent concerns and
prevent barriers
Participation in Program launches teen parents into a continuous cycle of support and skills development, followed by a jump in engagement, effort, and enthusiasm for the program and school, leading to improvement in education performance, and the realization they can succeed, initiating renewed commitment to participation in the education process and further success.
Skills
Teen parents gain knowledge about and improve their skills in:
Goal setting
Communication
Self-Advocacy
Essay preparation
ACT preparation
Career choices
College selection
College application
Basic budgeting
Financial aid
Leadership
Personal branding
Interviewing
Resume writing
Outcomes
• An outcome is the state of the target population or the social conditions that a program is expected to have changed.
• Outcomes are observed characteristics of the target population or social conditions, not of the program, and the definition of an outcome makes no direct reference to program action
• Must relate to benefits products and services might have, not simply their receipt
Standards for Judging Effectiveness
In Evaluation: A Systematic Approach, Rossi et al say:
• Past experience?
• Performance of comparable programs?
• Professional judgment of program managers and advisers?
• Applicable legal, ethical or professional standards?
“I’ll know it when I see it.”
Without specific before-measurement criteria a wide range of performance might be regarded as acceptable.
Budget Musts
Draft the budget BEFORE you start writing the proposal
Work as a TEAM – executive, finance, and program staff should all contribute to and be able to explain program budget
Include REAL COSTS
Review the budget and proposal as one unit before you submit
Is staffing plan appropriate in terms of number and type of staff for this type of project and its life stage (pilot, established, etc.)?
Are all the costs associated with staff included in the budget?
What about evaluation costs?
Craft the Proposal: Ensure a Unified Voice
• Manual of style everyone uses (APA, NYT Manual of Style and Usage, Economist, etc.)
• Internal style guide
• Protocols for document creation, sharing, editing, tracking changes, formatting, and saving
• A commitment to the active voice
• Meaningful adjectives, if any
• A budget and proposal that speak to each other well
• A proposal manager who will build the team, enforce deadline and serve as the primary editor
Every Proposal-Writing Organization Should Have:
Craft the Proposal
• Establishes quality• Provides the frame work for a “lessons learned” session
following the completion of a proposal
Source: Sweet, Kristen L. “Proposal Management Basics & Tips on Proposal Writing.” For the: STC Tech Comm Career Day. PowerPoint online at
www.stcwdc.org/PDF/Proposal_Writing_Management.ppt
Define the process in writing
Documenting the process eliminates re-inventing the wheel each time
• Summary• Basic guidelines to tailor for each proposal• Detailed checklist
5 C’s of Proposal Review
Coherence
Completeness
Compliance
Consistency
Correctness
Source: “The Red Team and 5 C’s of Proposal Review”
Next Steps in the Series
You have already completed two important steps in the series!
Now…
• Draft your proposal and budget
• Send your draft to Marlee Honcoop [email protected] by 5pm on Friday Feb. 12
• Please indicate the section of your proposal on which you’d like to receive the most help in session two.
Proposal Writing 202Next session
Thursday, March 10, 2016 - 9:00 am
Each proposal submitted on time will receive comments from at least
one funder
Some funder commenters will be at the session to share their
thoughts on strong proposals and budgets and to answer your
questions.
There will be time in the session to get feedback from peers and the
instructor; the instructor will use some submitted sections as
examples in class – nominate yours!
Thank You for Participating in Proposal Writing 201