Project Proposal Definition
A project proposal can be defined as a written document that outlines your project’s core value proposition. It provides background, goals, scope, and it helps to demonstrate what you want to accomplish by executing the project, as well as how you plan to achieve it.
Drawing a project proposal provides people with context on your vision and it should be able to explain why it is important and to define the actions that you will take to complete it. Project proposals can have many uses. Generally, they are used to get the gree-light from stakeholders, although in many other cases they can also be used to present a new in-house project).
The goal of a project proposal is to grab stakeholders and project sponsor attention. Why? Because projects require financial support, and, naturally, in order to receive it, you will need to prove in detail how your project might benefit people. It should address a specific problem or solve an existing issue, or exploit a unique opportunity.
Moreover, writing a proposal benefits the project itself, because it provides structure, coordination, and vision. It helps to define the resources, tasks, equipment, and budget that will be necessary in order to complete the mission, assuring a smooth execution and leading to a successful project.
What to Consider When Writing a Project Proposal
There are several key aspects to consider when writing a proposal. In order to write an effective project proposal, you must consider asking yourself strategic questions, including:
- Core Problem: What is the core problem you are presenting and trying to solve?
- Resources: What resources will be available? And, which ones are already available?
- Timeline: What timeline or schedule will you be working with?
- Budget: What is your specific budget? Does it affect any ongoing projects or initiatives?
- Strategic Goals: Does your project align with the goals of the stakeholder and other people involved?
- Responsibilities: Who will be responsible for the project?
- Benefit: How will the stakeholder benefit from the completion of the project? How will your clients benefit from it?
- Project deliverables: What deliverables will be expected to see at project closure?
How to Write a Project Proposal
Think of a project management proposal as a means to convince people your project has a solid background and a good reason for existing. In order to accomplish this, you have to think about delivering a proposal that meets your stakeholder’s needs. This document must be able to communicate your ideas to the people that need to approve them, so it’s vital that it is well-constructed. In order to write an effective project proposal, you must keep in mind several different elements and sections.
- Executive Summary. Use the executive summary to explain the project and to capture the attention of your audience. It should be short, to the point, and motivational. Write about what you’re going to achieve and describe why the idea is important to them.
- Background. This section outlines precedents and it describes how your project can benefit from previous similar projects. It’s mainly a brief story on what you’ve learned about successful projects and how the information might be useful for the next one.
- Requirements. This section should describe what you will need in order to complete your project; materials, resources, budget, and skills necessary for project completion.
- Showcase a solution. Use this section to address how your proposal will solve a specific issue. Describe what you’re aiming to achieve and to persuade the reader into realizing the unique problem and situation you’re solving. Skills, procedures, and project management techniques should be listed in order to demonstrate how the work will be performed effectively.
- Timeline and budget. Prepare an estimate of your project’s schedule. Include milestones and stages of completion. This section should also include a rough estimate of the overall cost of the project.
- Decision-makers. This section should inform the reader who the decision-makers are on the project team and who will be in charge of managing the project. It should also clarify any external stakeholders who must sign off on the project. Basically, this section includes who is to going to authorize the project throughout its entire lifecycle.
- Appendix. This last section documents any additional information and any supporting papers that underlie your project. This is where you want to add interesting facts or statistics that your readers might want to deep-dive into for more details.
How to Use Instagantt’s Project Proposal Template
Project proposals provide background, goals, vision, and scope, and they help to demonstrate and to communicate what you want to accomplish by executing the project. Also, by organizing information and describing the importance of the plan, it becomes easier for teams to follow instructions and to focus on accomplishing objectives.
Project management software, such as Instagantt(gantt chart maker), can be used to prepare and outline project proposals, mainly because it provides room for listing tasks, schedules, and attaching and documenting information. Also, they improve teamwork by allowing online collaboration.
With Instagantt, one of the best gantt chart online software, you’ll be able to create and manage projects in minutes. Most importantly, you will be able to keep track of all the different activities, as well as the overall progress of your plan. Thanks to its Gantt chart design, not only will you be adding tasks and assigning responsibilities, but you’ll also be managing a clear timeline for your work.
Take a Look at Our Free Project Proposal Template
