Look at the File for a better understanding
For Project 3: Internal Proposal to your employer, you’ll be writing an informal, unsolicited (i.e., not
requested) proposal using traditional business letter format and an internal proposal structure. Your proposal
must identify and define an observed issue or problem and offer a recommendation to help improve it. Within
a few pages [roughly about 1000 words] your proposal must provide enough data and explanations to
persuade your audience that the issue warrants attention and that your suggestions are worthy of their
consideration. YOUR PROPOSAL WILL USE BOTH TEXTUAL AND VISUAL ELEMENTS TO NOT ONLY CONVINCE THE
READER OF ITS MERIT, BUT ALSO PRESENT A VIABLE PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTING IT, ALONG WITH BUDGET (AS A
TABLE), TIMEFRAME, AND CALANDAR SCHEDULE FOR COMPLETION (AS A GANTT CHART. SEE BELOW).
An important part of developing a persuasive proposal is supporting your points with concrete data. Your use
of researched sources must be integrated into your own text as support for your observations and
recommendation. Your research sources may range from statistics and sociology articles to surveys.
Incorporating research from a variety of reliable sources will make a more persuasive proposal than using
only one source or one type of source. FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT, YOUR SOURCES WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO YOUR
TEXT USING THE STANDARD SIGNALING METHOD (ATTRIBUTION, CLOSURE, AND SYNTHESIS).
DELIVERABLES OVERVIEW
An informal, unsolicited proposal in business letter format that identifies an observed issue at a place of
employment and suggests an improvement to your employer. The proposal is supported by specific data,
both textual and graphical, from reliable research sources. (Minimum 800 words; Maximum 1,000 words)
Deliverable Specifications:
Write your proposal as a business letter to a specific person such as a Director or a supervisor, in an
organization where you are a stakeholder, such as an employee, Your direct boss may not be the best
audience for your proposal, so do some research to find out who could make a decision regarding your
recommended improvement or special event. This will require visiting your organization’s website to find
that person’s name and title.
Support your proposal with reliable, current sources (not older than 3 years) containing facts, statistics,
and/or analyses related to your idea (you need a minimum of 2 supporting sources).
Note: The proposal is not a sales pitch. Therefore, your proposal should benefit the organization and not
be trying to sell a product or service through which you personally will benefit. The proposal is a form of
outreach within your company from you, the individual, to another individual with the authority to approve
your proposed idea.
Writing an internal company project proposal can be a great way to pitch a solution to a problem you’ve
identified in your organization. Here are some steps you can follow to write an effective internal proposal:
1. Develop your idea: Before you start writing, identify the problem that you are trying to solve for the
company. Take some time to think through your idea and the problem and make some notes about
how it will solve the company’s problem.
2. Create your hook: Open with a you-centered introduction to get the audience’s attention and state the
purpose for writing the letter. (Remember the AIDA model.) In addition to grabbing the reader’s
attention, the opening of the proposal should make clear your purpose for writing, in other words, that
you are proposing a solution to a problem and state what the problem is. The opening paragraph of
your document should do at least two things:
a. provide the audience with a clear understanding of the problem you are trying to solve and
why it is important.
b. clearly state the purpose of your letter (why are you writing today).
3. After the opening paragraph a section called “BACKGROUND” should give your reader the context
for the problem (when it was first noticed, what the harm is that it presents to the company, and what
the ramifications are if the problem is left unresolved.). Explain how you will solve the problem. Be
sure to include any relevant data or research that supports your idea.
a. Discuss your position as a stakeholder in the organization (i.e., employee, member,
volunteer, intern, etc.)
b. Provide an overview of the situation to establish context for your proposal.
c. Identify the need for a specific improvement
d. Discuss your specific suggestions for the improvement
4. Outline the benefits: Explain how your proposed solution will benefit your company, first and foremost
by solving the problems as well as any collateral benefits that may be realized. Be sure to highlight
any potential cost savings, increased efficiency, or other benefits.
a. In a “BENEFITS section,
b. Explain in detail why your suggestions would benefit the organization and its stakeholders
c. Focus on the benefit to the company first, then customers or employees secondarily
5. Detail the steps required to implement the plan in a section you call “IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.” In
the Implementation Plan section,
a. Outline your suggested solution in a step-by-step manner
b. Include parties who may be responsible
c. Inlcude effort levels and timeframes
6. Provide a SCHEDULE and BUDGET: In this section, you should provide a detailed timeline for your
project, including key milestones and deadlines. You should also provide a budget for your project,
including any necessary resources or personnel.
7. Summarize your proposal: In your CONCLUSION, summarize the key points of your proposal and
reiterate why your idea is important and how it will benefit your company.
8. In a “SCHEDULE” section, give a visual representation of the timeframe from the Implementation Plan.
For this assignment, show your schedule for the implementation plan as a GANTT chart. A Gantt
Chart is a visual tool in project management that helps in planning and scheduling projects of all
sizes. It illustrates the start and finish dates of the various elements of a project. The chart’s
horizontal bars show the duration of each task involved in the project.
Here is what a GANTT chart looks like:
Task Item Jan 1 Feb 2 Mar 3 Apr 4 May 5 Jun 6
Task 1:
Task 2:
Task 3:
Task 4:
Task 5:
Task 6:
Note: The Task Item descriptions should create a clear link between this section and the steps identified in the
implementation plan section.
9. In a “BUDGET” section, give an estimated cost for the project. Don’t assume that your idea will not
cost money, since even internal operations, employee hours, utilities, all can cost. Your budget
should be linked with the implementation plan and identify all charageable items, the number needed,
the cost per item, and a total cost for each line item. At the bottom of the budget table, give the total
budget for the entire solution.
Here is what your budget table should look like:
Item Description
Number of Items
Needed
Cost Per
Item ($) Total ($)
Laptop Computers 5 1,000 5,000
Office Chairs 10 150 1,500
Desks 10 300 3,000
Projector 1 800 800
Whiteboards 2 200 400
Printer 1 250 250
Grand Total 10,950
Note: The Item Descriptions should create a clear link between this section and the steps identified in the
implementation plan section.
10. CONCLUDE politely with a summary and a thank you to your reader, and offer to discuss your proposal
further, and your contact information.
11. Your proposal should use a minimum of two (2) scholarly research articles or paper to
support your idea. Check your research for credibility and cite your References list in APA
format (7th edition) for the research sources you used. Integrate your research into your
proposal using the STANDARD SIGNALING METHOD OF ATTRIBUTION OF SOURCE, CLOSURE NOTE, AND
SYNTHESIS STATEMENT. Sources need to also be current, published within the last 3 years.
*Research to Support Proposal:
Research can draw on many types of information including, but not limited to, statistical, scientific, historical,
government and demographic data. All sources must be evaluated for reliability. Sources should support
your proposal and be integrated into your text using the standard signaling method of attribution, closure,
and synthesis. Evaluate your sources to make sure they meet credibility standards, at a minimum ensure you can
identify the author, the title, and date of publication. Try to think beyond a Google search, which will return a lot of
websites that are self-promotions and sales sites, so avoid webpages that promote a company or product or that
contain a “shopping cart” theme. These sites will almost certainly present information in a biased manner toward
their own products and services.
A better search can result by using the ASU Library Online. Refer to the ASU Libraries online tutorials about
evaluating sources and conducting research linked on the course site. Peer-reviewed research articles, business
articles, and government reports with facts, statistics, and analyses by reliable experts are examples of sources.
The sources must contain data that relate to your topic but they do not have to be specifically about your topic. For
example, a community resident’s proposal for improvements to a local park could result in environmental and
human health benefits. A research article about the benefits of outdoor activity by a reliable expert in the medical
field could help support such a proposal. When evaluating sources pay close attention to the authors’ credentials
(i.e., degrees, titles, background in the field) and where their work is published.
FORMAT
This is a business LETTER and not a text or an email. Use the traditional LETTER format and write your
letter on professional letterhead (or stationery). The format and structure of business documents are of
paramount importance as they significantly influence clarity, effectiveness, and professionalism. A well-
structured document guides the reader through the content in a logical, coherent manner, making it easier
to understand and follow. This is particularly crucial in business settings where information is often
complex and decision-making is based on the details presented.
