Write an internal proposal describing an engineering-related idea you are interested in working on.
The Scenario
You are employed as a design engineer for a company. One day, you get an idea that you think would significantly improve one of your company’s products. You discuss this idea with your supervisor, who asks you to write an internal proposal describing your idea so that he/she can get approval from management for you to spend time developing and building a prototype and testing it.
Assignment Details
Write an internal project proposal in memo format whose purpose is to convince management to let you develop your idea. Your idea should be something you’re interested in working on, and one that hasn’t been done before. Do not base your proposal on a capstone project (yours or anyone else’s). However, your proposal may be based on an existing product; for example, you have thought of a way to significantly improve an existing product or service.
Note: The proposal idea that you decide on for this assignment will be the topic of your Oral Presentation, which you will give later in the quarter. So, make sure you choose an idea you like and one you would enjoy discussing and promoting, since the goal of the presentation will to be “sell” your idea to management. Also, try to choose something that lends itself to a presentation. For example, choosing a theoretical concept with no practical application is not recommended because, besides being a difficult thing to pull off, would only interest a narrow slice of people and will not engage an audience that includes people who do not have your technical background.
You are not required to back the science up with known data, since it most likely won’t exist. This means you are free to—in fact, you are obligated to—invent data to fill in the gaps.
Internal Proposal using Memo format:
Include the following sections in your proposal.
Introduction: In the first section of a proposal, refer to prior contact with the recipient of the proposal or your source of information about the project. Identify the information that follows as a proposal (in other words, state the purpose). Also, briefly overview the contents of the proposal.
Background: Discuss the problem or opportunity that caused you to write the proposal.
Actual proposal statement: Include a short section stating explicitly what you propose to do. You may also need a scope statement—an explicit statement about what you are not offering to do.
Deliverables: Describe what the project will deliver. This might be a prototype, a program design, blueprints or plans, or a report describing test results. The point is to provide details on what the recipients will get.
Benefits and feasibility of the project: To convince the recipient to fund the project, you need to discuss the benefits of the project and perhaps even the likelihood of those benefits. This is particularly true in unsolicited proposals where the recipient must be convinced that the project is necessary in the first place.
Schedule: Include a schedule of the projected work with dates or a timeline for the
major milestones. Again, this gives the recipient an idea of what lies ahead and a
chance to ask for changes; and it enables you to show how systematic, organized, and
professional you are.
Budget/Resources needed: In this section, detail the various expenses involved in the project. Rather than toss out a lump sum, break it into different kinds of labor, the hourly rates for each, and other charges. You may need to list supplies needed, expenses for new equipment, your time, and so on.
Assignment Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate your ability to do the following:
• Write a short technical report based on a realistic scenario as a design engineer.
• Write an effective internal proposal using the memo format.
• Apply the concepts of audience and purpose in a short technical report.
• Apply the concepts of clear, concise, audience-appropriate, and “noise-free” writing.
• Be creative in your approach to the assignment.
Refer to the textbook and lectures for guidance
For guidance on writing proposals using the memo format, read the following chapters in Technical Communication, 11th edition, by Mike Markel:
• Chapter 11: Designing Documents and Websites
• Chapter 12: Creating Graphics
• Chapter 14: Writing Correspondence
• Chapter 16: Writing Proposals