Chapter 5 : The Proposal

MMD3023
Outline
The aim of the proposal,
proposal content,
description of the components and
timeline of the project.
 Aim of the proposal
A technical proposal, often called a "Statement of Work, is a
persuasive document. Its objectives are to
1. Identify what work is to be done
2. Explain why this work needs to be done
3. Persuade the reader that the proposers (you) are qualified for
the work, have a plausible management plan and technical
approach, and have the resources needed to complete the task
within the stated time and cost constraints.
What makes a good proposal?
One attribute is appearance. A strong proposal has an
attractive, professional, inviting appearance. In addition, the
information should easy to access.
A second attribute is substance.
A strong proposal has a well-organized plan of attack. A strong
proposal also has technical details because technical depth is
needed to sell your project.
 Proposal Content
One aspect of layout is the incorporation of
illustrations. In your proposal, each illustration
should have a name and be formally introduced
in the text.
Illustrations consist of figures and tables.
Figures include photographs, drawings, diagrams,
and graphs. Each figure should have a stand-alone
caption, and the key points and features should be
labeled.
Tables are arrangement of words and numbers into
rows and columns. Use tables to summarize lists that
the audience will try to find later (the budget, for
instance).
 Proposal Content
Aspect Description Aspect Description
Font for headings Boldface serif or sans serif: size in accordance with
hierarchy
Font for text portion 12-point serif such as Times New Roman or Book
Antiqua
Margins Standard, at least 1 inch
Layout One column, single-sided
Paragraphing Indented paragraphs, no line skip between
paragraphs in a section
Page number Bottom centered
Figure names Numbered: Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, and so
forth
Figure captions Below figure in 10 point type
Table names Numbered: Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, and so forth
Table headings Above table in 12 point type
 Description Of The Components

Title Page
a) Title of project in initial capital letters
b) The sponsoring company and contact persons name and
information
c) Team name and individual member names
d) Date
e) An appropriate picture of the product, a team logo, or both
Executive Summary
Content: A brief summary of the proposal
Length: one-third to one-half page, never more than one page
Emphasis: highlighting of the proposed technical and
management approach
 Description Of The Components

Table of Contents
Statement of Problem: the Why?
Summary of the request by the sponsor (the original
problem statement)
Background:
Brief description of company and their business
Relevance or importance of problem
Background information to educate the reader
Previous related work by othersliterature review with
credible sources
Patent search, if applicable
Detailed problem description, as you now understand it
 Description Of The Components

Objectives: the What?

In the Objectives section, you translate the
customers quantitative and qualitative needs into
clear, objective design specifications. Define the
scope of work and clearly state the project objectives,
including the following:
a) Design specifications in specific, quantitative terms.
For example, The plate must be rotated three times at
a speed of between 1 and 3 rev/s or Control the
temperature of a 1 liter non-insulated standard glass
beaker of water to 37.5 0.5o C for three hours
without temperature deviation.
b) Critical design issues, constraints, limitations
 Description Of The Components
Technical Approach: the How?
Although you may not know all the details of the
problem solution, you should know a first design on
how you will attack the problem, and you should have
some design concepts.
This section answers the following questions:
1) What are the steps in the design process?
2) What are the benefits and advantages of employing a
structured approach to design?
3) How will you generate solution concepts?
4) How will you analyze the performance of your solution?
5) How will you decide on the best alternative?
 Description Of The Components

Project Management: How and When?

Describes how the project will be managed, including a
detailed timetable with milestones. Specific included
are as follows:
a) Description of task phases (Planning, Concept
Development, System-Level Design, Detailed
Design, Testing and Refinement, Production)
b) Division of responsibilities and duties among team
members
c) Timeline with milestones: Gantt chart
 Description Of The Components
Deliverables
The culmination of the proposal negotiation with your
sponsor will be a completed Deliverables Agreement.
Provide a detailed description of what you are providing and
when you will provide it.
Physical prototype
Scale model
Engineering analysis (Finite Element Analysis, MATLAB, etc.)
Economic analysis (return on investment calculations)
Detailed description of test procedures
Data from experiments
Computer program code, flowchart, documentation
Circuit diagrams
User-friendly instructions including training for personnel
Description Of The Components
Budget: How Much?
Provide best estimate of how project funds will be spent
. You can divide your budget into categories;
equipment, materials, supplies, shipping
Be as exact as you can but estimate slightly higher for shipping.
For any quantities, add an additional 1020% for error.
Read all ordering requirements for each company. Some
companies have a minimum order amount so you need to be
aware of this in advance.
Youll need to have all (100%) your items ordered and
reconciled by the week before your first design.
Additional funds will not be released after this day without
written justification for the deviation (that is, why do you need
to go with your alternate choice? What went wrong with the
first design?). Additional 1020% for error.
Description Of The Components
Communication and Coordination with
Sponsor
Specify the interaction with your sponsor:

Establish communication schedule and the

responsibilities of each participant. See the syllabus for
exact dates of progress report, mid-semester
presentations, final-presentations, Showcase, etc.
Establish the form of communication (visits, weekly
updates, conference calls, teleconferences).
Specify who will receive information and how it will be
transmitted.
Clearly state what actions are requested with each
communication: information only, reply requested, etc
Description Of The Components
Special Topics
Define any sponsor specific items, such as the
handling of confidential information, and loan and
return of equipment.
Team Qualifications: the Who?
In a paragraph for each person, establish the team
qualifications for the project. Highlight any specific
job or course experiences that are relevant to the
project.
Include a one-page resume of each team member
in the Appendix. Do not include your hobbies.
Description Of The Components
Communication and Coordination with
Sponsor
Specify the interaction with your sponsor:

Establish communication schedule and the

responsibilities of each participant. See the syllabus for
exact dates of progress report, mid-semester
presentations, final-presentations, Showcase, etc.
Establish the form of communication (visits, weekly
updates, conference calls, teleconferences).
Specify who will receive information and how it will be
transmitted.
Clearly state what actions are requested with each
communication: information only, reply requested, etc
 Description Of The Components
Communication and Coordination with
Sponsor
Specify the interaction with your sponsor:

Establish communication schedule and the

responsibilities of each participant. See the syllabus for
exact dates of progress report, mid-semester
presentations, final-presentations, Showcase, etc.
Establish the form of communication (visits, weekly
updates, conference calls, teleconferences).
Specify who will receive information and how it will be
transmitted.
Clearly state what actions are requested with each
communication: information only, reply requested, etc
 Description Of The Components
Conclusion
a. Restate needs and benefits
b. Restate objectives
c. Summarize approach
d. Give costs and timeline
e. State willingness to modify proposal
 Description Of The Components
Appendices Attachments
a) Pert chart as needed a) Resumes of key
personnel
b) Supporting
illustrations, if any b) Testimonial letters
from previous
c) Supplementary customers
tables and figures c) Descriptions of
d) Cost breakdown earlier projects
information d) Revised
e) Extended analyses specifications and
effectiveness criteria
f) Lists of personnel as needed
Work in Pairs
You are going to propose a project on promoting :
1. Information Kiosk (Touch Screen) of UPSI as
education university
2. Visit Tanjong Malim as tourist attraction (website)
3. Public transportation around Malaysia (android)
4. Traditional Snack as a local food product
5. Budi Bahasa as part of the culture of Malaysian
people (website)
6. A virtual tour of Muzium Negara Malaysia.
7. Learning Anyaman using 3D experience (android)
8. Hikayat Sang Kancil as an interactive book.
9. History of Malaysian Traditional Clothes in
android
10. Learn History through interactive games
Present in Class
Each pair choose a topic
Discuss and write the proposal
Present it aloud and can use any material for
presentation (chalk & talk, Computer)
Time to discuss 15-20 minutes
Presentation : 5-10 minutes
Guideline -Produce a proposal
which consist:
Introduction :
Motivation Sentence, Summarize the problem , Summarize the
solution , Describe format of rest of proposal
Motivation
What is the history of the problem?
Why is this problem interesting?
When and why does the problem occur?
Is the problem already solved? What is done now?
Are there any similar systems or solutions to the one you
propose? If so, reference and very briefly explain them.
Are there are possible improvements to current solutions?
Project Summary
What in general will this project achieve?
Guideline -Produce a proposal
which consist:
Project Details
Architecture and Environment
Describe the project environment (software, hardware, languages, organizations, etc.)
What software, hardware, or tools will you use?
Implementation Issues and Challenges
What will be the most difficult issues and challenges in the implementation?
How are you using or extending current tools/systems for your problem?
What makes your project unique?
Deliverables
What will the project produce? (program, report, etc.)
Describe in relative detail the features of each of the project's products.
You may wish to separate deliverables into phases and indicate optional components
given time.
Emphasize what your project contributes or achieves!
Timeline : Provide an estimated timeline of project deliverables and important dates.
Conclusion
Summarize the project including the problem, motivation, and
proposed solution, and re-state important (planned) contributions.