Reading and Writing

Quarter 4 – Module 4:
Academic Writing in the
Discipline: Writing a Project
Proposal
Reading and Writing
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 4 – Module 4: Academic Writing in the Discipline: Writing a Project Proposal
First Edition, 2020

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 What I Need to Know

This module is designed and written to provide you with the essential competencies in
reading and writing. The scope of this module discusses the unique features of and
requirements in composing texts that are useful in various disciplines. Each lesson is
followed by activities that will help you gain familiarity of the foundational concepts of
academic writing, and practice and engage your critical thinking, reading and writing.
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
1. identify the unique features, parts, and requirements in writing a project
proposal; and
2. produce an effective project proposal.

What I Know

Read the questions carefully and choose the letter of the correct answer.
1. This part provides the background necessary for understanding the project
A. Project Introduction C. Project Methodology
B. Project Description D. Project Revision

2. This section gives specific information about the project itself.

A. Project Introduction C. Project Methodology
B. Project Description D. Project Revision

3. Which of the following presents an analysis of all the costs anticipated in the
project?
A. Benefits B. Methods C. Schedule D. Budget

4. It reveals what the project intends to achieve in terms of results.

A. Rationale B. Objectives C. Benefits D. Introduction

5. These shows what the reader target audience can gain from the proposal,
which may be improvements on systems, or a change in behavior of the
beneficiaries.
A. Introduction B. Rationale C. Benefits D. Objectives

What’s In

Ponder on the following questions:

1.What are the characteristics of a good project proposal?
2.Why should a project proposal bear these characteristics?

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 What’s New

Directions: List the different problems that exist in your barangay.

PROBLEMS IN DESCRIPTION
THE BARANGAY

Let’s Think!
What do you think are the ways to address the problems you listed?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

What is It

WRITING A PROJECT PROPOSAL

A project proposal is a highly persuasive and informative documents that aims
to address a particular problem or issue. It is a bid or offer to initiate a project for an
individual or a group. It usually ranges from 1,000 to 2,500 words depending on the
complexity of the project being proposed.

A good project proposal specifies the following:

⚫ Goals and objectives that the project wants to accomplish;
⚫ Project plan that details how the set goals and objectives will be accomplished;
⚫ Financial, human (e.g., experts, consultants), and technical (e.g., equipment and
facilities) resources useful in implementing the project; and
⚫ Budget that specifies how much money is needed and for what purpose it will be
spent.

Types of Project Proposal

There are four types of project proposals which vary depending on the context of the
problem and the receiver and sender of proposals.
1. Solicited internal
⚫ It is used when the target reader is within the organization.
⚫ It responds to a specific request within the organization.
⚫ The problem has been identified within the organization and the decision to solve it
has been made.
2. Unsolicited internal
⚫ It is used when the target reader is within the organization.
⚫ It is a self-initiated proposal that no one asked for.
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⚫ The target reader has not yet identified that a problem exists within the organization;
hence, no decision has been made to solve the problem.
3. Solicited external
⚫ It is used when the target reader is not within the organization.
⚫ It responds to a specific request from someone who is not within the company.
⚫ The problem has been identified and the decision to solve it has been made.
4. Unsolicited external
⚫ It is used when the target reader is not within the organization.
⚫ It is self-initiated proposals that no one ask for.
⚫ The target reader has not yet identified that a problem exists; hence, no decision
has been made to solve the problem.

Parts of a Project Proposal

1. Cover letter
⚫ Introduces the proposals to the reader
⚫ States the project proposal title, date the proposal was requested (if solicited),
general purpose and scope of the proposal, and acknowledgement of people who
have contributed to the completion of the proposals
⚫ Includes the highlights of the proposal and directs the readers to these highlights
2. Title Page
⚫ Includes the project title that is concise and informative
⚫ Includes the lead organization, place and date of project, client’s or donor’s name,
proponent’s name and the department or organization he/she represents, and date
of submissions
3. Abstract of Executive Summary
⚫ Includes the objectives, implementing organization, major project activities and total
project cost
⚫ Usually composed of 200 to250 words and highlights only the major points; some
abstract may be longer depending on the culture of the funding agency
⚫ Uses a paragraph format
4. Context of the Proposal
⚫ Describes the socio-economic, cultural, and political background in which the
proposal is situated.
⚫ Presents data collected from other sources that are relevant to the planning stage
5. Project Justification
⚫ Provides a rationale for the project
⚫ Includes the problem statement that specifies the problem addressed by the project
⚫ Points out why the problem is an issue that requires immediate attention
⚫ Specifies the target group‟s needs that arise from the adverse effect of the described
problem
⚫ Presents the approach or strategy that will be used to address the problem
⚫ Describes the capability of the implementing organization or group by stating its
track record
Note: When writing this section, justify why your organization or group is
the best group to implement the project.
6. Personnel Involved
List the people involved in the project, their corresponding roles, and their
summary of qualifications
7. Project implementation
⚫ Is divided into an activity plan which specifies the schedule of activities and a
resource plan which specifies the items needed to implement the project
⚫ Describes the activities and resource allocation in detail, as well as the person in
charge of executing the activities
⚫ Indicates the time and place of activities

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8. Budget
⚫ Presents the expected income and expenses over a specified time period
⚫ Itemizes the budget
9. Monitoring and Evaluation
⚫ Specifies when and how the team will monitor the progress of the project
⚫ Specifies the method for monitoring and evaluation
⚫ Specifies the personnel in charge of monitoring and evaluation
10. Reporting Scheme
Specifies the schedule for reporting the finances and progress of the project
11. Conclusion
⚫ Briefly describes the project, the problem it addresses, and its benefits to all
stakeholders through a summary
⚫ Directs the readers back to the good features of the project
⚫ Urges the readers to contact the proponent to work out the details of the project
proposals
12. References
⚫ Lists all the references used in drafting the project proposal using the format
required the funding agency

Guidelines in Preparing for a Project Proposal

1. Decide what the problem is and prepare a rough idea on how this problem
can be addressed.
2. Develop or select a framework that will help you organize your ideas
systematically.
3. Identify the organization that will probably fund your project. These can be
government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private companies,
and foundations, and international funding agencies.
4. Build your project proposal team and appoint a project leader who is
responsible for coordinating activities and communicating with the funding
agency.
5. Identify the organization that will probably fund your project. These can be
government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private companies
and foundations, and international funding agencies.
6. Hold and initial meeting with your team to discuss the plans in preparing the
project proposal.
7. Allot sufficient time for planning.
8. Involve all the team members by assigning specific responsibilities to them.
9. Be realistic with your project proposal. Make sure that your objectives and
activities are within the given time and resources.
10. Contact the funding agency if some items and requirements are not clear to
you.
11. Always put yourself in the shoes of the receiver of the project proposal.

Guidelines in Writing a Project Proposal

1. The title page must be unnumbered but it is considered page I; the back page
of the title page is unnumbered as well; but it is considered page ii. The
abstract, which follows after the title page, is considered page 1 and must
already be numbered.
2. Do not use abbreviations on the title page.
3. Attach the curriculum vitae of the personnel who are part of them.
4. In the project implementation section, use a Gantt chart for presenting the
time frame.
5. Write the abstract after you have completed the report.
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6. Study the successful proposals that are similar to yours.
7. Be factual but use technical terms sparingly.
8. Choose a reader-friendly format
9. Use sections words to make your proposal more dynamic.

Here is a sample project proposal you can refer to:

I. Project Title: “Bote Queen”
II. Project Proponents: This project is headed only by the Supreme Student
Government.
III. Project rationale: In line with vision-mission of the school, this project will help
promote cleanliness and awareness of the students about the 3Rs; Reduce, Recycle.
IV. Project objectives:
⚫ To expose students in different environmental activities
⚫ To raise fund and support the Supreme Student Government (SSG) projects
⚫ To promote the awareness of the students
V. Project description:
This project will be accomplished through the help of our officers, faculty and staff, and
the support of the students. Each sections will have a representative
queen and they are required to bring bottles for the first and last counting. From their
bottles and other recyclable materials, they will make a presentable
costume to be showcased by their representative and the pageant will begin.
VI. Project Duration:
⚫ Each section will start collecting bottles on March 1,2019 (Friday)
⚫ The first counting will be on March 5,2019 (Tuesday)
⚫ The last counting will be on March 11,2019 (Tuesday)
⚫ The pageant will begin on March 15, 2019 (Friday)
VII. Target Beneficiaries:
The five section will start collecting bottles will receive an incentive from the
Supreme Student Government (SSG) on their Christmas Party. The collected
money will be used for the LPCA battle that is proposed to be held in October.
VIII. Propose Budget
The only expenses will be prize (trophy, sash, certificates) for the winning
sections and also the reigned Bote Queen. The budget for this is
estimated at Php 500-Php1500.
IX. Monitoring and Evaluation
This project will be overall managed by the Supreme Student
Government (SSG) and each adviser of the sections will assist their
students for the activities.

What’s More

A. Write T if the statement is true and F if false.

_______1. A project proposal is mainly informational.
_______2. A Gantt chart is one way to present the schedule of activities.
_______3. A one-word title is more preferred to a descriptive title.
_______4. A project proposal is usually one page only.
_______5. It is ideal to include only the total budget needed.
_______6. Only one team leader should write the project proposal.
_______7. Opinions add credibility to the proposal.
_______8. The project proposal needs to address the specific problem.
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_______9. The qualification of personnel is crucial to the approval of project proposal.
_______10. There is only one format for a project proposal.

What I Have Learned

A project proposal is basically a problem-solution text that aims to persuade its

reader to grant funding on the project or the accomplishment of the solution to the
problem. It has five basic parts, namely, title page, project summary, qualification
budget justification, and project narrative. It includes visual such as Gantt charts, for
timetable, and tables for budget justification and avoids confusing terms such as
jargons, acronyms, and abbreviations specific to a field of study.

What I Can Do

Write a project proposal. Interview the people in the community including the barangay
chairman, counselors, the elderly, mothers, fathers, and the youth regarding the needs
and problems of the community. After the interview, choose one and write a full blown
project proposal.

Complete the given outline to come up a project proposal.

I. Project Title:
II. Project Proponents
III. Project Rationale
IV. Project Objective:
V. Project Description:
VI. Project Duration:
VII. Target Beneficiaries:
VIII. Propose Budget:
IX. Monitoring and Evaluation:

Project Proposal Rubric

Excellent Proficient Basic Below Basic

4 pts 3 pts 2 pts 1 pt

Subject Excellent Proficient Basic Below Basic

Matter
Student shows a Student shows an Student shows Student shows
deep understanding of some very little
understanding of the subject matter understanding understanding
the subject matter and it is evident of the subject of the subject
and its greater in the execution of matter but matter and
implications. confusion is thoroughly

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 Proposal or plan the proposal or evident in some misinterprets
shows integration plan. aspects of the the
of some advanced proposal or requirements for
or researched plan. the class.
concepts.

Creativity/ Excellent Proficient Basic Below Basic

Ambition
The project The project The project The project
proposed is very proposed is proposed is proposed is not
original, creative original, creative somewhat creative, original
and ambitious. and somewhat creative, or ambitious,
The student is ambitious. The original or the student is
highly motivated, student is ambitious the uninspired,
and the project motivated about student is not project has a low
has a good the project, and very excited but potential for
potential for the project has a not bored, success.
success. good potential for project has
success some potential
for success.

Final Product Excellent Proficient Basic Below Basic

Shows excellent Shows good effort, Shows some Shows little or

effort, care and care and effort, care and no effort, care or
creativity. creativity. creativity. creativity.

Final product is Proposal or plan Proposal or plan Project proposal

complete and well- is finished and is finished and is sloppy,
presented. Shows turned in on time. turned in, but is illegible,
excellent research, Shows good rushed and is crumpled,
careful planning, research, some poorly unfinished or
and excellent planning, vision, presented. incomplete.
execution. and good
execution.

Structure and Excellent Proficient Basic Below Basic

Flow
Proposal or plan is Proposal or plan Proposal or plan Proposal or plan
clear, concise, and is well organized, makes general is vague,
has a logical and has a sense but disjointed, and
structure and flow. sensible flow and requires some shows no sense,
structure. work to organize structure, or
Work shows deep and structure in flow.
consideration of Minor elements a logical and
the execution of may need sensible Confusing to
the project after clarification but manner. read, difficult to
the proposal's otherwise well understand.
approval. made and ready
for execution.

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 Assessment

Read each sentence carefully. Choose the letter that corresponds to the letter of the
correct answer.

1. What is the main goal of a project proposal?

A. Find an idea for the project
B. Hire a team for the project
C. Close down the project
D. Get approval and funding for the project
2. Which question about the project should be answered in the problem
statement section?
A. What B. Who C. Why D. When
3. Which statement of the project proposal should explain how the project will be
delivered?
A. Problem statement C. Technical approach
B. Objectives D. Project team
4. Which section contains a short summary about the project?
A. The title C. The introduction
B. The abstract D. The table of contents
5. Which section needs to grab the readers’ attention and explain what the
project is all about?
A. The abstract C. The title
B. The discussion D. The table of contents
6. Which statement is true of a project proposal?
A. It is mainly persuasive. C. It is highly entertaining.
B. It is entirely informative D. It is mostly descriptive.
7. An internal proposal is used _________ a company.
A. Beside B. Outside C. Without D. Within
8. Which of the following is not true?
A. Some project proposals are approved.
B. The readers of the project proposal decide whether to accept the proposal.
C. A project proposal can be used within a company.
D. Project proposals are only done by request.
9. A proposal can bring about a successful project that can generate profit and raise
more funds. Which word appropriately describes that proposal?
A. Sound B. Sincere C. Persuasive D. Profound
10. The background section of a project proposal states the problem to address and
solve, while this feature presents the solution.
A. Introduction B. Budget C. Project plan D. Qualifications

11. The information below is part of the _________ section of a project proposal. The
cost of the new equipment is approximately Php 100,000. This already includes a two-
year warranty.
A. Qualifications B. costs and benefits C. Introduction D. project plan

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12. Anna knows that the readers of her project proposal already have considerable
knowledge regarding the subject. Which of the following should she do?
A. Allot more time for questions regarding the project.
B. Provide an extensive discussion or background information for the subject.
C. Make sure that all the details regarding the project are provided in the
introduction.
D. Give a brief background regarding the subject.
13. In making a proposal, one should have a clear understanding of the following
details about the readers except _________.
A. Attitudes B. Values C. Needs D. Affiliations

14. Tells how the project will be handheld. This includes the task phases from
planning to production, division of responsibilities and duties of each team member
A. Budget
B. Design
C. Project Organization and Management
D. Rationale
15. If you're writing an unsolicited proposal, you may have to ___.
A. convince readers of a problem exists that must be addressed
B. use a style approved by the Association of Business Writers
C. analyze the client's business in light of the competition
D. enumerate the client's options regarding business decisions

Additional Activities

As this module helps you to write project proposals, you come to realize that you must
develop your ability to foresee your future though in written form. Likewise, it is a test
of your ability to decide once and for all about your specific plans ahead. What then is
your next project, and why?