General Proposal Paper

In several of your courses you will write some form of persuasive proposal. A persuasive proposal is usually a response to a question of policy in which you propose a new or improved policy that will solve some sort of organizational or social problem.

• First, provide a precise and clear statement of the problem you have decided to address.
• Second, indicate your analysis of the problem. This section should include relevant research on the nature of the problem, such as its causes and contributing factors, and its effects. Usually you will deal with local problems; thus, you will want to consult both local sources and relevant library research. Most students will want to design and administer their own survey in order to assess the extent and severity of the problem. (This should be the bulk of the paper and it should be well researched.)
• Third, you need to set criteria for possible solutions. This section should lay out a clear set of criteria by which any solutions will be evaluated. It will entail a careful consideration of the needs of those affected by the problem, community concerns and standards, issues of feasibility, and financial limitations, and it should clarify that your solutions will not make the problem or its surrounding situation worse (unintended consequences).
• Next, analyze alternative solutions. This section should discuss any attempts at eliminating the solutions that have already been tried and explore the strengths and limitations of those attempts. In addition, this section might include potential solutions that were considered but found unsatisfactory after further investigation.
• Next, you need to include your recommendations. Here you will provide recommendations for handling the problem and defend them against potential attacks. Recommendations should be enumerated in an organized fashion and work together as a comprehensive plan for addressing the issue. Evidence that the recommendations will likely succeed will build your case.

Finally, you will delineate a plan of implementation. This will describe in time-line form how the recommendations would be carried out. That is, once you have decided what needs to be done, you must decide how it might be accomplished.