Responsive Session 3

I was unfortunately able to attend this session, but I wish to record down some important notes I was able to extract from the material provided on the eStudio.

There are 10 Steps to Producing a Persuasive Project Proposal:

1. Set clear aims and objectives
   Aims: The changes that your project will make to the status quo
   - Changes in peoples' perceptions
   - Changes to the way people do things
   - Political change
   - Social change
   - The impact that your finished work is designed to have on a particular audience or user
   Objectives: The methods by which you plan to achieve your aims
   - What research will you carry out
   - Where will you go for specialist information
   - What kind of people will you seek aid from
   - What expert advice will you need
   - What processes will be involved
   - Which skills will be evidenced
   - What activities will take place
   - What places of finished work will be produced
2. Be SMART
   - Specific (Details exactly what needs to be done)
   - Measurable (Achievements can be measured in terms of units, or specific success criteria)
   - Achievable (That resources, scope and scale are within your capabilities or capacity)
   - Realistic (The objectives is possible to attain - which is important for your motivation)
   - Time Conscious (The period of time, target dates, schedule or timetable is clearly defined)
3. Use words from your brief
   - When laying out the plan for your project proposal, refer to the brief to find all the headings and subjects you should include
4. Justify the need for your proposal
   - Show what research you have already done.
   - Who needs it?
   - Why do they need it?
   - What evidence can you provide to support your argument?
   - Don't make empty statements
5. Describe your audience
   - Demographics?
   - Locations?
   - Lifestyle?
   - Which industry?
   - What values do they have?
   - Why will they engage with it?
6. Describe your motivations
   - What are your goals?
   - What are your ambitions?
   - What are your success criteria?
   - What are your values? (Political standpoint, environmental concerns, social factors and economic factors)
7. Consider the reader (Refer to provided Example Project Proposal Template)
   - Make your proposal easy to read by:
   - Using the appropriate tone
   - Not repeating yourself
   - Asking one or two friends to beta it before submission
8. Eliminate the vagueness to instil confidence or faith in the minds of those who will support, mentor, collaborate with or fund your project, you have to be really precise
   - Some words to avoid:
   Unique, nice, special, normal, bland, sleek, definitely, awesome, gay, basically, essentially, totally, interesting, utilise, like, get, got, I, chance, actually, really, truly, amazing, everyone, never, always, things, life, a lot, good, bad, cool, whatever, went, boring, trendy, stylish, maybe, individual
9. Visualise the outcome earlier
10. Assume nothing (Except that the reader of your proposal knows nothing about you, your skills or the context of your project)

I suppose I am relieved that I have managed to follow most of these steps so far for the rough draft... I better go back and change a few things now.