Crafting a Good Proposal

							Crafting a Good Proposal
by Catherine Kettrick

       Well-crafted proposals are essential for a well-run meeting. A
poorly crafted proposal will raise questions the group can‟t answer,
for lack of information, and can result in “spinning”—discussing the
same thing over and over and getting no where because you have no
where to go.

        A well-crafted proposal will have a clear title, including stating
briefly what the proposal will do, and what purpose it will serve.
(While it is not absolutely necessary that a proposal have a purpose,
it provides a starting point for the Level I discussion and gives
members a brief reason why the proposal makers think it is a good
idea). The proposal will provide details on exactly how the proposal
will work and also include any relevant background information. Here
are some examples.

Clear title

      A clear proposal title will have the following form: That (name
of organization) do ______________ for (purpose).

       For example: That WSRID develop a web page to provide the
public with information about the interpreting profession; interpreters
with information relevant to their work; and a forum for discussing
issues related to interpreting.

      Or: That WSRID pro-rate dues for certified interpreters who
join during the year to encourage people to join WSRID mid-year.

     Or: That WSRID develop a refund policy for workshops and
conferences to provide members with a consistent response to refund
requests and to be in compliance with RID.

      Details on how the proposal will work

      When crafting a proposal you want to be as specific as possible
about its details. Think of all the questions someone might ask about
the proposal and answer them by providing details—e.g. cost, time
frame, who will do it, how it may affect the organization, etc. The most
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important part of details is—details. Don‟t agonize over them
(“Should the refund policy say „no refunds 10 days prior to the
workshop or 15 days prior?‟ Should it be days or business days???”)
Just put down what you think is a good choice, and trust that the
group will change it for the better. A clear choice (“no refunds 15
days prior to the workshop”) is very easy to change. No choice (“We
weren‟t sure what people would want, so we left it blank”) will only
result in endless discussions about what to do.

Relevant background information and rationale

       Relevant background information can vary but will typically
include the origin of the idea, and any history or work related to the
proposal. Remember that the members of the group have not gone
through the discussions you have gone through in crafting the
proposal; what seems obvious to you may not be to them. When in
doubt include more information rather than less. When people have
the full context, they can more easily understand the proposal.
       The rationale should give all the reasons you think the proposal
will help the organization. If you know of any concerns with the
proposal you can include them here.

      Here is an example of background information and
rationale that might go with the proposal to pro-rate dues:

Background information: Requests for pro-rating dues have come up
before from members, but the Board has not made any formal
decision about it. We need to formally decide whether or not we will
do it.

Rationale: We are an organization that supports interpreters. Pro-
rating dues for the first year is a welcoming gesture that will
encourage people to join any time during the year. They will gain
member benefits, and WSRID will gain their knowledge and skills all
the sooner. One concern is that the membership forms will have to
be re-done and someone will have to do that. But they are printed on
an “as needed” basis, so we don‟t have a lot of them to use up first.