Definition of a Project proposal and its components

A project proposal is a written document that outlines the details of a proposed project, including its objectives, timeline, budget, methods and expected outcomes, aiming to persuade stakeholders for example donors to approve its implementation and provide necessary resources to carry it out.

Contents of a project proposal

 Executive Summary; an executive summary refers to what the proposal is all about. It is important to write the summary because decision makers are very busy and do not have the time to read the bulk of documents. It is usually one page and should contain the gist of the project (It should cover the key issues in the proposal). It covers the following essential components of full proposal: - a) State the objectives of the projects. b) Clearly state the strategy of the project. c) Explain how the project will address the significant problem that you are trying to solve. d) Outline the short comings of the present situation and then put forward a picture of the future, reflecting the changes that would be on proposed interventions. e) State the total cost of the project in executive summary. 

 2. Background In the project background you are trying to state how the project idea was conceived. In other words, the desirable history of the project. It should give an outline of how the problem was identified and the process leading to the final decision to develop the project proposal. 

 3. Project Rationale or Justification; Tell us the significance of your project. Why your project and not others. 

 4. Project area characteristics You briefly describe the area characteristics which would assist the reader understand the setting of the project. In most cases the project area characteristic includes the following: a) Population number and density. b) Climate and sometimes weather. c) Availability of social services like roads, electricity, telephones etc. d) Economic activities taking place.

 5. Needs assessments/national analysis This provides the desk on how you carried out the needs assessment and what this exercise is about. Give a brief overview of a problem situation by focusing on the specific needs and problems to be addressed by the project. You could also indicate the location of project activities and the beneficiaries of the project. You could also attach a map in relation to the rest of the area in the country. You need also to explain how the needs assessment exercise was carried out. Methods that were used, the people you talked to, the duration and method used to make priorities.

 6. Statement of the problem This is a critical part of your project proposal. It offers the opportunity to demonstrate and understand the problem that is about to be addressed. The problem statement should state what is lacking or inadequate and needs improvement. This should be stated in terms of undesirable situation, which you are trying to improve or eliminate. It should also suggest a remedy and state the urgency of the required action. For commercial projects the most important factor at this stage is the possibility for the market. You need to identify the cause of the problem e.g. what has brought a certain disease like diarrhea. Then include specific development constraints and threats to overcome. This can be social, economic, political and environmental. 

 7. Activities to date The proposal gives details of existing efforts to solve the problem by individuals, communities, the state and other organizations. You need to note the challenges that are existing so that it gives a justification for your inputs. Explain how your project is going to implement the existing efforts and how duplication of efforts is going to be avoided. In most cases donors are interested in supporting already existing efforts or ongoing community efforts.

 8. Organizational capability This section points the organization suitability to handle such a project that is being proposed. Describe your organizational structure. The objectives of the organization, membership, the resources available to the organization (both human and non-human  and Management resources). Briefly you need to mention what other activities have been previously handled or implemented by this organization in order to demonstrate your organizations' capacity to manage the project that is now being proposed. If the proposal is about expanding the project, then you talk about the achievement since the project was started in both quantitative and qualitative terms in relation to goals. We need to carry out what is called SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats) for the project that is being proposed. Opportunities may include an enabling environment, political support and government policy. For commercial projects, the biggest threat is competitors. The competitors might outcompete and will be competed also. Prevalence of disasters in certain areas can also be a threat e.g. Ebola. The knowledge of this threat will improve the strategies. 

 9. Plan Implementation This section spells out the activities that could be undertaken to achieve your expected outputs. The logical sequence of these activities is strictly supposed to be adhered too. The time frame has to be included (this is the time when you expect to carry out an activity or certain activities) and you can use a Gantt chart to represent your activity time frame. You indicate when you are starting it, when it is going to end and most importantly in a Gantt chart, the person responsible is the most important.

 10. Role of Participating Organizations This section tells the donors the role of the organization in the project implementation process. The role can be in form of financial or mechanical resources.

 11. Beneficiary Participation This section specifies the contribution expected from the project beneficiaries. This can be in form of financial, mechanical or human resources. You state whether people are to provide unskilled labor. You need to explain how the beneficiaries could be involved in planning and implementation of the project. 

 12. Organizational Structure and Staffing This section stipulates how the project will be structured for the purposes of management. The lines of authority and communication should be clarified. There is need to think about the qualities of different staff members to fill the jobs that have been created. 

 13. Financial Management; How are the project funds going to be managed?  What is the accounting period?  What basic financial statement or reports will be made and how often will they be made? 

 14. Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring simply means trying to check whether the project is on course as far as its goals and objectives are concerned. Evaluation is to measure whether the objectives of the project have been achieved.

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