Project Proposal Outline
A project proposal is a request for financial aid to implement a project. The project proposal outlines the plan for implementing the project by giving the financier a detailed overview of the intention for the project, how to implement it, ways to manage it, the funds required to implement the project, and the results expected.
The main parts of a project proposal are:
1. Abstract/Executive Summary
2. Project justification
3. Project aims
4. Project results
5. Target group
6. Project implementation
7. Monitoring and evaluation
8. Reporting
9. Management and personnel
Format of a Project Proposal
1. Abstract/Executive Summary – Many people who come across your project proposal do not have time to read it in full. Therefore, it is important to start the project proposal with a detailed summary of the project to give your reader a good overview of what you are proposing. This is called the abstract.
The abstract should have:
• The problem statement - one or two paragraphs that state the problem or need to be addressed
• The project’s objectives - what the project aims to achieve
• Solution – one or two paragraphs short description of the project that includes what will take place, the benefit, how and where it will operate / work, for how long and who will staff it
• Implementing organizations - the people or organization that seeks to implement the project
• Key project activities - the main project activities
• The total project budget - one paragraph explanation of the amount of money required for the project and future funding plans
• Funding requirements – an explanation of the amount of money required for the project and
• Future funding plans - one paragraph outlining the plans for funding the project in future
• Organization and its expertise - name, history, purpose, activities, and capacity to carry out the proposal (one paragraph)
2. Project justification
Provide the rationale for the project. This is one of the most important parts of the project proposal and can be divided into four or more sub-sections.
a) Problem statement – Describe the specific problems that your project aims to solve in order to "make a case” for the project.
b) Justification of the problem - state why the issue is a problem for the community or society as a whole, i.e. what negative implications affect the target group. Point out the specific needs of the target group that appear as a direct consequence of the described problem.
c) Statement of Need – two or three paragraphs to inform the readers about the issues, presents the facts, and evidence that support the need for the project. You should also show the reader that you are in a position to solve the issue. While writing the statement of fact, ensure that you:
- Use accurate date and support it with data.
- Use examples to prove your points
d) Context-In this part of the project proposal, you should describe the social, economic, political, and cultural background that affects the project.
e) The proposed intervention- state the strategy chosen for solving the problem and tell the funder how it will lead to improvement.
f) The implementing organization- describe the organization that will be behind the proposed project. You should also describe the capabilities of your organization by referring to its capacity and previous project record.
3. Project Description – In this part, you should give an accurate description of the project in a way that is interesting and compelling to secure the funding you need.
Project description is divided into five sections:
- Five sections –
- Objectives of the project – the describes the tangible outcome or benefit of the project
- Methods – This gives a detailed description of the activities that will lead to achieving the said objectives. It also gives the how, when (project timeline), and why the methods will work.
- Staffing and Administration – An outline of the number of staff, their qualifications, and what they will be doing towards the realization of the laid down objectives.
- Evaluation – Description of how the funder will know that the project has succeeded. Describe the methods that you will use to evaluate the success of the project, the types of measures, all the activities required to achieve the objectives, and who will measure success.
- Sustainability – Funders are rarely interested in making a long-term commitment to one organization. Therefore, you should tell them how the project would stay sustainable by, for example, either attracting other funders or other methods of generating money to keep the project going.
4. Target group
In this section, you should describe the target group and show how it will benefit from the project. Describe in detail the size and characteristics of the target groups such as their ages, ethnicity, and other important demographics.
5. Project implementation
Describe the activities and resources that are required to achieve the objectives of the project. You should provide a good overview of who is going to implement the project’s activities as well as where and when. The activity plan can be divided into two key elements, that is, the activity plan and the resource plan.
- Activity plan - Provide specific information and explanations of each of the planned project activities. Describe the duration of the project with considerable detail on the beginning and the end of the project.
- Resource plan - The resource plan should provide information on the means necessary to undertake the project. Cost categories are established at this stage in order to aggregate and summarise the cost information for budgeting.
6. Budget - Provide a summary of direct and indirect expenses, as well as anticipated revenue, for the ‘completion of the project. For ease of understanding, this summary is usually in the form of a chart and includes a narrative to explain anything unusual.
7. Monitoring and evaluation
Define the indicators that will show the objectives of the proposal have been met. The project proposal should indicate:
• How and when the project management team will conduct activities to monitor the project’s progress;
• Which methods will be used to monitor and evaluate; and
• Who will do the evaluation?
8. Reporting
In this part, you should outline the expected schedule of project progress.
9. Management and personnel
A brief description of the project personnel, the individual roles each one has assumed, and the communication mechanisms that exist between them. All the additional information (such as CVs) should be attached to the annexes
10. Conclusion – A concluding paragraph or two that is used to make a final pitch for the project