Overview
(I will give you my propasal I wrote I just need helping writing it in paper form and addding background of the social problem which is violence on and off campus targeted at women)
Format
The proposal should influence the following sections which should be separated by sub headings. While it is important to talk to your audience about the nature of your problem, remember this is an innovation proposal and given the way it will be evaluated, the bulk of the paper should detail the proposed innovation. For the grading rubric, please consult the Social Innovation Challenge Proposal Assignment.
Problem Statement
- Grab the reader’s attention
- Convince people why your topic is a problem and why they should care (even if they have no personal stake or are not impacted by it)
- Connect your social problem to the theme of the Innovation Challenge (the them is justice)
- Describe the exact nature of your problem (Definition and causes, integrate literature, but avoid jargon or buzzwords)
- Describe who is being most affected by your problem
Proposed Solution:
- Use this section to meet the goal of Articulating your Innovation. Think of this section as answering the question: What is your proposal/program?
- Describe the innovation (product, service, program, or combination of ideas) in detail.
- Someone should have a clear picture of the goals and stated outcomes of your proposal.
- What is the unmet need your proposal will address for your population?
Implementation:
- Use this section to meet your goal of establishing your proposal is Reasonable and Feasible. Think of this section as the answer to the question: How will your program work and how exactly it will address the problem?
- Discuss the resources required as well as the structure of your program. While the last section was an overview, think about this section as more detailed or explaining what the program actually would specifically do in its day-to-day activities.
- Describe in detail the process of how our program and its activities will directly address the problem.
- What are common obstacles and how will you address them
- Your description should be informed by the social innovation process and reflect a detailed understanding of someone with expertise. Think about the program: how the program will do X, which will change behavior Y,
- Describe how your project is sustainable
Value
- Use this section to meet your goal of establishing the Broad Impact of your proposal. Think of this sections as the answer to the question: What is the impact of your program
- Assume your program is created and implemented perfectly, tell the audience about the impact that the program will have. This should be a mixture of emotional impact (think back to how you framed your issue in the problem statement) and social science impact (measurable outcomes based on earlier discussions of how the innovation addresses the problem
- Focus on the specific knowledge, skill, or change in behavior that will result from your program.
- How will that result improve the problem as a whole and/or the unmet needs of your population?
- Describe how your program will measure success
Final thoughts & next steps
- Leave the reader with a call to action and explain why implementing your innovation is imperative/necessary.
- Tie back to the theme of the Innovation Challenge
- Offer a first step toward implementing your success. What is a small and simple thing that could be done to make progress toward building your innovation?
- Do not simply restate or summarize earlier arguments.
General Tips:
- This is a proposal, so consider this professional writing. Avoid contractions (don't, can't, etc) and other informal writing.
- Avoid the phrases "I feel", "I think", or "I believe". These weaken your argument and do not reflect the move to expertise we discussed earlier in the semester.
- Believe in yourself and write this from a position of confidence. This is a chance to show your expertise.
- Demonstrate value. As we discussed in class, do not assume the value of a proposal or program. Don't assume that a program such a mentoring program has value or that people know how it helps. Show them the value and how it will work.
- Write an engaging introduction - grab the reader’s attention
- Define the Problem You Can Solve - be clear about the nature, cause & impact of the problem
- Offer Evidence
- Offer a Solution
- Close With a Call to Action
- The tone of the paper should be presenting the proposal in a manner that convinces the readers of its merits. This is a proposal for a challenge/competition, thus should not read the same as a research paper.
- Steer Clear of Jargon and Buzzwords - while you want to base the problem/solution in academic knowledge, remember your audience will not be social scientists or necessarily academics.
- Keep It Clear and Concise
- Organize, Edit, and Proofread