The Proposal and Final Report

According to the Handbook of Technical Writing (Alred, Brusaw, & Oliu, 2000) a proposal is “a written document to persuade someone to follow a plan or course of action. … Because a proposal offers a plan to fill a need, readers will evaluate your plan based on how well you answer their questions” (p. 496). As a WLP professional, writing the needs assessment proposal is important. It is your chance to persuade someone to follow the plan you are recommending to address a performance gap and also serves as an agreement between you and the client to clarify expectations.

Several authors provide guidelines for proposal writing; however, the proposal must contain key elements for the reader to gain a complete understanding of the issue at hand, the recommendations, and the process and/or methodology to be used. In the text, the following components are identified:

1. Title cover page
2. Purpose of the needs assessment
3. Phases/steps including processes and analysis to be used
4. Expected outcomes
5. Timeline
6. Projected costs (if any)

Always keep in mind the audience you are writing for, and remember that jargon or acronyms will not always be useful and may confuse the customer. Writing a proposal is the first step in gaining buy-in for the needs assessment to take place. The proposal also assists in writing the final report. If the proposal is complete, then putting together the final report after the completion of the assessment process will be less stressful and more thorough.

There is no standard format for the final report. However, as a guideline, the following outline covers most of the essential elements that should be included:

1. Title cover page
2. Table of contents
3. Executive summary, overview, and background (purpose, goals, or objectives; specific problem, research questions, or issues; background information; terms and definitions)
4. Methods (scope; relevant literature; populations and sample; data collection; strengths and limitations; key participants)
5. Key findings, results (summarizes the analysis and findings, challenges, costs, and benefits)
6. Recommendations (implications from data; lessons learned; next steps)
7. Appendices (data collection instruments; schedule of activities; supporting charts and graphs; references)

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Reference