What Concept Papers Are

Concept papers are summaries of projects or issues that reflect the interests, experience
and expertise of the writer or organization. Concept papers generally serve the purpose of
providing in-depth discussion of a topic that the writer has a strong position on, usually with
the intent of obtaining funding for that project from donors. The terms "concept paper" and
"proposal" are often used interchangeably as they can be used for the same function. The
concept paper may also be used as an instructional tool that may have developed as a
result of extensive research, committee input and/or as a result of the outcome of a current
project. In addition to providing guidance for implementation of a program, a concept paper
could also discuss best practices, philosophies and other related issues that the writer
believes action should be taken on in the near future.

How to Write Concept Papers

In the cases where the concept paper is written with the intent of receiving funding, most
grantors publish guidelines that instruct the writer(s) on how to write the concept paper that
they will consider funding. Despite the individual guidelines that may be published, the
format and many of the key elements are consistent between organizations. Therefore, it is
suggested that writers develop "boilerplates" or standard templates of concept papers that
they can personalize and submit based on specific guidelines. This practice eliminates the
extra time added to the process by completely starting a new concept paper from the
beginning each time. For concept papers that are used more as an instructional or
educational tool, the format may be similar with the exception of the exclusion of charts,
graphs or budgets that may be geared toward the solicitation of funding.

A position paper is an essay that presents an arguable opinion about an issue – typically that
of the author or some specified entity. Position papers are published in academia, in politics, in
law and other domains. The goal of a position paper is to convince the audience that the opinion
presented is valid and worth listening to. Ideas for position papers that one is considering need to
be carefully examined when choosing a topic, developing an argument, and organizing the paper.
Position papers range from the simplest format of a letter to the editor, through to the most
complex in the form of an academic position paper.[1] Position papers are also used by large
organizations to make public the official beliefs and recommendations of the group.[2]