Organisational Dialogue: Theory & Practice Autum

n 2019
Assignment 2 – Project Proposal: Briefing sheet

Weighting: 20%

Due date: 14 May 2019 (Week 9)

Submission: Submit one assignment per team via Turnitin (Include Cover Sheet). Please note: A penalty of 5%
will apply to submissions without a cover sheet. A penalty of 10% per day will apply to late submissions.

 What must be submitted as an
attachment to the proposal by the
group via Turnitin (week 9):
 Completed Peer Review Feedback
Sheet (available via UTS
online/assignment information &
submission).
 What each student must submit individually via Turnitin
(week 9):
 Peer Evaluation Form (available via UTS online/ assignment
information & submission).
 The purpose of this form is for you to evaluate the contributions
made by each of your group members to the overall performance
and success of your group’s assignment. You are required to submit
this form via Turnitin on the day the assignment is due.

Length: 2000 words max. This does not include your reference list or appendices.

Task (from the subject outline):

This assessment revolves around the group project 'Communication Culture Change'. The aim of this
assignment is to develop a proposal for a corporate communication training. As a group, students will respond
to the brief of a case study organisation and develop a training plan for the company. This involves ‘selling’ the
communication training to the client by providing a clear value proposition.

Assessment Criteria:
1. Clear and persuasive executive summary (5%)
2. Structure appropriate to purpose and audience (10%)
3. Language appropriate to purpose and audience, including grammar, professional tone, positive
framing style (20%)
4. Visual appearance appropriate to purpose and audience, including use of figures, graphics, tables,
font sizes and styles, etc. (20%)
5. Ability to develop a persuasive value proposition appropriate to an organisation’s strategic needs and
priorities (40%)
6. Evidence of improvements made following peer feedback (5%) *

Format requirements:
 Table of contents required
 Executive summary required
 12 pt font
 1.5 line spacing
 2.5 cm margins
 UTS Harvard referencing

* Evidence of improvements made following peer feedback:

Have one of your peers (outside of your team) review the draft of your project proposal and provide suggestions for
improvement based on the marking criteria (see “Peer Review Feedback Sheet for Project Proposal”, available via UTS
online/ assignment information & submission). To secure the 5% you must 1. Bring to class in week 8 your proposal draft
AND evidence of the peer suggestions for tutor approval, and 2. Make adjustments to the report where appropriate AND
attach the completed Peer Review Feedback sheet to your final proposal submission in week 9.

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 Organisational Dialogue: Theory & Practice Autum
n 2019
Assignment 2 – Project Proposal: Briefing sheet

Proposal instructions:
You are a member of a training company specializing in the development and delivery of corporate
communication trainings. Choose one of the topics listed on p. 4 in the case study document ‘Changing the
Communication Culture at Opal-Mart’. Then, respond to the Opal-Mart brief by developing a proposal for the
delivery of a communication training that is tailored to the needs of the company and target audience.

What to cover in your proposal:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
 A one-page summary of the proposal fulfilling the following aims:
 Offers a ‘hook’ – i.e. what motivates the proposal? (Why should the company representatives
read this?)
 Provides a brief overview of the proposed solution (communication training)
 Establishes the credibility of your training service (Why should they trust you?)
BODY

 Background, scope and purpose

 What is the rationale for conducting a communication training? (What strategic and/or
operational issue(s) do you propose to address?)
 What is the scope of the training? (What target audiences and/or areas of the organisation will be
involved?)
 What is the purpose of the communication training? (What aims will the communication training
have?)

 Training Plan (Value Proposition)

 This is the core of your proposal. The aim of this section is to illustrate to your (potential future)
clients what the communication training will look like and what outcomes it is proposed to
achieve. This involves:
(1) Explaining the training ‘philosophy’ of your company (how will you help your clients learn?)
(2) Offering an overview of the contents, timeframe, and delivery mode
(3) Highlighting the specific benefits your proposed training will have for the respective target
audience and the company as a whole

CONCLUSION
 Briefly restates key points of the proposal (final sales pitch – why should the company choose you as a
provider?)

REFERENCE LIST
 List of reference material consulted to substantiate points (e.g. communication research, industry
reports)

APPENDIX
 Information that supports your proposal but is not essential to its explanation