Brainstorming and Writing Proposals

Part One: Brain Storming

Brainstorming is a means used by individuals and teams to come up with new ideas.
However, teams are usually more creative as they utilize the brains of more than
one person. Therefore, organizations rely more and more each day on teams rather
than on individuals.
That is why organizations moved from the classical “pyramid” structure to the
more modern “Flat” structure, and now the “Matrix” structure.
There are various techniques for group decision-making, the most famous two being
Brainstorming and Nominal Groups.

Objectives:

By the end of this program, the participants should be able to:

1. Employ individual brainstorming to produce new ideas.
!. Follow the correct guidelines for holding brainstorming sessions.
2. Understand the difference between Brainstorming and Nominal Groups.
3. Materialize brainstorming and Nominal Group sessions by reaching new ideas.
4. Achieve “Group Creativity” through using Brainstorming as a boost.
5. Use Brainstorming to produce creative ideas and to enhance creativity.
6. Utilize Brainstorming as a major tool in problem-solving and decision-making.

Outline:

I. Purposes of Brainstorming
II. Individual Brainstorming Techniques
III. Guidelines for Brainstorming sessions
IV. Using Brainstorming sessions to materialize ideas
V. Brainstorming as a “Group Creativity” tool
VI. Nominal Groups as an alternative to Brainstorming
VII. Using Brainstorming and Nominal Groups in Problem-Solving and
Decision Making

Part Two: Writing Proposals

Any communication that attempts to sell an idea, a concept, a service, a piece of

equipment, a complex system, or anything else is a proposal. The proposal
delineates a problem and lays out the essential groundwork or directions for its
solution. The “solution” is the statement of the proposed work. The proposal is
a sales tool. The successful proposal is one that convinces the prospective
customer that he should invest his money in ideas, products, or services. The
proposal, then, is a document that offers a plan to solve a problem.
In addition to proposals, recommendation reports are used to present new ideas,
concepts, and solutions to existing problems. They provide implications of
solutions to such problems. They are some of the useful tools used to enhance
creativity within organizations.

By the end of this program, the participants should be able to:

1. State purposes for writing proposals

2. Write different kinds of proposals
3. Acknowledge the differences between long and short proposals
4. State parts of proposals
5. Write long formal proposals
6. State the components of recommendation reports
7. write professional recommendation reports
8. Use persuasive language in writing proposals and recommendation reports
9. Employ the seven C’s ( Completeness, Conciseness, Consideration,
Concreteness, Clarity, Courtesy, and correctness) when writing proposals
and recommendation reports
10. Respond to Requests For Proposals (RFP)
11. Formulate both internal and external proposals and recommendation
reports

Outline:

I. Purposes of Proposals

II. Kinds of Proposals

A. Research Proposals
B. Business Proposals

III. Parts of Proposals

A. Title Page
B. Executive Summary, Abstract, Synopsis
C. Draft Contract
D. Table of Contents
E. Introduction
F. Background
G. Procedures
H. Equipment and Facilities
I. Personnel
J. Budget
K. Appendices
IV. Short Proposals

V. Long Formal Proposals

A. Request For Proposal (RFP)
B. Chronology of Procedures for Solicited Major Proposals
C. Government Proposals
D. Sample Sections of Long Proposals
E. Sample Proposals

VI. Recommendation Reports

A. Examination of the Present Situation
B. Recommendations
C. Implications

VII. Writing Style and Appearance