Decent Proposal

[ Login/Subscribe ]

Features

Departments

Opinion

Tools

Executive

Resources

About Us

Home > Departments > Methods & Means

Decent Proposal
Meri Williams (May 1, 2008)

Project managers must get into the habit of talking about projects in business terms. It can help to reduce communication problems, and smooth the way for customers and teams to work more effectively together. Project proposals are a real good place to start, even if it means writing them retrospectively after the work has been approved.

This is an excerpt from Chapter 2 of The Principles of Project Management (SitePoint Pty. Ltd.; March 2008).

Project proposals are simple, short (usually single-page) documents that outline the potential project, provide brief background information, identify the value of undertaking the project, and give a very rough estimate of the resources (budget, people, time) that would be required to deliver the project. (Project proposals are sometimes called project request documents (PRDs) or project charters, though the latter indicates a little more finality and is more like the project initiation document.)

Ideally, a project proposal is collected for each of the possible projects, and from this pool, the projects that are determined to have the potential to deliver the greatest benefit to the organization are chosen.

Please login/register to read the entire article.

Sponsored Announcements and Special Offers

Looking for an easy-to-use PPM solution? Find out why the University of Oklahoma calls Portfolio Intelligence and Three Olive Solution's product "... the best fit for our strategic philosophy for project portfolio management." Take our product tour today!

Training Solutions for the Project Management Professional. Get world-class PM training from University of California, Irvine Extension--a PMI-Registered Education Provider. Master the PM Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide; earn PDUs; prepare for PMP certification; earn transfer credit toward a master's degree at our partner university. Learn More.

The Project Management Institute is accepting online applications for the new PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)SM credential. Candidates who take the examination during the incentive period of 29 August – 31 October 2008 will receive 50% off the price of the examination, as well as be entered into one of four regional drawings for $1,000 (USD).

@task
HP
PeoplePM
PMI Risk Management
ProjectWorld
RMC Project Mgmt
Stanford University
University of Calif, Irvine

VIEW NEW WHITE PAPERS

July 2008: Sponsored by PeoplePM

How important are "people skills" in executing projects, and can they be taught?