We began our study by constructing a list of all the types of proposals we have been exposed to. In doing so, we were able to gain an understanding of where our experiences overlapped. By focusing in on public initiative proposals for this project we were able to narrow down the scope of our genre to make finding examples and creating a sample schema slightly simpler. Given that these proposals have been made public or use public funds, finding samples was fairly straightforward as cities are required to maintain lists of different proposals and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that they had published or received on their websites. Some of the samples that we examined for our analysis included a new community library proposal, a design-build proposal for building conservation to the town of Newtown and a sustainable art proposal submitted to Duke University. When selecting these examples, we tried to collect a variety of formats and situations. Many of the samples we analyzed were fully developed written proposals, following a somewhat standard format that focuses on a specific issue and suggests a solution, going on to discuss the benefits the proposal could provide. The first sample is a power point developed by the city of Stoughton, Massachusetts for a town hall meeting to present to the public on this possible city improvement project. The second sample is a concise proposal from a private construction firm to the city of Newtown, Connecticut for the mothballing of a series of abandoned public buildings. The third sample moves away from the general theme of construction and focuses on a smaller community improvement project, sustainable art installations on the campus of Duke University. In addition to these finished examples of proposals we have been looking into different examples of RFPs and calling city council and public board members such as the director of the Stoughton public library board of trustees, Pat Basler.
In addition to studying the finished product of a proposal, we looked at the events and genres that occurred prior to the creation of a proposal and what genres the creation of a proposal resulted in. We found that in the case of public initiatives a problem was often discussed in a Town Committee meeting and then debated for some time before the proposal was created. Committee members would agree to a basic solution to fix a problem and would then notify the public of the issue and ask for feedback about their proposed solution. After taking account of public opinion, their solution could be modified to better suit the town’s needs and then the official proposal would be created and submitted to all required parties for consideration.
In some cases, a city may identify a problem, but lack the resources to develop a solution. To solve the problem, a city may publish a RFP (request for proposals) to inform the community and relevant parties of an opportunity to develop the city in some way and seeks suggestions on how to best achieve their goal. Because the project and proposals will all affect the community as a whole, much of the information being distributed on each level will be made public for people to read and ask questions about and are therefore meant for wider consumption by anyone who is interested. No part of this proposal process is internal to any particular organization. There may be associated internal communications within the companies or groups creating proposals to be submitted, but their final proposal is meant to be submitted to the city (or a group working on behalf of the community) to become public record.
Analyzed marketing campaigns that go alongside a proposal (accepted or otherwise) that highlight the potential benefits of the project. While not strictly part of the genre of a proposal, the marketing campaign works alongside and after the initial proposal, and was created by the same authors who were responsible for implementing the project. The marketing campaign is used to shape the opinions and expectations of the audience concerning the outcomes of the project, and attempts to define the possible uptakes of the situation.
In an attempt to better understand the situation involving public project proposals, final products of proposals were observed to gain an understanding of the general format. We also studied how RFPs are constructed, modeling after an accepted proposal. To gain a better understanding of the process before a proposal is submitted, we have contacted the Director of the Stoughton Public Library board of trustees. Her input has helped us to see how the initial recognition of a problem interacts with the final proposed solution that we have already studied. In addition to studying the proposals and RFPs, we analyzed a marketing campaign the town of Franklin, MA produced that went alongside the proposal to change the traffic pattern of the downtown area.
Structurally we found that proposals were straightforward compared to other genres found in the world. Sections and elements that may be found in a proposal are usually titled and are strictly designed to fulfill the specific purpose set by that element. The language throughout these proposals are formal and to the point. It is written to give the intended audience the problem at hand, possible solutions, and how to go out and execute or list what it necessary to get this done. The language or types of words found within these proposals are general and simple enough to be understood by the general public. The pattern and structure of these proposals are usually started off by a title element where anything associated with that material is found under the title. The sentences found in these sections are shorter and contain all necessary information to make its point in that section. In these proposals there aren’t many, if any, sections where you’ll find excess writing that sets up another section or for instances uses writing tools to develop tone or forms of imagery. Instead the sentences are purely informative and are design to make one point after another.
By studying this genre we are able to gain insight into the ways that groups or organizations communicate with each other in a formal and primarily persuasive format. By using the Spinuzzi article on ways to examine different assemblages of text we looked at both the linear and progressive steps involved in the situation surrounding a public initiative project as well as the overlap in conversation and exchange of information throughout the proposal writing process. With public projects there are a number of different stakeholders involved at different levels at different points of the project. Because of this, it is very important to keep track of any decisions or steps made in a formal and publicly published format. The ability to communicate your ideas or goals to a large audience with varying levels of involvement and expertise is vital to achieve the changes that you hope to make. In addition, we were able to observe how the author(s) of a proposal sought to control the uptake of the genre by including various sections in the proposal. The author(s)’s goal is for their intended audience to agree with their proposed solution method, and will attempt to construct their argument to lead the reader to conclusion that the author’s suggestion will be beneficial for the town and is worth pursuing.
Our final genre model is a direct result of the examples that we examined and the people that we talked to. Based on the persuasive nature of the genre, we chose to develop a very structured model for how the document should be formatted. Generally whether you are writing a persuasive essay or project proposal there are a set of agreed upon steps that should be followed to lead your audience towards your desired uptake. This is why our schema is first broken down into levels of structural separation for clarity and ease of understanding. Within each section we break it down further indicating necessary content to include or discuss.
Since there are so many different methods of persuasion and such different levels of professionalism, many sections needed to include overlapping optional sections. A Letter of Intent, Executive Summary, and Abstract all get across the same information with different levels of formality and at different points in the study. Sections such as these require one or more of the listed attributes to be included.
Each proposal we studied had its own methods to attempt to persuade the audience. There were many sub-sections that could have been included to reflect all of these strategies, but we decided to keep our sections broad enough to be all-encompassing with the understanding that it could be altered or added upon when the situation called for it.
**Addition**
After our first attempt at using our schema, a few shortcoming became evident. Firstly, we decided that it was necessary to incorporate multiple paragraphs into each of our sections. This allowed us to change some of our types/ sub-headings into their own entity. For example, instead of incorporating economic details as a type of feasibility, we are now able to write multiple paragraphs under feasibility that can include economic, social, and environmental arguments.
Due to the persuasive nature of our texts, we found it necessary to allow for visual backup. The insertion of an image or chart allows one to reference data during their argument.
