CMNS 1140
Assignment #2: Recommendation Report
Proposal
(1000 words)
Total marks
: 15
After you have been given approval to research
your topic/problem, write a
1000 word
proposal
to a decision maker based on the problem you have chosen for the report.
In a proposal you propose what you are going to do. It is very costly to conduct research and
write a long report, so employers usually require that you write a proposal and get their approval
before you research and write the report. Employers want to
be sure you can write an effective
report that will solve the problem, address the situation, or fulfill the need. You have to convince
them that you can do the job.
In order to convince them you will include the f
ollowing sections: introduction;
backgro
und,
problem, or purpose; proposed plan, schedule; staffing; and authorization.
You need to think about a situation in a company or
organization
you know (student society,
club
, church
etc.)
that presents an opportunity or
problem.
You are going to propo
se that you
researc
h this problem or opportunity.
Then, over the next few weeks, you will complete the
resear
ch and submit your
recommendations
in Assignment
#5
which is
due the last week of class
and
is worth 20% of your grade.
Topic Examples
:

You migh
t recommend that your company or branch create a mento
ring program for new
employees;

You might suggest a new inventory system to reduce loss.
WARNING
:
Be sure to pick an
organization
that will really listen to you
(although you dont have to give
them
the report). Do not suggest that you will mak
e changes at the GAP or CIBC
. You may
suggest changes in your branch if it is realistic that you would be able to make these changes at
the local level. Make sure that it is a small
manageable realistic project
.
I
t should not cost more
than $10,000 to implement.
DO NOT provide the recommendations in the proposal
.
You will not know what to do until
youve completed the research and are writing Assignment
#
5.
In Assignment
#
2, you only need to convince the perso
n in authority that this is an important
problem or opportunity and that you have the skills to research it and provide
good
recommendations.
Identify and carefully explain each part/component of the problem or opportunity so that the
audience fully under
stands the overall problem (or opportunity) and its underlying causes.
If
your audience accepts your explanation/analysis of the problem, it will be much more willing to
support your proposal (and later your recommendations).
You can refer to your
textbook for more information on proposals.
What you must submit:

A
1000
word
proposal to research solutions to a problem or tak
e advantage of an
opportunity.
DO NOT give the recommendations in the proposal.

An annotated bibliography
listing at least six
potential
articles
(four
must be
peer
reviewed scholarly articles
or professional publications
)
that you think
might
be
use
ful
for you
r
research (use
APA
referencing

do no
t print the whole article
).
Make
sure you mention this annotated bibliography in the proposal.
Remember that the sources you will use in your report
must be current and reputable.
In your proposal, also
discuss any
primary research interviews with industry experts that you
wish to conduct
to solve the problem, or
take advantage of the opportunity.
A proposal is a contract. Make sure you will be able to conduct the research you are proposing.
Also make sure that the
secondary research materials
will
actual
ly be available for you to use.
You must deliver in the final report wha
t you promised in the proposal.
Required Proposal Sections:
Introduction

P
rovides a hook to capture the readers
interest
Background

I
dentifies the problem, convinces the reader the problem exists,and convinces the
reader you understand the problem completely
Proposed P
lan

D
iscusses your plan for
solving the problem including information on the
research; mentio
ns the attached
proposed
references list
; and uses a schedule or timetable
Staffing

D
escribes your real credentials and expertise; mentions relevant experience, education,
or even specific courses
Authorization

closes with a reques
t for approval,
motivates actio
n, and includes
an end date
Marking:
50% of the mark is assigned to content and document format, including a clear purpose and
concise message based on audience analysis and context.
50% of the mark is assigned to professional business
writing, including grammar, spelling,
sentence structure and proper APA referencing
as needed
.