| How to write a project proposal |
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When you set up a project it is necessary to write a proposal. Not only to find a sponsor, but also for yourself. The process of writing will ensure that you think all options through and don't overlook important steps.
For people who are unfamiliar with this procedure, I would like to give some ideas to make it easier for you to start.
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Framework for a project proposal
- implementing agency
- introduction
- general aim of the project
- target group
- method
- pretest
- time schedule
- general facts
- evaluation
- estimated budget
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| FRAMEWORK FOR A PROJECT PROPOSAL
This is written with a proposal for an oral health promotion project in mind;
If you want to make a proposal for another kind of project, you will probably have to find some adjustments for the framework. |
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1.Implementing agency
Here you describe who is going to carry out the project.
This can be a local organization or NGO. This organization should be well accepted in the community. Previous activities of the organization can be described.
In this stage it is also advisable to check the reputation of the organization with regard to corruption.
To give the project more chances to be sustainable, consider a cooperation with WHO or the local government. Be clear on who is going to contribute in what way if there are more partners. |
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2. Introduction
This section describes the reasons that have led to your proposal.
You describe the actual local situation and list all factors that you see as a problem.
Then you go back to the causes for each of these factors, so that you get an overview of all underlying factors.
Once you have clear what the causes for the oral health problems are,
you can start to look for ways to deal with them and you get a logic for the reasons to do a project. |
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3. General aim of the project
Here you describe the overall goal of the project. This can be general.
Later, in the description of the method (see 5) you use, you can specify the goal in the specific objectives.
Your goal should be measurable in order to be able to evaluate it. |
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4. Target group
This is the target group as you select for the general aim of the project.
To reach this group you will sometimes need sub-targetgroups.
For instance to reach children you use teachers as an intermediate.
In this chapter you just mention the children for your target group. The sub-target groups that you may use, can be described in the method (see 5). |
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5. Method
The method describes the strategy you have chosen to tackle the problems.
If you like, you can choose for more than one strategy to tackle the same problem or a cluster of strategies, each aimed at a different aspect of the problem.
You can ask yourself whether you can reach the target group itself directly or whether you have to approach them through other people.
(e.g. children can be reached through teachers as intermediate target group) What methods are you going to use, are you using mass media, or lectures, leaflets, lessons or other means?
Keep your goal in mind and ask yourself if the method you have chosen will give you the desired result.
For oral health care projects, WHO has a general advice on how to structure the method:
- oral health education and promotion
- fluoride program
- supportive curative program
For each of the methods you specify the following aspects:
- goal
- purpose
- target group
- content
- organisation
- materials
Here again the goal is more general and the purpose more specific. The purpose, if fulfilled, should automatically lead to the goal. In the content you describe what kind of activities you intend to carry out.
Considerations can be whether you will reach the goal you have set with the method you have chosen. Is it effective? Is it worth the effort and the cost? Are there other methods that might work better? Are there other groups of people that need to be involved as well?
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6. Pretest
Before you start with your project, it is a good idea to try it out on a small scale first. Then you still have the chance to adjust and also you get an impression on how it will work out. |
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7. Time schedule
It is useful to make a table of the activities you intend to do and put them in a time-frame.
With this you can easily see what activities are carried out when.
Include time for the preparation of your project and also for the pretest. |
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8. General facts
Describe the general background situation in this chapter. This is also the place where you can mention statistics and if you have done any research prior to the project, you can describe it here.
This can include for instance information about the target group, their living conditions. Are you including all people in the area or not, what kind of area is it. What do people do for a living, how is their financial situation, how are the living conditions, sanitation etc. What might be of relevance to the project you have chosen.
Where possible put figures in tables to give an overview. |
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9. Evaluation
For the evaluation of the project the first questions are:
are we going to reach the goals we put and how are we going to measure this? For this purpose a logic framework approach can be useful.
This is a frame in which you describe the whole project and make every aspect measurable. It goes too far to describe it elaborately in this site.
Evaluation is important to consider already at the stage of planning. For all aspects of the project criteria should be made to be able to measure results.
Training in monitoring and evaluation can be followed at e.g. the Royal Tropical Institute, Culture, Management and Organisation, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. |
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10. Estimated budget
In this chapter you describe the costs of the project, specified for what you need, like personnel, training costs, monitoring and evaluation, materials, transportation, office expenses.
You can put this in tables for the whole project or divide it in sectors or specify it for certain periods of the project.
It is important to link the cost of an oral health promotion program to the cost per person. For instance, if you want to educate 1000 children, then you can calculate how much your project will cost per child.
Explain how you got to your figures where necessary.
Also take into account that your project should be sustainable.
Who is going to carry on after the start? How will it be funded then? |
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