Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering
Guidelines for Project Proposals
A technical proposal (sometimes called a Statement of Work) is a selling document, not a
technical document. Its objectives are to:
1. Identify what is to be done
A proposal is a selling
2. Explain why this needs to be done
document, not a
technical document
3. Convince the reader that the proposers:
a) are qualified for the task,
b) have a plausible management plan and technical approach, and
c) have the resources needed to complete the task within the stated time and cost
constraints.
What Makes a Good Proposal?
APPEARANCE:
Attractive, professional, inviting appearance
Ease of access to information
SUBSTANCE:
Well-organized plan of attack – the BIG PICTURE
Technical details: Some technical depth is needed to sell your project, but not too
much. Remember this is primarily a selling document.
REQUIRED FORMAT:
Use 12 point font, 1” margins, one-sided copy, single spaced text. All pages must be
numbered. Reference all drawings or illustrations in the text. Each Figure must
have a number and a stand-alone caption. Clearly label the key points and features
in each figure. Each figure should be referenced in the text. Break
Try to have a
up large blocks of text with headings and effective use of graphics.
graphic element on
Use bullets and lists as an alternative to large blocks of text. Try to
every page to add
have a graphic element on every page to add visual interest and
visual interest
break up the text monotony.
ORGANIZATION:
Your proposal should have the following sections and headings:
A. Title Page
a. Title of project in capital letters
b. The sponsor company and contact person name and address
c. Team name and individual member names
d. Date
e. An appropriate picture of the product, and/or team logo
Proposal Guidelines 9/16/2003 page 1
B. Executive Summary
• One-third to one-half page, never more than one page
• A brief summary of the proposal
• Highlight the proposed technical and management approach
C. Table of Contents
D. Introduction/Problem Statement “WHY?”
a. Request by the sponsor (the original problem statement)
b. Background
i. Brief description of company and their business
ii. Relevance/importance of problem
iii. Background information to educate the reader
iv. Previous related work by others (do some research, not just web
surfing)
v. Patent search (if applicable)
c. Detailed problem description (as you now understand it)
E. Objectives “WHAT?”
In this section, you translate the customer’s quantitative and qualitative needs
into clear, objective design specifications. Define the scope of work and clearly
state the project objectives, including:
a. Design specifications in specific, quantitative terms. For example, “The
plate must be rotated 3 times at a speed of between 1 and 3 rev/s.”
b. Critical design issues, constraints, limitations
F. Technical Approach “HOW?”
At this time, you are not expected to
know all the details of the problem
solution, but you should know how
you will attack the problem, and you
should have some preliminary design
concepts. The purpose of this section is
to present the process by which you
will arrive at the final answer. This
section answers the questions:
• What are the steps in the design
process? (describe and use the 9
Figure 1. Preliminary design concept #1
step model from our text)
• What are the benefits and
advantages of employing a structured approach to design?
• How will you generate solution concepts?
Proposal Guidelines 9/16/2003 page 2
•
•
How will you analyze the performance of your solution?
How will you decide on the best alternative?
Specific recommendations for this section include:
a. First, describe your overall design process in general terms. A one page
synopsis of Chapter 1 in the text would be appropriate here.
b. Provide at least three possible solution alternatives and document your
methodology to choose the best alternative. Include drawings, sketches,
pictorial illustrations, etc, such as Figure 1. Try to be as inclusive and creative
as possible with your ideas. Strive to achieve at least one nonTry to be as
conventional or “out of the box” alternative.
creative as
c. List all the analytical, or computational tools you will employ to
possible with
analyze your design, such as ProEngineer, FEA, MathCad,
your ideas.
Strength of Materials, Fluid analysis, etc.
d. List and detail all the experimental procedures you will use to test your design
concepts
e. Evaluate your alternatives based on how well they satisfy the design
specifications. A good tool for this is the Decision Matrix. Explain the
selection criteria by which you will evaluate design alternatives in specific,
quantitative terms (such as: cost, weight, reliability, ease of use, ease of
manufacture, etc. )
f. If possible at this time, rank your solution concepts and list the pros and cons
of each. At minimum, state what further information or additional work is
needed in order to arrive at a final solution alternative.
g. If any solution is totally unfeasible (or may have been tried before), state the
reason for its elimination.
G. Project Management “HOW and WHEN?”
This section describes how the project will be managed, including a detailed
timetable with milestones.
Specific items to include in this section include:
a. Description of task phases (typical development tasks: Planning, Concept
Development, System-level design, Detailed Design, Testing and Refinement,
Production)
b. Division of responsibilities and duties among team members
c. Timeline with milestones – Gantt chart (see Figure 3 for an example).
The following are required elements of your Gantt chart:
i. Project duration is from the date your project is assigned to the
completion date – the end of the semester
ii. Each milestone is to be labeled with a title
iii. Schedule all tasks
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iv. Each task is to be labeled with a title and person or persons assigned to
the task
v. Subdivide larger items so that no task is longer than about one week
vi. Link tasks which are dependent on the completion of a previous task
vii. Continue to update your schedule throughout your project. This is an
important tool for organizing and viewing the progress of your project.
viii. Where possible, avoid a serial timeline (one task at a time, which must be
completed before next task can proceed).
Figure 3. Sample of a Gantt chart
Note: Microsoft Project is a software package specifically developed to easily create and
manage Gantt charts. Microsoft Project is installed on the computers in the Learning
Factory.
H. Deliverables
The culmination of the proposal negotiation with your sponsor will be a
completed “Deliverables Agreement” (see www.me.psu.edu/me415/#docs for the
Deliverables Agreement Form). In this section, provide a DETAILED description
of what you are providing and when you will provide it. Be as specific as
possible. Possible items include:
• Detailed design drawings (specify paper or CAD format)
• Physical prototype
• Scale model
• Engineering analysis (FEA, etc)
• Economic analysis (return on investment calculations)
• Detailed description of test procedures
• Data from experiments
• Computer program code, flowchart, documentation
• Circuit diagrams
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I. Budget “HOW MUCH?”
Provide your best estimate of how project funds will be spent. At this time,
you may not know a lot of details, but you can divide up your budget into
some major categories, such as: travel, equipment, materials, supplies,
presentation materials (poster), copying costs, etc. You can always change
your estimate later as you get further into the project. Remember – You are
spending sponsor dollars and they need to see that the money is spent wisely.
If additional funds or resources are needed from your sponsor, ask for them
here, and justify the request.
J. Communication and Coordination with Sponsor
Specify the interaction with your sponsor:
a. Establish communication schedule and the
responsibilities of each participant
b. Establish the form of communication (visits, weekly
updates, conference calls, teleconferences)
c. Specify who will receive information and how it will be
transmitted
d. Clearly state what actions are requested with each
communication: (i.e. information only, reply requested,
etc)
K. Special Topics
Define any sponsor specific items, such as the handling of confidential
information, loan of equipment, etc.
L. Team Qualifications “WHO?”
a. In a paragraph for each person, establish the team qualifications for the
project. Highlight any specific job or course experiences that are relevant to
the project.
b. Include a one-page resume of each team member in the Appendix.
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M. References
Provide several reference citations which support your claims,
justify your approach, or which will provide the reader with
additional information. These should be legitimate sources
(books, technical journals, magazine articles), not just web pages.
Don’t forget about textbooks from your previous courses. Refer
to references in your text either by number, “[ref. 9]”, or by author
and year “[Schultz, 1978]”. The correct formats for bibliographic
listings are shown below. For more information on citations, see
the PSU Libraries page:
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/crsweb/infolit/andyou/mod8/citing2.htm
Recommended Citation Formats:
Journal Articles:
[9] F. Holste and W. Neise, "Experimental comparison of standardized sound
power measurement procedures for fans," J. Sound Vib. Vol. 152, Number 126 (1992).
(or the alternative, alphabetical method:)
Schultz, Theodore J. (1978). "Synthesis of social surveys on noise annoyance," J.
Acoust. Soc. Am. 64(2), 337-405 (August 1978).
Books:
[3] Robert L. Norton, Machine Design, An Integrated Approach, Second Edition,
Prentice Hall, New York, 2000, pp 190-199.
[1] Barry Hyman, Fundamentals of Engineering Design, Second Edition, Prentice
Hall, 2003, pp 54-55.
Web Pages:
[4] Molly O'Meara, Reinventing cities for people and the planet. (Worldwatch
Institute paper 147) Washington, D.C., Worldwatch Institute, 1999. Retrieved
July 9, 1999 from the WWW:
http://www.worldwatch.org/pubs/paper/147.html.
N. Appendix
The Appendix is the place for all detailed or supplemental information that is too
long or too detailed for the body of the proposal, but which still adds credibility
or value. Typical items that can go in the Appendix include: lengthy equations
and calculations, vendor information, photo-copies of important reference
material, standards, etc. If you have multiple items, provide multiple
Appendices (A, B, C …) and a List of Appendices.
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