Writing a Negotiation Proposal
Objectives:
 To learn to write effectively as a group
 To learn to write an effective solution
proposal
 To learn how to negotiate in writing
 To present your senior project

Your group should have:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Brainstormed the causes and effects of your
specific research paper issue
Chosen an issue for your group
Brainstormed solutions/projects that would
help alleviate either a cause or an effect of
this issue
Selected 3 possible solutions/projects to
review, determined the specific needs of
each project, then selected the best project
for your group to use as your senior project
The Negotiation Proposal
Your assignment is to write a group
proposal - a genre that attempts to
persuade an audience that a certain
solution to a particular problem is not
only feasible and sound, but also better
than other solutions available.
The Purpose
The purpose of writing a proposal is for you
to learn how to negotiate in writing. In
many careers, people put out a request
for proposals, soliciting people to tell them
what to do and how to do it better. If you
understand how to write a comprehensive,
fair and rhetorically effective proposal, you
will be in the position to influence other’s
decisions.
Overview of Assignment
A proposal calls attention to a problem,
proposes a solution to that problem, and
justifies the chosen solution. As a group
you have looked at several different
solutions and have chosen the best solution
for your social issue. This proposal will
attempt to convince your audience to agree
to your solution.
This assignment should do three
things:
•
•
•
Demonstrate that a significant problem
exists
Propose a solution to the problem
Break down the specific requirements of
the project
Audience
Proposals should be directed to a specific
audience who wields economic, political or some
sort of institutional power, enabling them to put
into effect proposed solutions. Often, these
groups know there are problems with a given
issue, but sometimes don’t know how to solve
the problem. Your group must identify the
audience you are addressing.
Topic
Your topic will be your proposed group
solution to your social issue. As a
group you will decide on a solution
which best represents your group’s
talents, time and efforts.
Basic Requirements
Each member of your group will write a section
or several sections of the proposal
depending on how many are in your group.
There are four sections:
An introduction to the issue
A statement of concerns
Your proposed solution, including timetable and
budget
 A conclusion



Cover Sheet

Your proposal will also include a cover
sheet listing the project title, class
period, and each member of the
group.
The Introduction
The introduction of your
proposal provides an
overview of the situation
and the general problem
at hand. You should show
your group’s
understanding of the
problem, provide relevant
background information
about the problem, and
provide a thesis
statement which presents
your solution in general
terms.
Purpose of the Introduction

Your purpose is to help your audience
realize there is a problem which needs to
be solved. The proposal needs to show
both the viability of your solution, and the
absolute need for a solution of some sort
The introduction MUST also contain a
THESIS statement
The Thesis Statement
The thesis statement must have three parts:



Outcome
Obstacle
Solution
The outcome is where you want to describe your goal, a
desired state, or a value that you consider important
The obstacle allows you to describe the problem that
currently prevents the outcome from being achieved or
realized at this time
The solution is where you briefly describe your solution to
the problem you have established in the other two parts
of your thesis. Be very specific so that your audience
knows what to expect in the body of your paper.
Thesis Example
The Women and Children in Crises Center
serves the diverse needs of many of the
homeless children throughout Utah county;
however, it currently lacks enough books or
toys to offer these children much in the way
of distraction or activity. The children often
have nothing to allow a diversion from the
problems and despair around them. Creating
an activity center containing a variety of
books, educational toys, and arts and crafts
items would help alleviate this problem for
this important population of young children.
The Statement of Concerns
In a negotiation process each
group member has specific
concerns or priorities he/she
would like to address. In this
section, each of the group
member’s specific concerns
should be identified, followed
by a summary of what
concerns/priorities the group
hopes to address by doing this
project. This section will set
the stage for the solution
section of your proposal.
Solutions: The Body of Your Paper
This is where you will present the specifics of your
solution. Basing your argument on the information you
listed in the previous two sections, specify how you
believe the problem can be addressed. This includes
specific steps your group will take to achieve a solution,
and who will be affected by your solution. You should
be very specific in what will take place, how it will be
accomplished, who will do it, how much it will cost,
when it will be done, and how the solution will be
implemented. You should show your audience that you
have carefully thought through the situation and have
come up with a reasonable, detailed plan.
You should include the following:
Present the specifics of the solution you
propose
 Show how this solution addresses the
needs of the different concerns/priorities
within your group
 Indicate how this solution will be best
accomplished (budget, schedule,
implementation, etc.)

The Conclusion:
The conclusion should review your solution for
your audience, summarize how this solution
can help alleviate the problem, and issue a
“call to action” that gives the audience
something they can do to get involved.
See the example for specifics for
this paper!!