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Writing for CIEG 461

Writing for CIEG 461. Prof. Stephen A. Bernhardt Dept of English Kirkpatrick Chair University of Delaware September 23, 2002. Plans to govern work Memos and letters to keep work flowing Proposals to describe and persuade Reports to detail, analyze, and interpret Presentations to deliver.

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Writing for CIEG 461

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  1. Writing for CIEG 461 Prof. Stephen A. Bernhardt Dept of EnglishKirkpatrick Chair University of Delaware September 23, 2002

  2. Plans to govern work Memos and letters to keep work flowing Proposals to describe and persuade Reports to detail, analyze, and interpret Presentations to deliver Types of Documents

  3. Building Blocks of Writing • What are you trying to do? Purpose • Who will use the document? Audience • What is the best approach? Strategy • How should it be designed? Usability

  4. Planning document • What are you trying to do? Purpose, goals, deliverables • Who will use the document? Your team, your manager • What is the best approach? Detail on tasks, roles, & deadlines • How should it be designed? Graphic, organized, explicit

  5. Planning document • Project overview • Team and contact info • Goals and deliverables • Tasks, milestones, critical path activities • Team rules • Schedule, time allocation • Budget

  6. Why plan? • Teams with shared visions (in writing) work better. • Teams need rules and schedules (and wiggle room). • Teamwork demands complex resource planning.

  7. Why do teams break down? • Failure to communicate • Freeloaders • Competing or unexpected events • Unresolved personal and procedural conflict • Groupthink, early closure • Not seeing writing as part of the work

  8. Why do documents fail? • Procrastination—writing after work is completed • Details overwhelm messages: not focused on key issues • Not designed for users; not visually informative • Paste-up job rather than collaborative design and delivery

  9. Proposal Building Blocks • Audience—prospective customer • Purpose—convince customer that you offer best service to solve problem • Strategy—show benefits, deliverables • Usability—emphasize client concerns

  10. Proposal Quality • Responsive to RFP—shared mission • Clear need • Quality of deliverables • Credible expertise: ability to perform • Realistic schedule and budget

  11. Be Deductive and Explicit • Purpose and scope up front • Preview main messages and issues • Lead sentences on sections and paragraphs—top line skim • Plenty of navigation devices • Emphasis on most important sell points

  12. Elements of Design • Effective formatting, layout, and design • Headers and footers • Page numbers • Consistent use of styles • White space for separation and emphasis

  13. Elements of Proposal • Front matter • Body • Back matter

  14. Front Matter Orients the Reader • Cover with title, date, sponsor, proposer • Executive summary or abstract • Table of contents for organization

  15. Sample Cover Layout Construction of an All-Composite Bridge on Business Route 896 Submitted by Nova Engineering to The State of Delaware September 24, 2001

  16. Body of Proposal Provides Main Elements • Introduction and overview • Statement of problem • Proposed solution with objectives • Methods and materials • Work plan: milestones, deliverables, checkpoints • Schedule (high level graphic) • Budget: costs and benefits

  17. Introduction • Reviews the project context: • Who requested the work? • Why? • For what outcome or benefit? • Overviews the plan of this proposal

  18. Statement of Problem • Provides clear and compelling description of the problem • Defines the need • Discusses any critical issues associated with the problem • Details any constraints on the problem's solution

  19. Proposed solution • Identifies broad strategy or planned approaches • Lists specific, measurable outcomes to be accomplished • Ties objectives clearly to problem

  20. Methods and materials • Describes in detail what the team proposes to do to find a solution (action steps) • Includes specifics—amounts, numbers, locations, tools, instruments, etc.

  21. Work Plan (in proposal) • Focuses on management of the project • Shows how the team will be coordinated, scheduled, and monitored • Commits to dates (aggressive or realistic or both) • Works at high level for client

  22. Schedule • Presented in visual format • Places all activities on a timeline • Highlights critical or key activities • Convinces audience that the timeline is realistic • Serves as the proposal “at a glance”

  23. Budget • Presented in visual format • Provides rationale and commentary (budget narrative) • Forecasts/determines costs for staff, materials, support, and overhead

  24. Back Matter Documents Details • Bibliography or references • Appendices • Computer documentation • Questionnaire or survey instruments • Full resumes • Raw data to back up summary points made in the body of the proposal

  25. Remember Your Purpose So tell me quick and tell me true Or else, my friend, to hell with you Less, how this product came to be More, what the damn thing does for me Technology Transfer Poem, Martin Walker, Cray Research

  26. Writing Resources • UD Writing Center (831-1168), basement of Memorial Hall • Diane Kukich (dkukich@udel.edu; 239-1098) • Strunk and White’s Elements of Style • Brusaw, Alred, and Oliu, Handbook of Technical Writing

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