WRITING ASSIGNMENT FIVE: Formal Research Report: 30% of final grade.

A substantial percentage of this course focuses on a persuasive researched proposal that solves a problem/issue within an organization. You will formulate the proposal beginning early in the course, and culminating in submission of the final paper. Assignment 3 asks you to submit a request to conduct research. Assignment 5 is the final draft.

Assignment Guidelines €“ Formal Research-Based Proposal

You will identify a problem or issue within an organization. This may be a current place of employment or a community group €“ church, school, homeowner’s association, daycare, recreation center and so on. The assignment objective is to propose a solution to the problem or issue in a formal report, and to present that solution to a decision-maker or group of decision-makers who can implement the recommendation.

Over the course of the term, you will develop a concrete, practical solution to the problem that can be implemented. Reference sources will be included that explain the problem, issue and/or support the solution. The formal report will include a discussion of resources necessary to implement the solution, the timeline, and the benefits of doing so. The report will include the following components:

€¢ Cover page
€¢ Table of contents
€¢ An executive summary
€¢ Body of the proposal
€¢ Conclusions and recommendation for implementation of the solution
€¢ End matter to include reference page and any other data suitable for this section of the report

The proposal report must be no fewer than 2000 words, no more than 3000. The word count includes all components. The purpose of establishing a word count is to ensure the topic chosen is neither too big nor too small. Also, writing within parameters is a common requirement in business communication.

As you consider topics, bear this in mind: the problem or issue need not be enormous. Within the scope of the assignment are issues such as these:

€¢ The problem may be increasing crime in a local neighborhood, and the solution could be a neighborhood watch program; decision-makers would include homeowners
in the area.
€¢ Crowding in your place of employment results in shared office space and limited resources. A proposed solution could be implementation of a telecommuting program to permit some
employees in suitable occupations to work from home on a full- or part-time basis.
€¢ Concern about your company’s image and role in the community has prompted much dialog. A possible strategy for improving the company’s image and
perception could be implementation of a recycling program that supports green thinking.
€¢ Parking at your child’s elementary school is at a premium during pick-up and drop-off times. You could develop a strategy to facilitate a more streamlined
process to increase safety and decrease wait times. Your proposal would be directed to the school’s principal.
€¢ Rising health care costs are a concern nationwide. To aIDress your company’s issues, you are proposing implementation of a wellness program. The benefits of
implementing a program like this are many, ranging from lowering our healthcare costs (as much as 15%) to boosting morale.
€¢ Communication among members of a local church is difficult to facilitate and the congregation is seeking a solution to the communication issues. You could propose
establishing a website for congregation members to read updates, participate in discussion, contact other members, and so on.

The objective of the project is to participate in the development of a detailed proposal that emerges in several pieces over the course of the term, as do lengthy written projects completed in any organizational setting.

Grading Criteria:
€¢ Submitted on time
€¢ No fewer than 2000 words; no more than 3000
€¢ Correct report reformat
€¢ Clearly presents the topic, focus, purpose of the project
€¢ Clearly explains the results and the benefits to the organization
€¢ Uses information from at least 5 research sources in the report content
€¢ Properly documents the sources using APA documentation style
€¢ Uses headings and subheadings to guide the reader through the document
€¢ Shows a you attitude
€¢ Maintains a positive, confident tone
€¢ Uses emphatic, concise, fluent sentences
€¢ Contains no proofreading errors
Course outcomes aIDressed by this assignment:
€¢ analyze target audience and purpose
€¢ select information appropriate to audience and purpose
€¢ develop explanations and arguments appropriate to audience and document
€¢ create documents tailored to a variety of workplace audiences and purposes
€¢ conform to standards of business writing