Deck 16: Writing Proposals

Question 1

Indirect costs are intangible expenses such as general secretarial and clerical expenses not devoted exclusively to any one project, as well as operating expenses such as the cost of utilities and maintenance.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

What is the difference between formative evaluations and summative evaluations?

Answer 2

not answered

Question 3

What do the initials RFP stand for?

Answer 3

not answered

Question 4

Which type of graphic commonly used to portray task schedules communicates the interdependence among various tasks in a project?

Question 5

According to Chapter 16, proposals are not expensive to write, so companies submit unsolicited proposals often.

Question 6

Formative evaluations are intended to assess the quality of a completed project.

Question 7

The proposed program section of a proposal should contain an itemization of the costs associated with the project you are proposing.

Question 8

Proposals have two kinds of deliverables. What are they?

Question 9

According to Chapter 16, one way to demonstrate professionalism in a proposal is to discuss your work history.

Question 10

To be persuasive, proposal writers must demonstrate that they understand the context-readers' needs. According to Chapter 16, what other two things must they demonstrate?

Question 11

A task schedule is almost always presented in one of three graphical formats: table, bar chart, or network diagram.

Question 12

A solicited proposal is one that you send to a customer who has not requested it.

Question 13

According to Chapter 16, proposals are usually prepared by a single writer.

Question 14

To make sure that you will be able to carry out a project if you get the go-ahead, you must determine whether you have the resources you will need in what three basic categories?

Question 15

According to Chapter 16, the introduction to a proposal must answer seven questions, one of which is "What is the problem or opportunity?" What is another question the introduction should answer?

Question 16

In a proposal budget, what are direct costs?

Question 17

What do the initials IFB stand for?

Question 18

According to Chapter 16, both internal proposals and external proposals are arguments that an organization should do something.

Question 19

According to Chapter 16, some readers might not consider a proposal if it does not include an effective summary.

Question 20

Chapter 16 discusses five dishonest tactics to avoid when writing a proposal. One is saying that certain qualified people will participate in the project, even though they will not. What are two other dishonest tactics to avoid?

Question 21

What are the main categories of resources required to complete a proposed project?

A) personnel, potential, and qualifications
B) personnel, facilities, and equipment
C) qualifications and experience
D) personnel, budget, and tangential resources

Question 22

In which of the following situations would a school district be likely to issue a request for quotation (RFQ)?

A) The school district needs to purchase 30 iPad tablet computers for an elementary school.
B) The school district needs landscaping for the new district headquarters building.
C) The school district needs someone to provide training for more than 1,000 teachers on developing curricula to meet Common Core standards.
D) The school district needs to refurbish an older building and bring it in line with current building codes.

Question 23

Which of the following best describes what a proposal is?

A) a persuasive argument
B) a description
C) an inquiry
D) a research report

Question 24

According to Chapter 16, a proposal typically results in one of two types of deliverables. One type is research. What is the other type?

A) a progress report
B) a tangible product, a service, or some combination of the two
C) transfer of real property
D) a grant

Question 25

According to Chapter 16, what is the best way to describe the problem or opportunity being addressed by a proposal?

A) in general descriptive terms
B) using economic principles of supply, demand, and opportunity cost
C) in general financial terms
D) in specific monetary terms

Question 26

According to Chapter 16, which of these is an example of an indirect cost associated with a proposal?

A) travel costs for personnel going to a remote work site
B) cost of insurance benefits for personnel going to a remote work site
C) cost of supplies used at a remote work site
D) cost of operating a company's telephone system

Question 27

According to Chapter 16, the introduction to a proposal must answer seven questions, one of which is "What is the problem or opportunity?" What is another question the introduction must answer?

A) What are your qualifications to carry out the proposed project?
B) How much will the proposed project cost?
C) What are your sources of information?
D) What quality-control measures will you use to ensure that the proposed project results in a suitable deliverable?

Question 28

ABC Electronics wants someone to install in its two buildings a top-of-the-line burglar-alarm system, which will not only sound an alarm but also simultaneously notify authorities and the company president. Video surveillance of the premises should also be a capability of the security system. In order to obtain price quotes, what should ABC Electronics write?

A) an unsolicited proposal
B) an internal proposal
C) an external proposal
D) a request for proposals

Question 29

Which of the following is an important part of persuading readers of a proposal that you can complete the proposed work successfully?

A) You must show readers that you understand how to submit the proposal.
B) You must show readers that you sympathize with their frustrations.
C) You must show readers that you are enthusiastic.
D) You must show readers that they can trust you to do a good job.

Question 30

You are writing an internal proposal advocating that your company purchase a new ticket-tracking system, called Tick-Track, for the company's information-technology help desk. Which of the following is the best point to make in the introduction of your proposal?

A) Tick-Track is made by a company that was just bought by Google.
B) Tick-Track is designed to take advantage of the latest developments in database-search technology.
C) You estimate that the response delays caused by your company's current ticket-tracking system are costing the company $1,000 per day in lost productivity.
D) Tick-Track is a web-based system.

Question 31

According to Chapter 16, which of these is NOT a useful guideline to follow in creating a proposal for an audience in a different culture?

A) Budget time for translation.
B) Understand that what makes an argument persuasive can differ from one culture to another.
C) Focus on costs.
D) Ask if the prospective customer will do a read-through.

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT an example of a quality-control measure?

A) a formative evaluation conducted by members of the project team
B) a performance test conducted by a third party
C) a list of all the heavy equipment used in a construction project
D) an on-site evaluation conducted by the customer

Question 33

Which of these types of proposals is NOT discussed in Chapter 16?

A) solicited external proposals
B) unsolicited external proposals
C) unsolicited internal proposals
D) internal proposals

Question 34

According to Chapter 16, what must you demonstrate to show that your organization can complete the work described in a proposal?

A) efficiency
B) qualifications and experience
C) program information
D) certification and authorization

Question 35

Which of the following does the proposed program section of a proposal NOT customarily include?

A) an explanation of the work you intend to do
B) references to appropriate research or scholarship
C) a justification of your claims
D) a budget

Question 36

Which of these is NOT a common deliverable at the end of a research project?

A) completion report
B) progress report
C) recommendation report
D) project report

Question 37

In which situation might you present your proposal as a memo?

A) when your proposal is lengthy-more than 10 pages
B) when your audience is external
C) when your audience is internal
D) when the scope of the project is large

Question 38

Hardy Grocery Store has issued an RFP for the construction of a two-story warehouse addition to its main store. The warehouse must be built on 5,000 square feet of adjacent property, but it must have at least 9,000 square feet of storage space and have loading platforms for both North and East Street entrances. R&F Architects has responded with a proposal acknowledging the grocery's property restrictions and space requirements. R&F's proposal includes a sketch of the warehouse the company proposes to build, with multiple entrances from the exterior as well as entrances from the existing building. The proposal has a chart showing the phases of the project, including the completion date, and a section describing R&F's staff and similar past projects. The proposal ends with a bid. What should R&F add to the proposal to better compete with other organizations bidding on the project?

A) a description of its quality-control measures
B) a listing of the research methods to be used
C) a description of the problem or opportunity
D) a clearer focus on the readers' needs

Question 39

According to Chapter 16, what is a common name for the leader of a proposed research project?

A) principal investigator
B) research lead
C) investigator-in-principle
D) project principal

Question 40

Which of these is NOT a subject of a goods and services proposal?

A) offering to provide 150 computers to a state agency
B) offering to install new landscaping around a government building
C) asking for resources to study how a new pesticide affects lettuce and cabbage crops
D) asking for a contract to provide cleaning and janitorial services to a government building for one year