Forum Moderators: phranque
I am very new to this forum and looking for a help from all you experts =]
i have to do a project for my BCS ( british computer society) professional exam and i don't have a clue to how to write a project proposal for this, im am planing to do a web site for a music band which is for our music band because it's going to be easy to add up details by in originals since i am the founder of the band and the lyricist of it!
They are requesting approximately 500 words in length for this project proposal, so i have no idea from where to start,what should i have to include for it & where to finish!
So if any one of you can help me out in this matter with some sample formats and so on ... will be great! and for sure i'll be needing your help to make it through till i finish my project!
Thanks in advance.
The first mistake a provider makes is to talk about themselves. "Here's how much experience I have, here's why I'm great, pick me."
People are a selfish lot. This may sound cold, but it's true. They don't care who you are, what you've done, how much experience you have ,they have only one concern: I have a problem and want to solve it.
So the "best" proposal, especially in 500 words or less, will
- Present a single line, one sentence, introducing yourself and your experience. Possibly link to portfolio. That's all you send about you.
- Describe your understanding of the task. This may or may not include items in the RFP. For example, some projects I've worked on the clients asks for an "online database for X data" but this is worthless without a program interface to access the data. So in this example, your description would include an administrative interface with all elements required to view, modify, and delete data.
- Describe how you would solve the task. This is the meat of your proposal, the hook, this is what addresses their problem. Concentrate your efforts here, clearly describing how you would map out the project, what technologies you would use, how it would be tested and deployed.
- If you have any room left, describe what would happen as the project develops, your policy on change of scope (this is a very BIG one, don't forget it,) and terms of payment.
Last, one of the "diseases" or afflictions I see among providers really does prove the point made above. We all interpret the way people think through our own view of the world, therefore, the first thing a provider looks at is the price. If they see other providers bidding too low, they think "that's it, I'm toast, d**n them for underbidding me."
I can tell you without a doubt, for a serious client, price is seldom the most important thing. If it is, and they select the "lowest bid possible" you can console yourself with two truths: 1) you cannot profit working for that price, and the project will likely go very sideways, as the bottom-price clients are the ones most likely to change scope at a whim, and are often a royal pain in the arse, and 2) they will get what they paid for, and are likely to be back soon looking for a real provider.
Never set your price based on competition, and never negotiate price after the fact. Doing so tells the client you can be bend to their needs, and it's only going to get worse from there. I know many are recoiling at my first statement, that it's essential you price based on the competition, but this is not retail. A can of beans in one store is the same as another, but a provider's skills, and how they offer solutions, are seldom the same.
Using the concepts above, I've worked on projects for over 3 times their posted budget, and competing against providers who bid $50.
And of course, you have to believe in yourself and be able to do what you say you're going to do. :-)
