|
PROPOSAL
GUIDELINES
Proposal
Outline (Due Monday of Week 2)
Written Proposal Components:
Project
Overview
Project
Proposal
Project
Schedule and Time-Frame
Literature
Cited
Over
the course of the block, you will research and develop a preliminary
proposal to the Independence Community Fund (ICF) for a project
that will help Colorado Springs to become a more beautiful and
sustainable place to live. Although the ICF proposals are required
to be short when they are submitted (3 pages), we would like to
you write a larger, preliminary proposal that we can revise and
submit for next year's grant competition. Your proposal format
will follow the format for the Sustainable Development Challenge
Grant (SDCG), a national grant competition for communities that
was implemented during the Clinton administration by the EPA (and
now cancelled by the Bush adminstration).
Research
your topic, its relevance to Colorado Springs, and possible solutions.
Use library materials and web information, visit sites in the
city, and contact people in the city who can help you.
Proposal
Outline (Due Monday of Week 2):
On
Monday of the second week of class, you will turn in an outline
for your Sustainable Project Proposal. To get a feel for the types
of topics you can choose, check out some past projects written
by students at Kalamazoo (on electronic reserve, Past Projects),
and leaf through a great book that is on reserve (not electronically)
in Tutt called "Sustainable Cities".
Submit
a 1-3 paragraph description of your topic. Be sure to include
a clear statement of goals and objectives, including the specific
environmetnal, economic, and communty problem(s) the proposal
addresses and their significance. What type of sustainable behavior
is desired, and what type of non-sustainable behavior nees to
be changed? Also include some ideas of which community members
you will need to contact to consult with you on the proposal.
When picking a topic, consider its feasibility (economic, logistical,
political) as well as its benefit to the community. We want these
proposals to be do-able in the near future!
Written
Proposal Components:
Your
proposal should be 10-15 pages in length. Please do not use covers,
binders, or folders. Proposals should be submitted on double-sided
8.5 x 11" paper (recycled if possible) by 3 pm. on Tuesday,
Nov 20. Use no smaller than 12-point type and have 1" page
margins on all sides. All proposals and presentations also need
to be submitted electronically via email to Sharon.
All written proposals should be submitted as MS Word (.doc format)
and all presentations should be submitted as MS Powerpoint (.ppt
format).
Your
proposals should contain the following infomation in the given
order:
(1)
Project Overview (1/2 page):
Briefly
address the following questions. Your responses provide an overview
of the proposed project and help reviewers understand the context
of your proposal. You have the opportunity to expand on these
questions when addressing the Program Criteria.
•
What is the role of your organization (i.e. Colorado College)
in the community?
• Where will the activity occur?
• What are the goals and objectives of the project?
• What are the project’s expected results and what vision
do you have for the ultimate impact of your activity (what do
you expect to see change over time among the people involved,
the physical environment, and the environmental, economic, or
social conditions)?
(2) Project
Proposal (9-11 pages):
Be
sure to address each of the proposal sections listed below.
1.
Introduction: Identification of the problem/issue.
Describe
the nature of the problem you are addressin. Include here data
from the situation locally including statistics, personal communication,
photos, etc. Also includ here a description of the scientific
nature of the problem or issue. What is the problem you are
addressing? Why is this is problem from an ecological point of
view? What type of non-sustainable behavior needs to be changed
and what type of sustainable behavior is desired?
2.
Statement of what you will do to address the problem.
At
the end of the Introduction section, be sure you state in one
brief paragraph what you plan to do about the problem. This paragraph
is equivalent to the thesis statement in a 5-paragragh essay.
3.
Proposed work: Description of your solution
In
this section you should describe in detail your proposed solutions
to the problem, including economic, community, ecological, and
social benefits of your proposed project. This proposal needs
to be fundable, so be ambitious yet realistic. Included in this
section should be:
•
Solutions to similar problems in other communities and how your
proposal draws on past experience
• Methods you will take to complete the proposed work. Suggested
sections including but are not limited to answers to the following
questions:
What
methods will be used for community involvement to assure that
all affected by the project are provided an opportunity to participate?
How
will you measure and evaluate how well the project meets its goals
and objective? Goal and objective measures should be both qualitative
and quantitative, and should assess the project’s contribution
to sustainability.
•
Benefits of your proposal. Suggested sections including but are
not limited to answers to the following questions:
How
do the environmental solutions proposed by the project lead to
long-term economic vitality? For example, will the project lead
to more sustainable use of naturals resources, reduced consumption
of non-renewable resources, create a more skilled and flexible
labor force, and maximize local financial resources?
How
do the proposed project solutions integrate and sustain environmental
protection, economic prosperity and community well-being at the
community leel and at the regional level?
How
does the proposal address the ways in which future generations
are affected by the proposed project?
How
do the environmental solutions proposed illustrate an ecosystem
approach to environmental protection?
How
do the proposal’s environmental and economic impacts promote
community well-being for all people in the community?
How
does the proposl assure that the project’s activities do
not exhaust or degrade the environment in your community or shift
the problem to another community or another part of the environment?
•
Scientific rationale to your proposed solution, i.e. give the
reader/reviewer a knowledge that your ideas are based in scientific
reality.What is the ecological/scientific basis to support
your action? .
• Possible obstacles to implementing the solution, how those
obstacles will be overcome, or alternative plans if obstacles
are insurmountable
• Reasons your proposal will work for this community.
How does the proposal represent new solutions for the community,
given their previous history and current circumstances?
(4)
Project Schedule and Time-Frame (1/2-1 page):
Show
when you expect to complete significant steps and milestones in
your project (assuming, for sake of argument, that you will be
here to complete it if it gets funded). Clearly depict the project’s
duration, and include months and dates. Use July 1, 2002 as the
project starte date (the exact date will be negotiated with ICF
if your project is selected). One to three year project durationis
permitted under this program. Se the sample schedule below:
• Convene project team: July 1, 2002
• Complete Task 1 (include brief description of task): October
30, 2002
• Complete Task 2 (include brief description of task): March
15, 2003
• Complete Task 3 (include brief description of task): June
1, 2003
• Complete final report: June 30, 2003
(5) Literature
Cited (at least 10 references).
Professional
citation style required (any will work). Please refer to a manual
of style for citation instructions.
This page last updated:
March 13, 2002
|
