Presenting project proposals: an activity that accompanies scholars, but also professionals, in their entire working life. This is the theme we are dealing with. First of all, two extremes must be considered: research proposals and market-oriented proposals, like for example proposals for creating a start-up. In the case of research proposals, the watchword is: be visionary, be creative, be unique. Show that you significantly advance the knowledge of the sector. In the case of market-oriented proposals, the watchword is: this can be done. Our idea, our service, our product, can go on the market, soon, find its market share, win the competitors and… work. It is not necessary, as with research proposals, to prove the absolute novelty or innovativeness of what you have in mind. Please, don’t misunderstand me: I don’t mean to say that market-oriented proposals should not be innovative, creative or visionary. I mean that being feasible becomes an important factor. I remember the case of a group of management engineering students of mine, some years ago. They wanted to make a proposal for a car-sharing service, in years when car-sharing was new and almost non-existent in Italy. Their winning argument was "a service of this kind already exists, in Korea". The financiers were persuaded by this argument: it was not a leap in the dark but an idea that, in a similar way, had worked fine elsewhere. In a research proposal, you could never say: “And you know what? They have already done it in Korea…”. What shall we go through, in the lessons? First of all, we will talk about what happens when an innovation is introduced in society, making reference to the so-called “diffusion theories”. It is important to realize these dynamics to fine-tune the message we convey with our proposal: how we want to look, what we mean to do, what impact we foresee to have. We will then devote specific attention to a text that is almost always required: the executive summary. It is generally the shortest but most important text of a proposal. We will then deal, in two lessons, with the basic elements which are to be found in practically all project proposals, of whatever kind they may be. It should in fact be said that when dealing with the preparation of a concrete proposal, the “venue", so to speak, in which the proposal is made, in the vast majority of cases, presents the proponents with a form, or a set of guidelines that of course must be followed, with sections to fill in, like, you know, “introduction”, “motivation” and so on. But there are some particularly important topics that, in a way or another, are always to be found and in our lessons we will talk about these. They are: the opportunity, the starting point, from which the proposal springs. Then, the goal and the objectives. What does the proposal aim to achieve? Then, the state of the art, the situation on which the proposal intervenes. If we are making a research proposal, it’s going to be the state of the art about the research on our specific topic. If it is a more market-oriented proposal, it’s going to be the market situation with respect to the "product” that we are working on and for which we ask for funding. There are also some aspects that show that the proposal is “concrete” and that you have clear ideas about what to do, once it’s been approved. First of all, the method you mean to use. The word “method” comes from Greek and literally means “the way through which you get somewhere”. Many good ideas fail because of a bad method and many current challenges have not been solved due to methodological issues. Show that you know “the way” and that it is a safe and sound way. Then, there are the resources necessary to lead the project, which you will need to specify in terms of person-months and finances. Then, the temporal plan of the work, with the main milestones that will mark the progress of the activities and the "deliverables" you will be able to produce along the way. Finally, information regarding the proposer, or the proposers, in the case of a consortium: it must be shown that the team is actually able to carry the work out.
