The activity section in the proposal is the methodology section that explains how the project will reach its objectives.
The description of activities should focus on the aspects of the project that will resolve or prevent the problems identified in the need statement by obtaining the results promised in the objectives.
Activities necessary to the success of the project (success being the ability to reach all of the objectives) should be fully described in the proposal.
The funder wants to know exactly how objectives will be met, so give exact descriptions. Be specific and give enough detail to justify each activity.
You can break the activities down into the following elements.
a) Program Description
This is the explanation of what the project will do and should describe and justify the approach to be used to attack the problem.
Cite any relevant research on the approach and discuss other situations in which it has worked. Convince the funder of the validity of your methods.
The program description should also identify the human resources used in the project and explain the importance of each staff position to its success.
In this section, justify each personnel position that will show up in the budget of the proposal, showing how that staff member will help the project meet its objectives. This is critical. If there is no relation (or only peripheral relation) between the position and project success, delete it from the proposal.
b) Management Plan
The proposal should explain how the project will be managed, including outlining the project director’s role.
It should show what authority the director will have, what staff members he or she will supervise, and who will supervise the director.
The management plan should also include a timeline for implementing the project.
The timeline should identify major milestones, target dates for meeting milestones, and the person or persons responsible for ensuring that milestones are met.
Construct a simple table which lists the project’s major milestones in chronological order. Complete the timeline with target dates for reaching each milestone and information on staff members responsible for each task.
When the grant is received, this table can be converted into a simple checklist that can be a valuable tool in monitoring project performance.
As with all charts, the proposal should include narrative explanations for readers who do not know how to interpret charts or do not like them.
c) Use of Resources
The activities section of the proposal also should give a clear idea of what nonpersonnel resources are necessary and how the project will use them.
A useful rule of thumb is that any item noted in the proposal budget should be described in this section.
The description should focus on the resource’s relevance to achieving project goals.
Items that cannot be shown as important to the success of the project should not appear in the proposal.
d) Training
Often, implementing a project requires new techniques, procedures, equipment, and protocols in which project and nonproject staff need training.
The proposal should detail any training necessary for the implementation of the project.
This description should include:
• Who will conduct the training;
• The content of the training;
• Who will be trained;
• The cost of training; and
• The training schedule.
e) Facilities
The activities section should include a description of the facilities the project will use, including any changes or modifications needed.
If new facilities must be rented or purchased, they should be described and justified.
