Discuss the process involved in the preparation of a proposal.

Answers will vary. Writers have much flexibility when preparing proposals. When they find a particular pattern that seems to be successful, they no doubt will adopt it as their basic plan. The ultimate test of a proposal is its effectiveness in achieving its purpose. The task is to assemble the parts of a proposal in a way that persuades the reader to accept it.
As with most report writing, a writer must first prepare the pieces of information that he or she will assemble later as the "whole" report, and then determine the parts to include, select one part that will be easy to prepare and do so, and then go on to another. When the writer has completed the parts, he or she can arrange them in whatever order they like, incorporate the transitional items necessary to create coherence, and then put the proposal in finished form. The writer must allow adequate time after completing the research and writing for proofreading and editing. Figures should be checked carefully for accuracy, because underreporting costs can lead to a financial loss if the proposal is accepted, and over reporting costs may lead to refusal of the proposal.
If the writer becomes part of a collaborative writing team producing a proposal of major size, he or she will probably be responsible for writing only a small portion of the total
proposal. After the group brainstorms and plans the proposal, a project director delegates
responsibility for the research and origination of particular sections of the proposal. Finally, one person compiles all the sections, creates many of the preliminary and addenda parts, and then produces and distributes the final product.