About the Proposal ​ ​The purpose of this assignment is to create a simple human

About the Proposal
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​The purpose of this assignment is to create a simple human services program, easily implemented by an intern or entry level employee, which will address a social problem that is of interest to you. The program can be any type of program (psycho-educational, therapeutic, outreach, etc…) but must be theoretically sound, and fill a gap.
​The paper should be a minimum of 5 and maximum of 8 pages long, double-spaced, with a font-size of 12.  The budget spreadsheet and references do not count as pages.  Include a typed and signed honor pledge and the title page of the assignment.
​Two sample proposals will be posted for you to use as a example of formatting, length, paragraph structure, etc. In general, proposals should contain:
1. Headers that match the rubric pretty closely.
2. Sections that match the rubric perfectly
3. Professional language, primarily 3rd person
Keys to Success
1. This assignment is supposed to be challenging, as well as fun and creative. The most important thing to do is get started early, and work on each section a little at a time. You do NOT want to realize at 3 am the night before this is due that your program does not fit the project criteria and thus have to start from scratch.
2. The hardest part is just thinking of a good idea for a simple program. You should aim to design a pilot program with a limited number of participants, often within a larger organization. Keeping the program small will make writing latter sections easier, such as keeping an appropriate budget. Narrow the program down early!
3. Remember that the purpose of writing a memo is to get your point across as simply, and clearly as possible. The rubric points are very detailed; make sure that you hit each point as you write each section. Also, keep the structure of each section in the same order as the points appear on the rubric. This would make it easier for a potential funder of your program to not have to sift through fancy, elaborate sentences for information and thus give you the funding that you want (or for a person grading your paper to give you all the points you deserve!)
Where to Start
Here are a few steps to help you brainstorm and narrow down your topic:
1. Start with an area of interest. Use the syllabus to remind you of topics that are covered in the course, which could help you narrow down where there is a need for improvement. What population or system do you want to work with? A certain minority group? Persons with physical disabilities? Do you like mental health? The school system? The judicial system?
2. Then, research to find a local organization near by that is involved in your area of interest. This could be a community health association, hospital, a school, a local police station, etc.
3. See what programs are already offered for your population at this location. Can you expand and improve on a program, or create something that does not exist yet? (It is important to note that you may not have access to finding every single program offered, so if you happen to create something that does already exist but you had no way of knowing about that, you will not be penalized.)
Section 1: Style and Format
​This section is just the memorandum header. This should include the word memo, date, to, from, and subject lines. Also include the name, title, position, and agency of the recipient. The recipient should be the person in the organization where the program will be implemented, and also the person who would make the decision about whether or not to implement the program.
​Also, don’t forget to print out a copy of the rubric with the honor statement on it, and staple that to the front of the memo.
​For guidelines on how to write a memo, see:
http://www.consultingmentor.com/Article.asp?94. 
Common Mistakes:
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​Students often try to address the memorandum to someone who would not be making the decision about the specific program. For example, if the program is working with a population of inmates at a local correction facility in PG County, address the memo to the Head Correctional Officer at the specific location, not the Director of the Corrections for the state of Maryland.
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_______1.  Style and format (0-4 points)
̲ Rubric with signed honor statement is attached to the front of the memo
̲ The memorandum header includes the word memo, date, to, from, and subject lines
̲ The name, title, position, and agency of the recipient are given
̲ The recipient is the person in the organization who is in a position to decide whether or not to implement it
Section 2: Purpose and population
​In one or two sentences, describe the primary goal, or anticipated outcome of your program. Select only one goal and tell the population or group that the goal applies to. Narrow down this population as much as possible. Keeping this group specific will make inclusion and exclusion criteria easy to identify.
Examples of goals: Improve the reading level of 11-14 year old children in the Langley Park area through an reading contest, strengthen parent-child bond for non-custodial fathers who are referred by the Prince George’s County courts because they are delinquent in child support payments through a father-child activity night, or provide social support for employees of Walmart who are caregivers of elderly relatives with Alzheimer’s disease by creating a support group at the store.
______2.  Purpose of program and population to be served (0-8 points)
̲ The primary goal or purpose of the program is clearly described
̲ The means by which the goal will be achieved, or type of intervention, is clearly described
̲ Population or group that the program targets is specified
̲ The number of people to be served is given, and inclusion or exclusion criteria are given with rationale
Section 3: Need or Problem
​Identify the problem that your proposed program will address and present data showing that a need exists (the simple fact that no such program exists does not constitute a need). You will need to do some additional research to write this section. Peer reviewed journal articles can be helpful, but it is especially helpful if you choose a local organization in which you can interview an employee to really find out about the needs of your population.
​Also, make sure that you explain how the need for your population is consistent with goal of your program. If a program already exists that serves your specific population, think how you can improve it so that your idea is original!
Examples: While, overall, the reading levels of Latino/Hispanic students in the State of Maryland, in general, and Prince George’s County, in particular, have climbed markedly in recent years and now approach those of non- Latino/Hispanic students, 8th-grade reading scores have proved markedly resistant to improvement (Anderson, 2005). Latino/Hispanic residents of the DC metropolitan area are concentrated primarily inside the beltway and Langley Park, Maryland, is one of the five zip codes inside the beltway with the highest concentration of Latino-Hispanic residents (Singer, 2001).
______3.  Need or problem (0-10 points)
̲ Is clearly identified (2)
̲ Prevalence in the general population is discussed (2)
̲ Prevalence in the target population is discussed (2)
̲ Is thoroughly explained (why does this need exist?) with several reputable citations (2)
̲ Is consistent with the goal or purpose of program (2)
̲ Is shown not to be addressed sufficiently by programs already available to the target population (2)
Section 4: Theoretical Framework
​In this section, you will describe the theory of your program – why do you think it will help with the problem? You will describe the theory, and how it relates to your program. Also, explain how the theory and program goals are the same. To help you brainstorm theories, review lecture notes- especially from the beginning of the course. (i.e. Social Learning Theory, Developmental Theories, Feminist Theory). You will need to cite the source you used to find this theory. 
For example:  According to social learning theory, a reading contest will help children to learn from each other how to make more time for reading and to enjoy it, or according to attachment theory children who spend more time with their parents will have a stronger bond.
_____4.  Theory (0-8 points)
̲ Is clearly identified and cited
̲ Is briefly discussed
̲ Relationship between theory and program is clearly described (why is this program going to work?)
̲ Theory and program goal are consistent
Section 5: Measurable objective and assessment
​Describe one measurable objective and tell how you will measure it.  In contrast to a goal, which is rather general, a measurable objective is concrete and empirical. This means you must be able to cite a source in which your measuring tool is used. This will most likely be a self-survey that will be administered to the participants, but other empirical methods can be used as well.
​Again, make sure that achievement of the measurement is consistent with the goal of the program. For example, if you want your program to relieve stress in a family, you might use a pre and post survey on current stress in the family members.
​Describe the time period that you will administer the measurement for your program. For example, are you going to just have a follow up survey a month after your program, or do you want to have the survey immediately following the activity?
​Lastly, include the proportion of people you expect to achieve a specific improvement score on your measurement, as a result of your program. Make this goal realistic, the probability of 100% improvement is pretty low.
Example: An improvement of at least one grade level in average scores on the reading section of the Maryland School Assessment test would be a measurable objective.  So would an average increase of at least 33 percent in fathers’ scores on the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI)(Parker, 1990), or an average increase of  50 percent in scores on the Global Measure of Perceived Stress Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (Houston, Cooper & Ford, 2002).
______5.  Measurable objective and assessment (0-10 points)
̲ A measurable objective is clearly described (2)
̲ Achievement of objective will achieve program goals (2)
̲ The time (by date or in months) by which it is to be achieved is given (1)
̲ An empirical method for measuring it is identified (2)
̲ A scholarly reference is given for the empirical method of measurement (2)
̲ The proportion of participants who are expected to achieve a specific score is given (1)
Section 6: Key Activity
​Describe the key activity that will be carried out in order to achieve the goals and objectives of the program, how often it will occur and over what period of time. It is important to keep in mind that your program should be a “pilot” program, so keep it simple.
​Explain the relationship between the key activity and the program objective, as well as why the activity is suitable for your participants (i.e. how is your activity culturally competent).
It may seem a bit redundant to keep giving rationale for how each of these sections is consistent with achieving your program objective, but it is important to do so in this type of memo. You want to focus on these points because you want to be reminding a potential funder why they should care!
Examples are: 2 hours daily of after-school reading instruction during the 2006-7 school year, a 16-week half-day father-child Saturday play activities program, or a 12 week, 1- hour-weekly Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group.
_______6.  Key activity that will be carried out in order to achieve the objective (0-10points)
̲ Is clearly described
̲ Information is given on how often it will occur.
̲ Information is given on the time period during which it will occur (by dates or in months)
̲ Rationale is given for why it is expected to achieve the program objective, theory
̲ Rationale is given for why it will be appropriate for the participants, cultural competence
Section 7: Budget Narrative
​In this section, clarify what staff [position title(s) and full time equivalence (FTE)] will be required to carry out these activities. The FTE represents whatever percentage of a 40 hour week that your staff member is working (because a 40 hour week = a full time employee’s hours). Thus, if you wanted a staff member to work 10 hours a week, then say that they are ¼ FTE or .25 FTE. 
Steer away from using multiple full time employees, and rather aim to use intern-level workers such as yourself.
Examples: ¼ FTE Maryland-certified reading teacher, ¼ FTE Maryland-certified child life specialist, or ⅛ FTE licensed clinical social worker.  Remember, the program could be staffed by you if you have the qualifications – 1/5 FTE intern.
Also, explain what else you would need to implement the program. You do not need to go into minute detail about every single detail, but try to hit the bigger supplies that will be needed.
Examples: This might be space ( for example, a room for ½ day a week), supplies and equipment (for example, children’s desks and reading materials, children’s toys and tables, 6 comfortable chairs), transportation, or something else.
______ 7.  Budget narrative:  staffing and other resources needed (0-8 points)
̲ Position titles are given with FTE equivalence 
̲ Qualifications for each position are briefly explained
̲ Other resources are explained and justified
̲ Staff and resources are appropriate for project
Section 8: Budget Spreadsheet
You will use all the information from your budget narrative to create a spreadsheet to break down the information into dollars. All staff positions, as well as other resources must be detailed in the budget spreadsheet.  The budget should be for an amount that an intern or entry level employee could reasonable expect to get for a new program, probably no more than $2000, if that much.
*A sample spreadsheet is provided at the bottom of this document
_______8.  Budget spreadsheet (0-6 points)
̲ Budget is feasible for a first year project
̲ Position titles are given with FTE equivalence
̲ Other key resources (space, materials, transportation, food or snacks, etc.) are described
̲ Salaries and costs of other resources are given
̲ Salaries and costs are appropriate to staff and resources requested
̲ All budget items and costs are for the same time period as indicated in the heading of the spreadsheet
Section 9: Logic Model
The purpose of the logic model is to give a schematic visualization of you’re your program is going to do, and how you are going to do it. Refer to one of the sample proposals posted on Blackboard to see the format.
_______9.  Logic model (0-10 points)
̲ Title of the program (1)
̲ Problem or need (1)
̲ Inputs (2)
̲ Outputs (2)
̲ Short term outcomes (2)
̲ Long term outcomes (2)
Section 10: Program fits with organization’s mission
​First, briefly describe the program for which you are program is proposed. Reiterate the program’s goal. Explain why the program goal is consistent with the mission of the organization for which it is being proposed. Try to research your organization’s website to get a quote and citation of the organization’s mission.
For example: The mission statement at the organization you select might read as follows, “The mission of the Takoma Park Elementary School is to support and enhance the educational opportunities of all children,” or, “The mission statement of the Maryland Responsible Fatherhood Program is to improve fathering skills of teen fathers in Maryland.” Each of these is consistent with one of the program goals stated above because the program goal is included in the organization’s mission.
______10.  Program fits with organization’s mission (0-5 points)
̲ Organization for which program is proposed is named and briefly described
̲ Organization’s mission is clearly described, preferably quoted & cited
̲ Program’s goal is restated
̲ Relationship between organization’s mission and program’s goal is clearly described
̲ Mission and goal are consistent
Section 11: Follow-up Plan
Thank the addressee for taking the time to consider your program. State that you would like to discuss the program further, and let the person know that you will be calling to follow up on scheduling a time to meet, as well as when you will be calling to follow up (i.e. next week). Tell the person that you are hoping they will be interested in implementing the program. Also, encourage the addressee to contact you with any questions.
_______11.  Follow-up plan (0-3 points)
̲ States that the writer would like to meet with the addressee to discuss the memorandum/concept paper further, and gives an approximate idea of when the writer will be contacting the addressee to make an appointment
̲ Explains what the writer is hoping the addressee will do (approve the program or give feedback)
̲ Gives addressee contact information for writer, and urges the addressee to contact the writer with any questions
Section 12: References
______12.  References (0-4 points)
̲ A minimum of 6 references must be used (4 in need or problem section, 1 for theory, 1 for measurement scale)
̲ All citations in the text are reflected in the reference section
̲ References and citations follow APA  Manual of Style, 5th edition, particularly internet citations
̲ All references in the reference section appear in at least one citation in the text, APA style
Section 13: Overall Quality of Writing
______13.  Overall quality of writing (0-12 points)
̲ Headers are used, and appropriate content is contained within each section
̲ Completely free of typographical and spelling errors
̲ Capitalization is appropriate throughout memo
̲ Grammatically correct (punctuation, sentence structure)
̲ Professionally written:  third person (except for final section), no colloquialisms, no contractions,
̲ APA style:  numbers are correct, commas at the end of a series
ONE-YEAR PROJECT BUDGET 200_ – 200_
(You may use a different time period as appropriate for your program)
EXPENSES
Item
Amount in dollars
Salaries and wages (breakdown by individual position and indicate FTE (full-time equivalency—1, .5, etc.)
Travel
Equipment
Supplies
Printing and copying
Telephone and fax
Postage and delivery
Rent and utilities
Other (specify)
Total Expense
$0
(You may copy this form to your computer from the syllabus on Blackboard. Add or subtract lines or budget categories as needed. Be sure to justify each amount in your budget by itemizing and explaining what you need it for.)