Posted: December 3rd, 2022

Assignment: Request for Proposal and Pitch

Assignment: Request for Proposal and Pitch (25% & 5% Individual and 5%Group)
This is a group assignment worth 35% of your final grade (25% assignment & 10% pitch). 5% is individual.
Using what you have learned to date in this class, you and your group members will respond to a Request for Proposal (RFP). You will assume the role of research consultants seeking to submit the winning bid for the client. The proposal is a written document, that should be no more than 12 pages (not including a title page, table of contents and reference list), double spaced, professional font (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri), 12 point font, normal margins. It should not be written in first person. . You are expected to refer to the textbook and other resources (textbooks, academic articles, etc.) within your report using in text citations to give support and credibility to your proposed idea.
The following elements should be included in your final paper:
● Executive summary
o After reading this, the client should have a clear understanding of your main ideas.
o What are the highlights of your proposal?
o How will your proposal address the client’s needs?
o What are the unique selling points of your proposal (e.g. what methodology or special elements does your proposal include to make it stand out?).
o It should be no longer than a page
● Introduction
o Briefly outline the need for the project and why the research is required.
o Briefly outline what each section will discuss.
o Identify the research purpose, research questions and objectives.
o Approx. 1-2 paragraphs (1 page)
● Background Research
o This section should start by mirroring the research purpose and objectives outlined in the RFP.
o This section is therefore, like a literature review. Identify the key topics covered in the RFP, and using credible academic and industry sources to show that you have a clear understanding of the client’s issue and topic as well as their needs.
o Length should be approximately 3 pages
● Method
o The methods you proposed to collect data should be appropriate given the client’s needs, and be consistent with the Background Research provided. You should consider all the elements of the research process you considered in the previous assignment, and address them here in relation to the client’s needs. You must consider various aspects, including but not necessarily limited to the following:
▪ Is the project exploratory/descriptive/explanatory?
▪ Should it use qualitative and/or quantitative approaches?
▪ Should it be singular or mixed methods?
▪ Who is the study population?
▪ What sampling frame(s) should be used?
▪ What sampling stategy/ies should be employed?
▪ How and where you recruit participants?
▪ How many participants will you aim for?
▪ What should the sampling ratio be?
▪ What type of data collection instrument should be used?
▪ What are some key concepts that should be operationalized in the data collection instruments?
▪ How can ethical best practices be followed?
▪ Be clear and honest in acknowledging and explaining the limitations of your proposed approach.
▪ This section should be formatted like the previous methodology assignment and include a research approach, research process and sampling strategy.
▪ Approximately 5 pages.
● Critical Path
o Provide a critical path in the form of a Gantt chart
o Describe the step by step process of how you will go about undertaking the study within the proposed time frame.
o Consider how long data collection will take; e.g. for face-to-face surveys or interviews, how many per hour etc? (see budget below)
o Approximately 1 pages
● Budget
o Identify how your team will complete all work within the budget proposed.
o Consider the costs for hiring research Helpants. Assume that leading Senior Consultants cost $100 per hour, and Research Helpants (Ras) cost $50 per hour
▪ Senior consultants can do everything an RA can as well as write surveys/interview guides, analyze data, prepare reports, give presentations.
▪ RAs can collect data (e.g. surveys, interviews), analyze data under supervision of a senior consultant, organize logistics etc.
▪ Consult with the instructor if you have questions about the tasks and who might be responsible.
o Consider time needed to set up data collection, conduct data collection, analyze data and prepare written reports and presentations. This should be presented in a table format (1 page)
● Conclusion (0.5 page)
● Bibliography/references
o APA format with at least 10 credible sources
You will be evaluated on the following:
Grading Rubric
Executive Summary 10%
Research purpose, questions and objectives: 10%
Background research (with relevant, insightful and credible sources used): 20%
Proposed methods (well explained and informed, connect to answering RFP)
25%
Critical Path (project steps are clear, detailed and structured & time
Line is feasible : 10%
Budget (costs are reasonable and feasible ) 10%
Structure, spelling, grammar and appropriate references and format: 10%
Use of academic sources 5%
Total: 100%

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