The following elements should be demonstrated in this assignment:
• Timely information technology policy and strategy issue
• Clear information technology policy and strategy needs and interest of targeted department
• Logical progress and trends related to the issue
• Clear impact of issue on workplace
• Topically related leadership and innovation issues
• Appropriate instruments used to collect information
QUESTIONS FOR PROBLEM-SOLVING PROPOSALS
Definition of a Problem: A situation, issue, policy, or practice this is difficult and perplexing but can be improved or solved.
• What is a current situation, policy, practice that you see as a problem?
• How do you know the current situation, practice, or policy is not beneficial ?
• Can it be improved, changed, eliminated? How do you know?
BACKGROUND
Extent: Who/what does the problem hurt? In what way? When? For how long? With what results?
• Evidence that negative results are caused by this problem?
Origin: When did the problem start?
• Evidence of its origin?
Causes: What are some of the causes of the problem?
• Evidence that these are the causes?
• Evidence that these are the only or even chief causes?\
Attempts at Solutions: Has anyone before tried to solve this problem here or elsewhere? When? How? With what effect?
• Lessons learned from past attempts?
• Lessons learned from solutions to similar problems?
STATEMENT OF NEED
• What is your proposed solution?
• Why did you choose it over alternative solutions?
• If your solution is accepted, what benefits will be gained. By whom? How soon?
PLAN OF ACTION
• What steps need to be taken to get ready to start putting your proposed solution into effect?
• What people need to be involved in planning the implementation of the solution?
• What steps need to be taken to implement your solution?
• What materials/equipment will be needed to accomplish each step?
• What facilities (space, utilities) will be needed at each step? How will they be used? For how long?
• What people will need to be involved at each step of the implementation? What will they need to know and do? For how long?
BUDGET
• How much will it cost for the people needed? How do you arrive at the total?
• How much will it cost for the materials/equipment? How do you arrive at the total?
• How much will it cost for facilities? How do you arrive at the total?
• What other direct costs will there be? How do you know?
• What are indirect costs (time lost by personnel; health benefits; insurance for equipment; unexpected delays)?
• What will be the total cost? How do you arrive at the total?
• How will this proposal be funded? Direct sources? Indirect sources? Evidence for availability of the needed funds?
SCHEDULE
• How long would it take to plan to start implementing the proposed solution?
• How did you arrive at this answer?
• How long will it take to have the proposed solution approved?
• How did you arrive at this answer?
EVALUATION
• What method of monitoring progress will you use?
• What method of evaluation of success/failure will you use?
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
• What are the reasons in favor of implementation (summarized)?
• What is the group's recommendation?
ILLUSTRATIONS
• Most helpful choices?
• Correct label, title, and arrangement?
• Introduced and interpreted in text?
APA MATTER
References: (APA formatted)APA Citation Style.htm (control+click to follow link)
Appendix (es)
ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN
Title Page
Table of Contents
Abstract
Introduction
• States the problem
• Recommends the solution
• Presents scope and plan of report
Background
• History
• Documentation of the problem's significance
Statement of Need
• Summary of proposed solution
• Goals and objective of proposed solution
Evidence
• Empirical Data
• Secondary Data
Plan of Action
• What do you plan to do
• How do you plan to do it
• Personnel
• Facilities
• Equipment
• Other
Budget
• Materials
• Support services
• Labor
• Other
Funding
• Direct Costs
• Indirect Costs
• Matching Funds
• Contributions
• Fringe Benefits
• Grants
• Other
Schedule
• Planning
• Implementation
• Evaluation
Evaluation
• Accomplishment of objectives
• Monitoring progress
Conclusions/Recommendations
Appendix(es)
Reminders
• Use APA formatting for this document.
• Page numbers should be in the upper right corner.
• Each appendix receives its own letter.
• Do not insert any appendix unless you mention it in the text.
• Provide a new sub divisional heading about every half page or so throughout the body. Doing so will make your report more easily understood and will provide some visual variety. There are no single set of sub divisional headings that are appropriate for every paper, so you have to be creative and develop your own.
• Content of the collected data: This section provides complete, detailed, and clear data that you obtained. Be totally specific. Give names, dates, and as much information possible. Do not assume your reader knows anything about your topic. Use this section to explain exactly what you did, what you learned, what people told you, who you observed and so on. Do not offer any personal opinions in the collected data. Present the facts unembellished.
• The conclusion/recommendation section must not contain new information. This part of the report is reserved only for interpretation of facts you have previously presented.
• The abstract page, although it comes at the front of the whole report, should be written last . The abstract is a concise, compressed section that tells the reader exactly what will be found in the report that follows.
• Be ruthless about punctuation, spelling, grammar, and sentence construction. Fix any problem area. Check that you have avoided the use of second person.
Basic Formatting Guidelines
• Double space the entire document (title page to reference page)
• One inch margins
• Size 12 font
• Times Roman, Courier, New Courier
• Number pages beginning with the abstract (p.2).
• Abstract: One paragraph (block); 150 words
• Title Page: Running head/p#; title; course; date; group members' names and initials
• Reference Page: APA
• In-text-citations: APA