Working on a proposal for a federal grant probably seems like an especially intense lesson in everyday civics, because the Request for Proposals constantly alludes to Congress and “the legislation.” Although the requirements ought not surprise you, because federal government agencies do, after all, administer and enforce the laws Congress passes, nevertheless you may feel more than a little surprised at how strictly they interpret the legislation that guides your federal grant program. You must remember that most people in government, whether or not they are licensed attorneys, are lawyers-people who know both the letter and spirit of the law.
As you develop your proposal, therefore, you must reason and argue like a lawyer, disciplining yourself to question every assertion and tie-up every loose end. Your reviewers demand perfect consistency among the pieces in your grant proposal; use aggressive questions to assure you meet their standards.
Relentless questions drive your proposal.
At the beginning of your proposal, you will establish your project’s objectives. Naturally, your objectives must match the government’s. Do they? How do they match? How can you show the match? Have you shown the match clearly in your writing and in your measurement tools?
Each of your project’s objectives must provide for objective, empirical measurement. Have you shown how you will measure your achievements? Are your measurements reliable? When you get results, can other researchers repeat your measurements and produce similar results? How have you paid for all this testing? Can you account for the payments? Are your accounting measures valid?
You should see a pattern emerging: Every one of your proposal’s assertions easily generates three or four questions. Make sure you ask and answer the questions as if you were a lawyer. If you feel uncertain, enlist a lawyer’s services as you review your rough drafts.