Task 1: Persuasive Proposal Assignment (5%)
Reflect in ePortfolio
City Chosen:
Description
This assignment will allow you to apply persuasive writing strategies and techniques when writing a proposal for your chosen research report topic.
Rationale
This assignment will evaluate the following Course Learning Outcomes:
- CLO1. Respond to business communication scenarios using critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- CLO2. Create business documents for various audiences, purposes, and situations using a defined writing process.
- CLO6. Integrate relevant and credible research materials into business documents using an appropriate documentation format.
Scenario
Welcome to your co-op position with the city! For your Co-op placement, you have been assigned to choose a city from the list of Canadian cities provided in the Research Project: Exploring New Cities learning moduleOpens in a new tab.
NOTE: each student must choose a different city by following the instructions provided in the learning module. Once you have chosen a city, post your choice to the discussion board. Once you have posted it, no one else can use it.
Once your city is chosen, you will work with the city’s Welcoming Committee, which is a new initiative the city is offering to welcome newcomers and introduce them to the city services.
You will be helping the Welcoming Committee create a research recommendation report that will provide additional information and recommendations about the various resources and services the city offers.
The Welcoming Committee’s focus is on newcomers to the city. The city is looking for ways to share valuable information about city resources and services that complement the information already provided on the existing city website.
Note: You are not permitted to use any unauthorized aids like generative artificial intelligence (GEN AI) or paraphrasing tools to write or format this assignment.
Students who opt to use Grammarly Premium to proofread and edit their work must include at the bottom of all assignments a clear statement of acknowledgement (such as “This assignment was proofread by Grammarly Premium”).
Your Task
You will choose a topic (below) and represent the Welcoming Committee by writing a proposal to the city. Your proposal will propose that the Welcoming Committee create a document (a research recommendation report) that newcomers can access to gain a better understanding of the resources and services the city offers.
Choose a topic from the following list as the focus of your research recommendation report project for your chosen city.
- Transportation
- Job Market
- Education
- Healthcare
- Recreation
- Business plan & development
NOTE: Housing is not a topic option as this sample topic will be used in the coming weeks to help explain Task objectives.
Visit your city’s website and explore the topic you chose. Learn what the city has to offer and include details in your proposal. Be sure to properly document this borrowed information by including in-text citations in the proposal and a complete reference at the end of your proposal.
Your proposal should be a persuasive document that includes:
- A Title Page
- An opening:
– hook your audience with a persuasive opening,
– include the purpose of your proposal, and
– include any useful background information about your topic.
- A detailed body:
– include information from the city’s website about your topic (include a citation),
– propose and detail the information you think you can add to this existing information from the website,
– include a plan on where you hope to find this information (online, library sources, news sources, etc.),
– identify any barriers you might encounter trying to find this information, and
– include a plan for how you will overcome those barriers.
- A persuasive closing:
– summarize the main points that will persuade your audience to accept your proposal, and
– include a direct and clear request for approval.
- References:
– include proper APA formatting.
You may use the following Assignment Guide to help you format your proposal. This assignment guide includes an outline of a sample proposal for the topic Housing in Kitchener. It is designed to help you write and format your proposal by providing an exemplar of the kind of information included in a persuasive proposal. Note: the assignment guide is written as an outline and not a complete proposal. When you complete your assignment, follow the instructions and write a complete proposal.
How Your Assignment Will be Graded
A rubric Opens in a new tab has been created and can be found attached to the submission folder. Submission folders can be accessed by selecting Course Tools and then Assignments on the course navigation bar.
See your Program Handbook for the late policy.
Task 1: Persuasive Proposal Assignment Guide
Instructions
- Step 1: Go to week 9 and choose a topic. Next, enroll yourself in a group to choose a city. One city per student.
- Step 2: Explore your city’s website and learn about your topic.
- Step 3: Prepare to write a persuasive proposal to the city of your choice using prewriting strategies. Focus on proposing research interests that complement your topic.
Scenario for this assignment
You are a co-op student working for the city of your choice. For your co-op placement, you have been assigned to work with the city’s Welcoming Committee, a new initiative the city is offering to welcome newcomers and introduce them to city services.
You will be helping the Welcoming Committee develop an internal proposal to propose research interests that complement your topic. You will present information from the city’s website about your topic, suggest a narrowed topic, and propose research interests that could meet the needs of a newcomer to your city.
Planning your proposal
You will begin by brainstorming issues a newcomer might experience when moving to a new city. Record your ideas using prewriting strategies like an outline. Issues to consider could include language barriers, social isolation, financial restrictions, cultural awareness (or lack thereof), lack of technological resources, accessibility requirements, etc. and how these issues may impact daily interaction with your topic.
The proposal will be written by you (as a representative of the Welcoming Committee); Your audience for this proposal is the city you chose in week 9.
The end goal for this project is to create a research report that offers options and recommendations for a newcomer to your city, but first you must submit a proposal for approval.
** There is no word or page limitation for this assignment. Focus instead on audience and purpose. Include information that is valuable for your intended audience (a newcomer to your city) so you can persuade the city to approve your proposed research interests.
Note: As a co-op student working for the city, be mindful of your limitations. While you do not have the ability to propose changes to the city’s infrastructure, build new facilities, hire experts in the field, or secure funding from stakeholders, you do have the ability to research information from secondary sources and share that information in a report.
Example Task 1: Housing in Kitchener
Student Name
Program Name, Conestoga College
Course Name and/or Course Code
Course Instructor
Due Date
Proposal Guide for Formatting & Content
You can use the following outline as a guide to help you format a persuasive message and write a proposal, but be mindful to
- write using complete paragraphs,
- organize content using headings & subheadings, and
- use bullet points for itemized lists only.
Format
Attention: (1-2 sentences)
- Grab your audience’s attention using a persuasive strategy (refer to week 6 & 9 for various strategies)
- Example: Are you new to the city and looking for affordable housing?
Introduction: (4-5 sentences)
- Introduce your topicby
- identifying the city & the topic you chose
- introducing the narrowed topic
- focusing on the needs of a newcomer
Background Information
Include background information from the city website to help explain what the city currently offers
- Example: Newcomers to Kitchener need housing, so it is important to consider the various options available. When moving to a new city, you should consider affordable options as well as taking the time to learn about the various neighbourhoods and the convenience of resources. Currently, the city’s website offers information on real estate and neighbourhood maps that are helpful, but the information is limited and not geared to newcomers who are unfamiliar with the city.
Body: (6-7 sentences for each paragraph)
Current situation
Explain in detail what the city’s website highlights about your general topic and how it is useful for your intended audience
- Example: Newcomers to Kitchener can access the “Moving to Kitchener” section on the website to access information about real estate, neighbourhoods, and utilities (Kitchener, 2025, Moving to Kitchener). This information is useful to a newcomer because it provides an opportunity to learn about what is available and where options are located, as well as utility options in each area of the city.
Propose your research interest that complements existing information
- Example: I propose additional research should be done to learn about the various rental options available in Kitchener.
Objective
Highlight what you plan to research to meet a newcomer’s needs.
- Example: Since the city of Kitchener does not provide a link to rental properties or apartments on their city site, I will focus on researching detailed information about rental listings, how to access them, affordable pricing, and various housing options.
Propose how additional links to various housing options will appeal to your audience
- Example: Rental listings that include affordable pricing options, various housing options, and information on how to find these listings will be useful for newcomers because, typically, those who just moved to a new city are not prepared to invest in a permanent home. Therefore, rental options are needed to meet audience needs.
Plan
Explain where you plan to find this information (i.e. Internet, Library)
- Example: To find relevant and credible secondary sources, I plan to use the internet and the library as my search engines. I will focus on looking for current and credible websites as well as local news stories to ensure the information is timely and relevant to my topic and city.
Strengths/Barriers/Obstacles
Discuss what kind of barriers you expect to encounter
- Example: I might have difficulty knowing if I found credible information when searching the internet. I might also have difficulty finding a full list of available rental options in Kitchener due to high demand. I might also have difficulty finding user-friendly links to rental options or finding websites that are accessible for language learners.
Propose how you plan to overcome the obstacles.
- Example: To overcome these potential obstacles, I will learn how to check for credible sources by reading course materials and watching all videos shared in my Business Writing course. I will also search for a variety of rental listing sources so I can offer my audience choice. Additionally, I will learn more about user-friendly websites and language learner accommodations through secondary research.
Action Closing: (4-5 sentences)
Summarize proposed ideas using persuasive language and appeal to your audience using persuasive appeals. You will accomplish this by:
- emphasizing the need for this research to meet the needs of newcomers,
- highlighting a gap of information on the city’s website, and
- stressing the importance of credible and relevant information.
Include a clear request for approval
- Example: May I proceed with my proposed research interests?
Reference
- Include an APA formatted reference for the city’s website
- Example: City of Kitchener. (2025). Moving to Kitchener.
https://www.kitchener.ca/en/living-in-kitchener/moving-to-kitchener.aspx
- Visit the APA @ Conestoga website
- Use the reference formula for website
No. of Pages: 5