What makes a project story convincing?

A project proposal is more than a list of activities. What makes it convincing is the logical thread that connects all its elements, which we explored in the previous parts : needs, objectives, activities, deliverables, partners, resources, results 

A strong project proposal tells a clear and logical story. 

This story will help the reader/evaluator understand : 

  • What is the problem?
  • What does it matter? 
  • What needs to change? 
  • What will the project do? 
  • What will change as a result? 
  • Why is the approach relevant and credible? 

Therefore, the different elements of the project should be connected. A convincing project story explains not only what the project will do, but also why it matters and what it will change. It also shows why the partners, resources and approach are appropriate to address the identified needs. In other words, storytelling gives meaning and coherence to the project : it turns a collection of project elements into a convincing narrative.

example :

Let's compare these two descriptions : 

Description A : "These project will organise workshops, create a digital platform and produce toolkit"

This description tells us quite precisely what the project will do, but it does not explain why these activities are needed or what they are expected to change

Description B : "Many university students have limited opportunities to develop digital skills because access to practical digital training varies between programmes. The project will develop and test practical training resources and workshops to improve dtudents' access to digital learning opportunities. The resources will then be made avalaible online so that they can be reused by other programmes"

This description is more convincing because it connects the problem, the response, the activities and the expected change.