8.6
(42 ratings)
5 Weeks
·Cohort-based Course
Learn the process for writing responsive, compelling, and technically rich proposals for USAID.
Hosted by
Jordann El Dorry, Susanne Barsoum, Joanne Moore, and Deborah Aker
Proven technical writers who are ready to share their secrets for success
Course overview
Taught by master proposal writers with dozens of winning USAID bids under their belts, this class takes participants through each section of the technical volume to write compelling, winning proposals. Let us show you how to become a great technical writer!
01
Business development teams that want to win more USAID proposals
02
Experienced writers who want to level-up their skills with proven best practices
03
New Partners looking to work with USAID
04
Technical staff who want to meaningfully contribute to proposal development
Knowing what to do and when to do it is key. We'll teach you how to maximize your time during the capture phase and how to break down the proposal into manageable pieces once it is live.
To put it simply, you'll learn what works in writing winning USAID bids. Our course is grounded in tested methods for successfully writing USAID proposals that have been honed over decades.
You'll learn how to outline for success, a foundational skill for any writer. Through instruction and hands-on exercises and activities, you'll sharpen your ability to outline responsively and be in complete compliance with solicitations.
You'll learn the secrets to making your writing more persuasive and compelling.
Technical Writing for USAID Proposals
Prior to joining Keylime, Jordann was a successful business development director at Chemonics International, USAID's largest implementing partner by volume. During her 11 years at the company she consistently exceeded corporate win rate and sales targets, bringing in more than $600 million in USAID work. She is excited to share some of the tools and strategies she employs to make technical writing a little less painful and a lot more fun!
After a career as a business development director at Chemonics International, Susanne founded Keylime to make business development more fruitful for everyone through courses like this one. She has worked on hundreds of proposals with a strong win rate. Susanne finds proposal writing the most challenging and intellectually stimulating proposal role. Her experience and networks are primarily in the Middle East, but she has also worked and lived in Nigeria and Haiti, and done assignments globally.
After 13 years successfully working in and leading business development and project management efforts at USAID implementing partners Chemonics International and Population Services International, Joanne started JoMoConsult LLC and has been providing similar consulting services primarily to USAID IPs for nearly a decade. Joanne loves creating and delivering training and sharing her experience, expertise, and epic mistakes all in an effort to support others on their professional journeys
Deborah is a professional editor and over the course of her 25+ year career has edited more than 500 USAID proposals. Deborah developed and co-facilitate sessions on persuasive writing. She draws on her experience as a proposal editor, good and bad examples from proposals, and the insights of communication professionals to help participants unlearn the complex, wordy, and often over-the-top writing that earned them high marks in school. Sessions include brainstorming to improve sample text, critiques of proposal graphics, and discussions of pain points as participants seek ways to keep their writing compelling and readable.
We've all been there. You're writing a proposal, and you're over the page limit. Maybe by a lot. And a deadline is looming. Don't panic, Keylime Academy's got you covered! Sign up below and get our proven tactics to conserve space and maximize your proposal's score.
Developed by Deborah Aker, an expert editor for USAID proposals and one of Keylime's course facilitators, this guide will help you cut clutter, not content.
Bonus offer: When you download our free resource, you'll also get first dibs when Keylime's Technical Writing for USAID opens up.
9:00am - 10:30am EST
We will meet twice a week for live classes over Zoom.
1-2 hours per week
We'll assign homework each week to put your new skills into practice! You'll get feedback from your instructors on your submissions and will have the opportunity to discuss in class.
01
The Role of the Tech Writer in Capture
We'll cover what exactly a technical writer should be doing during the capture phase and how to maximize your prep time.
02
Reading an RFP and the first 48 hours
Here we'll cover what milestones should be achieved in the critical first 48 hours of a live bid. Participants will also learn how to effectively read and analyze an RFP.
03
Fundamentals of Outlining
Participants will be immersed in the foundational skill of outlining - why we do it, when we do it, and how to construct general and detailed outlines.
04
The Background & Context Section
We'll learn how to maximize these introductory sections to frame your problem statement and proposed technical solutions.
05
General Approach
Participants will gain an understanding of the components of a strong general approach and strategy, including project logic, win themes, methodologies, and more!
06
Detailed Approach
We'll dive into the various types of detailed approach sections and best practices for crafting these complex sections.
07
The Review Process
Reviews can be intimidating! We'll cover what to expect and how to manage proposal reviews as a technical writer to get the feedback you need to succeed.
08
Ask a Contracting Officer
Our favorite session! Participants will have an unstructured Q&A session with a USAID Contracting Officer.
09
MEL for Tech Writers
What do you need to know about MEL as a technical writer? We've got the answers.
10
Persuasive Writing
Participants will hone their persuasive writing skills and learn tactics for concise and compelling writing.
Anna
Cathy
Kate
Mark
Krystle
Allison
Yassica
Carissa
Betsy
Cohort 17-Winter Cohort 2024
$2,000 USD
Dates
Jan 16—Feb 15, 2024
Payment Deadline
Jan 15, 2024
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Cohort 17-Winter Cohort 2024
$2,000 USD
Dates
Jan 16—Feb 15, 2024
Payment Deadline
Jan 15, 2024