You have received a request for a 20-page proposal; it is 9 a.m. on Day 1. The proposal needs to be delivered at 9 a.m. on Day 3. Based on a 7.5 hour working day, approximately how much working time would you allow to develop a schedule before writing?

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Allocating time for upfront planning is essential to produce a coherent, on-time proposal. With a 7.5-hour workday and a deadline at 9 a.m. on Day 3, you have 15 working hours before the deadline. A practical rule is to spend about one-fifth (roughly 20%) of total time on planning and scheduling before drafting. That comes to about 3 hours. This planning window lets you outline the approach, map sections to win themes, assign responsibilities, and set milestones, so you can start writing with a clear path. Using more time for planning would eat into writing time, while less planning risks misalignment and rushed drafting later.