Statement of Work - template page
A statement of work (SOW or SoW) is a document that spells out the work to be performed. PMI describes two kinds of SOW: project and procurement. (Sometimes SOW refers to the scope of work. statement of work vs scope of work)
A project statement of work describes the product(s), service(s), or result(s) to be delivered by the project. It is an input to the PMI process to develop project charter. It documents the business need, scope, and the project's alignment to the strategic plan. See section 4.1.1.1 of the 5th edition of the PMBOK.
A procurement statement of work describes the work to be completed as part of a contract. It may cover quantity, quality, timing, methods, materials, or other criteria. (See section 12.1.3.2 in the PMBOK 5th edition or part I, chapter 12 Project Procurement Management and section 6.3 Procurements and Contracts in the Agile Practice Guide in the 6th edition.) A procurement SOW should also define the compensation - payment and conditions, such as the acceptance criteria for deliverables. Procurement SOW can be used as part of amending or adding to a contract to add or change a project without creating an entire new contract.
Sections in a statement of work[]
It may not be necessary to include all the sections below. When a SOW accompanies a project charter and other project documents, some of these sections may refer to the other documents. The structure and order may vary. Many organizations have their own templates.
Set the stage: what has been going on and why is this necessary
- introduction
- background
- purpose
Define the scope
- what is included
- who does which parts
- what is not included
- Use this section to mention parts that might have been included, but which are specifically excluded. It could exclude supplies, maintenance, preparation steps - such as clearing a site before building a structure.
- tasks - if multiple parties are involves, for instance in a procurement, which party is responsible for each task?
- assumptions
Requirements and Deliverables
- what will define a successful project or acceptable deliverables
- list of deliverables
- deadlines
- milestones
- agile epic schedule
- reporting requirements (e.g., project reports to management)
Payment This is needed mainly for procurement SOW, but may also be adjusted for internal transfer of funds within an organization.
- payment amounts
- invoicing requirements
- timing of payments
- any processes for accepting the deliverables
Contacts/Stakeholders
- project manager
- SME
- Who has approval authority? (May be defined in the deliverables section.)
Constraints
- governing laws, regulations, company policy
- where the work may be performed
- security requirements
Related: conduct procurements, procurement negotiations, request for quote, request for proposal, procurement documents, build vs. buy decision
External links[]
- How to Write a Statement of Work in Project Management by Ben Aston 15/01/2021
- Wikipedia on Statement of work
- Martin, M. G. (1998). Statement of work: the foundation for delivering successful service projects. PM Network, 12(10), 54–57.