You may also want to include clauses that cover delays on both the client and the vendor side. This is especially important in SOWs for projects such as software development, where the full scope of the work is not known at the beginning of the project see the Software Development section below for more details.
Requirements that might be articulated in this section include:. It might outline which staff members are authorized to accept it, and who will review and sign off on deliverables. Before we do, we wanted to share some general tips and expert insights to follow, as well as challenges to look out for, when creating an SOW for any type of project.
This flexibility is important to ensure that both parties are happy with the finished product. These include:. By following the proper guidelines below and downloading and using our industry-specific templates, you can mitigate risks and create a more effective SOW for your organization.
Independent contract workers and hourly workers are more likely to use the former, while an advertising or creative agency is more likely to use the latter. For creative services, such as graphic design or TV commercial production, an SOW typically includes tasks such as developing creative briefs and concepts that must be approved by the client.
Statements of work for services often cover performance and design requirements, in addition to the work objectives, requirements, deliverables, schedule, and payment information. The schedule for this type of SOW may be developed as a table that includes regular review sessions and points of contact with clients. Project Management There are many similarities between SOWs for project management and those for software development.
The main difference is the inclusion of more technical information in the software development space. Writing an SOW for project management can be quite different than an SOW for other work, where the details are fixed and well-known. Unlike an SOW for a government contract, where rules and guidelines must be followed to the letter, project management may have more leeway in terms of how the work gets done, so SOWs in this industry must allow for more flexibility.
A successful SOW provides just the right amount of structure, while establishing clear mechanisms for handling the inevitable pivots that happen as a product or software is in development. Duncan adds that the SOW should also name the people who will be responsible for approving deliverables, scope changes, and corresponding schedule and budget adjustments, as well as who will handle support and maintenance.
The requirements for this type of work fall into two categories:. While an SOW for an enterprise IT system may involve more specific details, an SOW for software development more closely resembles one for project management. Here are some software development SOW guidelines worth following:. Allow for flexibility. Software development also operates under Agile.
Unlike a building or a manufactured product, software can be easily changed - even after the final product is completed. When companies are using an Agile approach for development, the scope of the work to be performed is not always known initially. The SOW must account for the fact that the software architecture will need to accommodate changes and additions in feature content down the road, advises Jon Quigley, Founder of product development consultancy Value Transformation LLC.
Divide the work into iterative phases. A good approach to writing an SOW for an Agile project is to divide the tasks and deliverables into phases, where some phases are more clearly defined than others. Update the requirements and SOW as you go through these iterations. Similarly, Brewer recommends dividing the SOW into phases that start with clear, specific requirements, and become more flexible as the project progresses.
Duncan also recommends a phased approach. Hire a technical writer. Assign work to the proper team members. For example, who is responsible for designs, who will provide content, and who will upload it to the app or website. Here is a sample of the RAM Robbins uses, which you can fill in with your project information:. Government Statements of work for government are possibly the most complex to write.
There are often stringent rules and regulations that must be followed and acknowledged, with exact language that must be used. They are often accompanied by several other supporting documents.
The purpose of the statement of work is to serve as a means of understanding between you and your client. Therefore, it defines the project, including the mission, the scope, basic requirements, a thorough outline of tasks to be completed, start and end dates, critical resources needed, milestones and timeline, terms, and most importantly, a signature from both parties. As a fundamental part of the contract, it may seem that the only benefit of SOW is to seal the agreement.
However, the statement of work is much more than that! It facilitates the discussion, helping you get the needed overview and understand what you have to offer to the client. Having a clean statement of work from the beginning, you can also get through the approval process faster. Yet another benefit, a good statement of work helps to mitigate a lot of errors. Creating a good statement of work should always be in the interest of both the professional services business and client.
For service providers, it helps to avoid the risk of potential scope creep, while for the client, it provides comfort in knowing what's going to be handed over to them at the end, not to mention the price of completing the project. SOW is also a go-to document for the team to make day-to-day decisions. So when is the best time to start making a statement of work?
Think about the problem from the point of view of the client. How does the project address their problem? What is it worth to them? What do they get in return for spending their money?
Engaging the client in a robust discussion before writing a SOW is critical to tread the path for success. Without a doubt, writing a good statement of work requires training. It often comes with the challenge of 1 not knowing how to accurately plan a project, 2 where to start, and 3 how to visualize your plan and deliverables.
These are the steps you can take to create a simple, but well-defined statement of work. You always begin the statement of work with an introduction. This section introduces each key stakeholder in the project, i. The introduction is also where you briefly define the project and the work that needs to be completed. In addition to this, as this is a binding agreement, both parties should know what they agree to by signing the SOW. Key takeaway: Introduce the project and the stakeholders and ensure that the client understands that the SOW is a formal agreement.
A statement of work should always include a vision or purpose of the project. The vision is a great way to create goals and is an opportunity to set achievable expectations. The vision can touch on what is expected to be delivered? What is the goal of the final deliverable?
Who is the end-user, and how do they want to use it? What problem should the project solve? Moving on from this step, the mission or how we're going to deliver on this vision will be defined. Key takeaway: Ensure the mission is set and that everybody understands and agrees on the nature of the deliverable.
Which problem needs to be solved, for whom? What are the main foundational requirements of the project? Referring back to the mission, what problem should the deliverable solve for the end-user? And, how? Make sure you understand each other, and make a list of each requirement. This list is used later in the process to setup the actual tasks, i.
Key takeaway: Specify the project requirements based on the mission defined earlier. List the requirements, and save them for scoping. After defining the vision and project requirements, the next priority is defining the scope. What is within the scope? What is outside of the scope? These two questions are vital points to agree upon, define, and setup for the project.
This is the foundation for the rest of the planning process. It's essentially when the milestones are scoped out for the project. Not necessarily on a task level yet, but enough to align goals and expectations between the agency and the client. Key takeaway: Set up the scope based on previously defined project requirements. There are many SOW templates available to help get managers started. However, to write a statement of work can be somewhat complex.
Getting everything included to ensure the scope of services is detailed enough is critical. Creating a thorough SOW can eliminate the risk that can come if there are any misunderstandings or disputes between parties on any of the elements above. A concise and well written SOW, mitigates the risk of overspend by ensuring both supplier and organisation have a clear understanding of, and accountability for, the work involved.
Bolstering the upfront agreement, lessens the opportunity for misunderstandings resulting in contract extensions and associated costs.
What are the different types of SOWs? I also help clients ensure compliance with regulations including data privacy , laws and contractual obligations and protect, enforce and exploit intellectual property rights and support in the development of IP strategy.
Over 15 year experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating contracts both as in-house counsel and in law firms, including my own law firm. Rinky S. Parwani began her career practicing law in Beverly Hills, California handling high profile complex litigation and entertainment law matters. Later, her practice turned transactional to Lake Tahoe, California with a focus on business startups, trademarks, real estate resort development and government law.
After leaving California, she also served as in-house counsel for a major lending corporation headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa as well as a Senior Vice President of Compliance for a fortune mortgage operation in Dallas, Texas prior to opening Parwani Law, P.
She has represented various sophisticated individual, government and corporate clients and counseled in a variety of litigation and corporate matters throughout her career. Parwani also has prior experience with state and federal consumer lending laws for unsecured credit cards, revolving credit, secured loans, retail credit, sales finance and mortgage loans.
She also has served as a special magistrate and legal counsel for numerous Florida County Value Adjustment Boards. Her practice varies significantly from unique federal and state litigation cases to transactional matters. Born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Ms. Parwani worked in private accounting for several years prior to law school.
She is a Fellow of the American Bar Association. She is a frequent continuing legal education speaker and has also taught bankruptcy seminars for the American Bar Association and Amstar Litigation. She was commissioned by the Governor of Kentucky as a Kentucky Colonel. In addition, she teaches Immigration Law, Bankruptcy Law and Legal Research and Writing as an adjunct faculty instructor at the Hillsborough Community College Ybor campus in the paralegal studies program.
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