Tom Gabriele, Product Manager
SOW's [Statements of Work] can come in three flavors; ones that outline the design and detailed specifications which instruct the vendor how to perform the work, ones where the real deliverables are simply a certain number of hours of work; and others that are performance-based where the vendor is given leeway to determine how to meet the overall project requirements. Most Statement of Works are written applicable to the area of work being performed and are precise and conclusive in their language to avoid any misinterpretations.
If any requirements are outlined or contained in additional documents, the SOW should make any appropriate references. Some SOW's also contain references to specification documents that outline functional or non-functional requirements. For example, functional requirements can define how software should behave functionally, whereas non-functional requirements may detail other characteristics of the software, such as its' overall performance, security, maintainability, configuration management, etc.
Since a SOW outlines the various scope and agreements between several parties, they also carry a legal significance as well. As such, the overall purpose of a SOW is to define the liabilities, responsibilities and work agreements between the client and their service providers.
While SOW formats can differ from one industry to another, it is important to realize that they all should contain the following key areas:
Scope (the work to be done)
Location (where work is to be performed)
Timelines (overall timeline allocated to the various project components)
Delivery Schedule (deliverables and their due dates)
Standards (both internal and external)
Acceptance Criteria (minimum requirements to be met for acceptance)
Mode/Timing of Payments
Assumptions which describe the premise from which the SOW was based upon. This helps to frame the context of the SOW and minimizes misunderstandings as well
Based upon the importance of the SOW in defining these key elements, and its integration as part of the overall project, most if not all members of the project team should familiarize themselves with its terms and conditions. It becomes imperative that all stakeholders of the project have a thorough understanding of the content, deliverables and goals and that they adhere to it.
Last but not least, be sure to include "negative scope" - items that SHOULD NOT be done under the SOW, as well as any diagrams, pictures, flow charts, etc. that can assist in clarifying any areas of concern. Remember to fully review the SOW for loopholes and to ensure that it outlines the organizations overall objectives, timelines and deliverables. This is best served by having an independent, knowledgeable person within the organization honestly review and analyze all content.
If you have any questions about SOW, please email us at inquiries@GetGSI.com.