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A statement of work template is the most useful too used by a project manager to save themselves a lot of trouble. Making a statement of work requires a lot of hard work to make and even a minor mistake in its development can have huge repercussions.
What is a statement of work?
A statement of work template is an agreed-upon project contract between an agency and a client. It clearly outlines what work to include within a project and what isn’t part of it. This document establishes and aligns the expectations for both parties. It includes details that make such alignments. Moreover, it may contain details around processes, deliveries, and more. You may also like the account statement template.
What to include in a statement of work?
The statement of work should include the following basic elements;
- Introduction
- Background
- Purpose
- Location
- Schedule
- Deliverables
- Milestones
- Tasks
- Plan for communication and reporting
- Standards and testing
- Define success
- Requirements
- Payment
- Closure
How to write a work statement?
Writing an effective statement of work is the most important thing that an organization can do. This is because it is the first deliverable item that a client sees. When writing a SOW, you should consider the following tips;
Begin by writing your objectives
In this section, you have to define the “why” of your project. By presenting a high-level view of the project’s solution, state your business or marketing goals. Explaining the goal provides clarity as to why you require to do the work and from there, you begin weaving your story.
Make an outline of the scope, deliverables, and assumptions
The “what” and “how” of the story is defined in this section. An outline of the scope outlines the work you have to do and the processes involved. This part displays your task list. So, you have to write it in process form.
The most significant part of a simple statement of work template is assumptions. Mention any assumptions that you have made during the process of estimating and scoping your project. These assumptions should be included in-line with the tasks. You should also clearly state that what deliverables to generate including the details that explain each of the deliverables perfectly.
Come up with a schedule
It defines “when” and gives a comprehensive schedule of the project. Since you can easily present this in table form so the format isn’t that important. Using get-and-paste images straight from the Microsoft Project into your document is another of way doing this. The information should contain your project’s end date.
Establish the price
Your project’s “how much” is defined in this section. You have to indicate the price of the project in this section that includes inclusive of everything involved in it. You may also see the bank statement template.
List the key assumptions
Here, include any assumptions that didn’t include in other section. In the scope section, you have to include any scope-related assumptions. Don’t repeat mistakes because this could lead to mistakes. Instead of this, any general assumptions that you haven’t started yet, use this section to document them.
Acceptance
This section includes the signature of the client from the agency’s key executives responsible for project management. Without the client’s signature, never start the project because this might lead to problems. You just have to make sure that the agency management team agrees with any exceptions that you have. In addition to this, the auditors will check to ensure that you have obtained all signatures if you get audited.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, a statement of work template is an important document that defines project-specific deal terms such as the descriptions of the services, payment terms, and more. You have to write an effective statement of work it is often the first deliverable item that a client sees. The description that you include in it depends on the kind of project to accomplish.
