What is a Statement of Work?

As part of the process of selecting a freelance usability consultant, human factors consultant, user experience consultant, or ergonomics consultant, a critical document that serves as an agreement between the consultant and the project owner is the statement of work (also known as a SOW or S.O.W.). Typically, the consultant writes the SOW and the project owner accepts, rejects, or suggests changes to the SOW before the contract is signed.

Indeed, probably the most critical ingredient of a successful procurement of services is the development and documentation of the requirements, or the statement of work. The SOW identifies what the freelance consultant or the contractor is to accomplish. It first clearly identifies the primary objective and then the subordinate objectives. One of the goals of the SOW is to gain understanding and agreement with a contractor or freelance consultant about the specific nature of the technical activity to be performed. The SOW also impacts the administration of the contract by defining the scope of the contract, that is, what the contractor is supposed to do and the purchaser or project owner is supposed to receive.

Areas that are typically addressed by an SOW are as follows:

• Scope of Work - This describes the work to be done in detail and specifies the hardware and software involved and the exact nature of the work to be done.
• Location of Work - This describes where the work is to be performed. This also specifies the location of hardware and software and where people will meet to perform the work.
• Period of Performance - This specifies the allowable time for projects, such as start and finish time, number of hours that can be billed per week or month, where work is to be performed and anything else that relates to scheduling.
• Deliverables Schedule - This part lists the specific deliverables, describing what is due and when.
• Applicable Standards - This describes any industry specific standards that need to be adhered to in fulfilling the contract.
• Acceptance Criteria - This specifies how the buyer or receiver of goods will determine if the product or service is acceptable, what criteria will be used to state the work is acceptable.
• Special Requirements - This specifies any special hardware or software, specialized workforce requirements, such as degrees or certifications for personnel, travel requirements, and anything else not covered in the contract specifics.

References:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statement_of_work
• http://www.usability.gov/plan/sow.html
• http://scrc.ncsu.edu/public/DEFINITIONS/S.html
• Dobler, D.W., & Burt, D.N. (1996). Purchasing and Supply Management. (6th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.