Free template
A free statement of work template in Word for consultancy, software and systems integration work, with the sections that prevent the usual arguments.
By Christopher Fagan, Managing Partner, PEF Consulting Partners
A note before you start
A statement of work is where most supplier disputes start, usually because a deliverable was described as an activity, acceptance was never defined or the assumptions were buried. Describe outputs rather than effort, say how each one will be accepted, and make the assumptions and client responsibilities as visible as the price. If both sides cannot read it the same way, it is not finished.
Christopher Fagan, Managing Partner, PEF Consulting Partners
Write deliverables as things you can inspect, each with acceptance criteria and a named person who signs it off. List assumptions and client responsibilities explicitly, because they drive most change requests. Tie payments to accepted deliverables or milestones rather than time where you can. Agree change control before work starts. The SOW normally sits under a master services agreement that carries the legal terms, so check both with your legal adviser.
[Organisation name] | Version 0.1 | [Date] | Owner: [Name, role]
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Client | |
| Supplier | |
| Master agreement reference | |
| Background |
| In scope | Out of scope |
|---|---|
| Deliverable | Description | Acceptance criteria | Accepted by | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milestone | Date | Dependency |
|---|---|---|
| Responsibility | Owner (client or supplier) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Assumption | Impact if untrue |
|---|---|
| Milestone or period | Amount (excluding VAT) | Invoice trigger |
|---|---|---|
[Either party may request a change in writing. The supplier will assess the impact on scope, time and cost within five working days. No change takes effect until both parties sign a change note.]
| Forum | Frequency | Attendees |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Role | Organisation | Signature | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Template by PEF Consulting Partners, pefconsultingpartners.co.uk. Free to use and adapt.
Related reading: the decision log and change request template, the RFP template for software selection, software procurement and selection, how PEF prices its own work.
A document that defines a specific piece of work between a client and a supplier: the scope, deliverables, acceptance, timeline, responsibilities, assumptions and fees. It usually sits under a master services agreement that holds the legal terms.
A scope of work describes the work itself. A statement of work wraps the scope with everything needed to contract for it, including acceptance, timeline, fees, assumptions and change control.
The contract, often a master services agreement, sets the legal relationship: liability, intellectual property, termination and payment terms. Each SOW defines one piece of work under it.
Usually the supplier drafts it and the client edits it. The client should always write or rewrite the acceptance criteria and the client responsibilities, because that is where risk quietly moves.
If you are about to sign a large systems integration SOW, an independent read of the deliverables, assumptions and acceptance criteria costs very little compared with the change requests it prevents.