ART - Developing a Statement of Work 2009

The document is a guide to developing a Statement of Work (SOW) for a project. It emphasizes the importance of a well-written and comprehensive SOW in ensuring the success of procurement processes. The SOW is defined as a detailed description of the required services, including the work to be performed, requirements, processes, and reporting. It should be clear, complete, and understandable to anyone familiar with the services. The document provides guidelines for structuring a good SOW, including being easy to read, consistent, checkable, reasonable, and capable of providing a basis for an equitable award. It also advises against using consultant-specific SOWs and unnecessary specifications. The development of a successful SOW is divided into seven sections: determining the overall objective, establishing tasks, specifying project requirements, determining deliverables, setting performance levels, monitoring performance, and determining consequences for unacceptable performance. In the section on establishing tasks, the document advises reviewing all identified tasks to ensure they align with the overall objective. It suggests considering the sequence of tasks, dependencies, and any potential risks. The section on specifying project requirements emphasizes the importance of clearly defining the scope, schedule, and resources required for the project. It also suggests including any specific standards or regulations that need to be followed. The section on determining deliverables highlights the need to clearly define the expected outputs or outcomes of the project. It suggests including specific details such as format, quality standards, and any acceptance criteria. Setting performance levels involves defining the expected level of performance for each task or deliverable. This can include metrics, benchmarks, or quality standards that need to be met. Monitoring performance involves establishing a process for tracking and evaluating the progress and quality of the work being performed. This can include regular reporting, inspections, or audits. Finally, the document suggests determining consequences for unacceptable performance. This can include penalties, termination clauses, or remedies in case the contractor fails to meet the specified requirements or performance levels. Overall, the document provides detailed guidance and examples for each section of the SOW development process, aiming to help ensure that the resulting SOW is comprehensive, clear, and capable of effectively guiding the procurement process.