Statement of Work

Abstract

The Statement of Work (SoW) is a formal document that specifies the scope of a particular customer engagement. It serves as a valuable tool for project managers seeking to define all aspects of work management associated with their project, enabling them to establish a baseline scope, limit "scope creep," and set appropriate customer expectations. This article provides a comprehensive review of the areas that a SoW document typically covers for a project, including project summary, governance, deliverables, acceptance and success criteria, constraints, roles and responsibilities (RACI), timeframes (milestone planning), and physical location of the workplace. The content of the SoW document varies based on the complexity level of the project, which can be categorized as foundation (basic), advanced (medium), or integrated (high) levels. Projects with higher complexity require more detailed documentation of work management aspects. Finally, this article offers a practical example of the SoW document's use in a healthcare company.

Purpose and importance of the SoW document

The Statement of Work (SoW) is a formal document that specifies the scope of a particular customer engagement. It serves the purpose of being a valuable tool for project managers seeking to define all aspects of work management associated with their projects. It can be stated that the SoW document is an important tool in project management for various reasons. The SoW document helps define the scope of work as it serves as a formal agreement between the project manager, the project team, and the customer. Furthermore, the document helps set clear expectations and establish a common understanding of the project deliverables.

Complexity levels when creating a SoW document

Creating a comprehensive SoW document with a focus on tailoring the content to the complexity level of the project