What is the Scope of Work: 6 Examples and Guidelines for Writing SOW!

Definition:

The workload (SOW) is the most important stage of the discovery process, as it forms the basis for the future of the project. The terms of reference should include milestones, deadlines, results, and expectations. If a workload is not clear and detailed, the probability of failure or lack of communication with the client increases.

The SOW provides the necessary address for the project. In this way, the customer can meet all critical deadlines and ideas before receiving delivery. The SOW also allows the provider to clarify all questions and understand expectations before the next step. This movement aligns the vision and responsibility of both parties to ensure a successful final product.

Guidelines for Writing SOW

The Scope of Work (SOW) is the scope of an agreement that describes the work to be performed. The Terms of Reference must include all the milestones, reports, services, and final products that the executing Party is expected to provide. The terms of reference must also include a calendar for all deliverables.

The problem with most workspaces is the lack of specificity, that is when the two parties disagree with what should have been delivered, and one review of the SOW does not support one interpretation over the other. This problem is widespread in research agreements and often occurs where disputes occur. The best way to escape this problem is to avoid any ambiguity.

Scope of work must include the following components:

1. Glossary:

In the glossary, spell out any acronyms used in the SOW. Also, add definitions of weird or unusual terms. Think of the document from the perspective of a person who does not work in a particular industry or discipline.

2. Problem Statement:

Briefly describe the problem to be resolved with this exam (1 or 2 paragraphs are Ok). Describe the scientific and technological basis, i.e., the current state of the art or the development of the area to be promoted.

3. Objectives of the agreement

At the start of this section, complete the following sentence (please be brief):
The goal of this project is...Complete the sentence by briefly describing the objectives and explaining how to achieve them. Goals can be technical, economic, or social. Please be brief, maximum two to three sentences.

4. Purpose of the contract/services

Complete this section with measurable or identifiable project objectives at the end of this agreement. Here, the facilities provided must be listed. The services provided consist of a task and a final product.

Poor example:

Task: Assess classroom needs for public health awareness.

Deliverable: Write a program to meet your needs.

The difficulty with sow scope of work example above is that nothing is said. The task must be measurable, and quantifiable.

Good Example:

Task: Survey of 4 classes with 20 asthma-sensitized students. Each class answers a questionnaire containing 25 questions, assessing their general knowledge about public health-related asthma. An examiner should need about one hour to complete the survey with each class and another two hours per class to interpret the data.

Available: A 10-hour postgraduate program of up to 20 participants treats deficiencies in public health education in the prevention and treatment of asthma.

By reading the task and the deliverables, the administrative staff must be able to build the budget associated with the specifications. More importantly, there should be no question about the expectations of the exporting party when testing delivery items. A performance description can contain many results, but each must be broken down into tasks and end products to indicate what expected.

5. Administration

If there are meetings, calls, conferences, or other "informal" results, they should list in the Administration section of the service description. Any request that is not the end product of a particular task but is submitted by the performing party should describe in the Administration section of the mandate.

Poor example:

PI is asked to produce weekly progress reports during the soybean season, with more frequent reports during the high season.

The issue with the example above is that it does not specify what should be in the reports, which means "more often" and when the "hard time" is.

Example:

The PI is required to produce weekly reports, including analysis of wind patterns, fungal spore distribution, and potential risk areas. During the high season, from May 15 to July 15, CP may be asked to submit reports twice a week.

6. Timeline

This section contains all the data of the project. It specifies the dates of the tasks and the services to be provided. It also covers data for the central part of SOW.

There should be no ambiguity in the expectations of the exporting party between the glossary, the problem definition, the objectives of the agreement, the objectives/achievements, and the administrative components of the SOW. Together, these elements must provide a complete picture of what is expected when and in what form, taking into account specific requirements.

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