In covering at descriptive reports, WORDS ON THE LINE has looked at meeting reviews, incident reports, investigation reports, inspection reports, and procedures. The scope of work is the sixth descriptive report in this series.
The scope of work (SOW) is also known as a work scope or statement of work. The SOW is the project management team's go-to document throughout a project. It describes the project requirements, activities, and milestones, legally obliging the signers to fulfill the terms it describes. The SOW can cover a task as simple as an hourlong paint job or a single pothole resurfacing; it can also cover an enterprise as massive as the rehabilitation of a thousand miles of railroad track or the construction of thousand-unit, square-mile housing development.
SOWs typically have in common at least these eight parts:
- Purpose – The reason for undertaking the project (e.g., offer greater capacity).
- Scope – The work to be performed (e.g., expand the cafeteria by 5,000 square feet).
- Site – The location of the work (e.g., the north side of the cafeteria).
- Timeframe – The beginning and end dates of the work (e.g., commencing January 3, 2022 and concluding February 25, 2022).
- Deliverables – The tasks required of each craft, including acceptable materials and performance standards (e.g., concrete, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, carpentry, painting, masonry, roofing).
- Milestones – Due dates for each task (e.g., utilities connected by January 5, foundation laid by January 7).
- Costs – The compensation schedule for performing the work (e.g., 25% of the payment due upon substantial completion of Phase 1).
- Contingencies – Remedial actions available to the client for service provider's non-performance (e.g., deductions from invoices for substandard work), or disclaimers for catastrophic events (e.g., earthquakes, hurricanes).
