|
“In case of emergency, the buzzer will sound within 10
seconds or an alarm bell will ring”
Does
that mean that either a buzzer will sound or alarm bell
will ring in case of emergency or does it mean that if
the buzzer doesn't sound an alarm will ring?
It’s unclear.
The
number one complaint of project managers, charged with
overseeing projects, seems to focus on figuring out
exactly what they are supposed to be doing for their
customers.
Having worked with many project
managers , they
tell me that the reason for this is that statements of
work are frequently unclear, not thorough, and,
generally, poorly written.
What follows are some tips on writing more
effective statements of work.
Starting
What
is my purpose?
No statement of work (SOW) should ever be
initiated until that statement’s purpose is determined.
Below is a quote from Thomas Jefferson’s
instructions to Merriweather Lewis who was exploring theMissouri River.
It begins with a statement of objectives.
The statement of objectives answers the question
“what are we trying to do here?”
If you read the entire passage (accessible on the
internet) you can see that everything that follows
details the SOW.
I think it is a great model for developing a
statement of work.
“The object
of your mission is to explore the
Missouri river
and such principal stream of it, as, by its course may
offer the most direct and practicable water
communication across this continent for the purposes of
commerce.”
The
right research can be a big help.
Many resources are available to assist.
The internet is loaded with resources which
include models and even statements of work issued by
other organizations.
It’s worth reviewing these because often people
will have thought of things that you may have
overlooked.
If you are writing an SOW for work that is currently
being done in your organization, it’s worth taking a
look at how the service is being provided.
For example, if it’s a janitorial contract, ask
what is being done well and what is not being adequately
provided.
Try to determine what can be clarified or added to the
SOW to address those things that are not being provided
so well or are not being provided at all.
Work break down
structure
A work break down
structure can help you detail the items to be provided
in a fashion that can be readily analyzed.
A simple example of a WBS is shown below:
In looking at the WBS, you should ask the following
questions:
·
Have I included all the work that
needs to be included?
·
Have included work that shouldn't
be part of the service provided?
·
How often should the work be
provided?
·
Can I define a measureable quality
level for the work? How can I determine if that quality
level has been achieved?
·
What resources will be required to
go into the work?
And will I have to furnish any of those
resources?
·
How long should this work take?
·
Are there risks associated with the
work that I have to cover in the contract terms?
·
Can I separate needs from wants and
determine if my “wants” are worth the price?
·
How might the seller view this
statement?
The
reason for the last question is that it is important to
put yourself in the shoes of the person who is being
asked to provide the work.
A contractor wants to provide the service, but
the contractor also wants to make a profit doing it.
Ask yourself if you have provided any loopholes
that might result in change orders in order to get the
work you intended to contract for.
Once
this type of analysis has been done, you are ready to
begin drafting your statement of work.
It might be a good idea to begin with an outline.
An outline will help you organize your thoughts
and also help you organize the layout of the SOW so that
it can be easily followed and so that conflicts are
avoided.
Actually writing the SOW is always a challenge.
There are many opportunities for
misinterpretation.
Avoid using words that are imprecise like “fast,”
slow,” since they are subjective.
Terms such as “user friendly” “intuitive” also
have no objective definition and ultimately can become
unenforceable in a contract, so don't use them.
Instead, if you can, define what you mean by
“user friendly.”
Keep sentences short and simple.
Use drawings or diagrams if they help clarify
what you want.
Organization
Be
sure to include your mission statement as the opening
paragraph of the SOW.
Also provide some background information.
Background information explains a little bit
about your organization and explains how the service
will be used.
Include a glossary in order to define all
acronyms and abbreviations.
Effect on final
contract
It is
important to remember that the SOW is the heart of the
contract.
Under the rules of contract interpretation, the more
specific parts of a contract prevail over the more
general parts.
What that means is that disputes will generally
be resolved by looking at the SOW, so careful
development is critical in order to achieve a clear,
enforceable contract.
By Michael J Kolodisner
Michael J Kolodisner, CPPO, is currently Contracting
Services Manager for the Metropolitan Water District of
Southern California , the largest water agency in theUnited States.
Prior to taking this
position, he was President of Pro-Train, and involved in
training and consulting for both public agencies and
private companies throughout the
United States,
Canada, Europe, Asia and
South America.
Previously, Mike was
Director of Administrative Services and Chief
Procurement Officer for Orange County, California.
He is a Certified Public Purchasing Officer, has
a BA from the
University of Maryland and has attended graduate school at
George
Washington
University
.
|
