Statement of Work (The Project Contract)
(1-day, 8 PDUs)

Course Overview:

In this class all elements of the Statement of Work (SOW) are reviewed and discussed completely in a clear and concise way so that each element’s role in the SOW is known – and importantly how they relate to each other. Additionally, some elements, such as deliverables, are shown as being critical to the proper management of the project and how they tie into change management.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Define a Statement of Work (SOW); its purpose and components
2. Be able to structure a SOW for optimum value to the project
3. Define what is in scope and what is not in scope
4. Define roles and responsibilities for a participants
5. Define what deliverables are and how they relate to acceptance criteria
6. Construct good acceptance criteria
7. Construct a good change management for the SOW

Course Agenda:

• Evolution and Trajectory of a project
• The purpose of a Statement of Work
• The value of a Statement of Work
• Words used in the Statement of Work
• The Project Request, Background, and definition of terms
• Concept of “Mutual Understanding” in the SOW
• What is in Scope and what is not
• Using the Work Breakdown Structure
• The importance of wording
• The Deliverable and Acceptance Criteria
• The Cost, Effort, Schedule in the SOW
• Roles and Responsibilities
• How to change the SOW
• The Quality Plan
• Managing Risks and Issues
• Sub-Contractor Management
• The SOW Structure
• Sign-offs

Who Should Attend:

• Project stakeholders who are responsible for, or participate in, defining the project definition, scope, deliverables, approach, risk, quality, schedule, and estimate of effort, resources and cost.
  • Project and Program Managers - Senior, Associate, In-Training
  • Project Coordinators
  • Project Sponsors and Executives
  • Senior Business Analysts

Instructor(s) Who Lead this Course:

• Jim Rather
• John Ehlers
• Dow Presley
• Dub McNamara