How to Write a Statement of Work

Book excerpt: The standard on government statements of work just got better! How to Write a Statement of Work has been a standard reference for government employees and contractors for many years. Now, with this sixth edition, it is even more relevant and useful. Based on the excellent foundation laid by the late Peter Cole, Michael Martin has updated and added material to guarantee this handbook's place in the list of “must haves” for working with government contracts. As in the earlier editions, the emphasis is on providing practical, detailed guidance on writing and preparing a description of government requirements, whether a statement of work (SOW), a performance work statement (PWS), or a statement of objectives (SOO). Among the many additions to this sixth edition are updates to reflect the current definition of an SOO as well as references and guidance regarding the development and application of the SOO. There is a new chapter on why change management is so important on projects, legal precedents supporting change management, and how to identify when a change occurs using the SOW. This new chapter also includes information on the federal government's Standard Form 30 (SF30) to provide perspective on how change orders are used and applied in the federal government. If you are working in government contracting in any capacity, you should have this book on hand!