A statement of work (SOW) is an agreement that defines the service a supplier or contractor will provide. It clarifies expectations, gives vendors enough detail to bid successfully, and protects both parties from ambiguity. section 10.1.1 section 10.5
Shape the SOW around the engagement by addressing:
- Scope, including the areas covered and explicitly excluded. section 10.1.1
- Deliverables, such as source code, a library, or a service. section 10.1.1
- Intellectual property rights, including when assignment of the rendered work occurs. section 10.1.1
- Access, personnel restrictions, subcontracting, and authorization for out-of-scope work, licenses, or travel. section 10.1.1
- Warranty, timeframe, extension, renewal, termination, solution limitations, and payment terms. section 10.1.1
Vendor engagement
Before inviting service vendors to tender, define the work, deliverables, access requirements, responsibilities, and success conditions in the SOW. If confidential requirements must be discussed, use a limited NDA and share only information relevant to the contract. section 10.1.1
Set the agreement’s granularity according to the engagement. Treat legal drafting as a matter for qualified counsel rather than assuming technical familiarity is sufficient to interpret every provision. section 10.1.1 section 10.0
