United States Government Contracts
For U.S. government service contracts, the use of SOWs remains strong, although Statements of Objectives (SOOs) and Performance Work Statements (PWSs) have become increasingly popular due to their emphasis on performance-based concepts such as desired service outcomes and performance standards. SOWs are typically used when the task is well-known and can be described in specific terms. They may be preferred when the government does not desire innovative approaches or considers any deviation in contractor processes a risk. Whereas SOOs establish high-level outcomes and objectives for performance and PWSs emphasize outcomes, desired results and objectives at a more detailed and measurable level, SOWs provide explicit statements of work direction for the contractor or offeror to follow. SOWs are typically replete with "contractor shall" statements and statements of mandatory compliance (e.g., "This task shall be performed in accordance with Agency xyz Directive, dated mm/dd/yyyy"). In practice, SOWs can also be found to contain references to desired performance outcomes, performance standards, and metrics, thus blurring their distinction between SOOs and PWSs. Aside from good practice, there is little government policy guidance that emphatically prescribes how and when to use SOWs versus SOOs or PWSs. Whereas the FAR defines PWS in Part 2 Definitions, and references SOOs and PWSs in Part 37.6 Performance Based Acquisition, SOWs are not addressed. Some industry and agency guides are provided below in External Links.
SOWs are usually contained in the government's solicitation (RFP or RFQ) and carried forward, as may be negotiated with the offeror, into the final contract. In federal solicitations and contracts, SOWs are inserted into Section C "Descriptions/ Specifications"(See Uniform Contract Format, FAR 14.2), but may also be inserted as an attachment in Section J). In task orders, the SOW may simply be included among the terms and conditions of the order itself. The SOW is often supplemented by technical reference documents and attachments. In developing the SOW, it is important to ensure that the statement of work is comprehensive and sufficiently detailed, but that the statements do not duplicate terms and conditions or other provisions elsewhere in the solicitation or contract.
Read more about this topic: Statement Of Work
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