Book Description 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! Show and hide more
Table of Contents
Cover Title Page Copyright About the Authors Dedication Table of Contents Preface CHAPTER 1. OVERVIEW What Is a Statement of Work? Importance of the SOW Need for a Clear and Concise SOW Before Award After Award To Establish Performance Standards and a Contractual Baseline To Provide Prospective Contractors with a Basis of Estimate To Communicate Effectively Relationship of the SOW to the Solicitation and Contract Format and Content of the Solicitation and Contract Relationship of the SOW to RFP Sections L and M Use of the Proposal Preparation Instructions To Ensure Appropriate Coverage To Standardize Proposal Format To Require Specific Information Formatting the Proposal Preparation Instructions Need to Check Your Work Carefully CHAPTER 2. PLANNING AND PREPARATION Acquisition Planning What Is the Real Requirement, and When Is It Needed? How Will Success Be Measured or Determined? What Is It Likely to Cost, and What Funds Are Available? Market Research Thinking the Project Through Using a Work Breakdown Structure Choosing the Contract Type Fixed-Price Contracts Cost-Reimbursement Contracts Time-and-Materials and Labor-Hour Contracts Indefinite-Delivery Contracts Choosing the SOW Type Functional Descriptions Performance Descriptions Differences between Functional and Performance Descriptions Design Descriptions Incorporating a Contractor’s Proposal by Reference Distinguishing Between Level-of-Effort (LOE) and Completion SOWs Level-of-Effort SOWs Completion SOWs Distinguishing between the LOE and Completion Forms Providing a Basis of Estimate for LOE and Completion Requirements Personal Versus Nonpersonal Services Sole-Source SOWs Follow-on Efforts and Options CHAPTER 3. WRITING A PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT FOR PERFORMANCE-BASED SERVICE CONTRACTING What is Performance-Based Service Contracting? Performance Work Statement Quality Assurance Plan Incentive Plan When Is It Appropriate to Use PBSC? Developing a Job Analysis Organizational Analysis Data Gathering Directives Analysis Market Research Work Analysis Performance Analysis Cost Analysis For Defense Department (DoD) Readers Developing a Quality Assurance Plan Types of Surveillance Methods Selecting Surveillance Methods QAP Example Offering Incentives Formula Incentives Award Incentives Award Term Incentives Should Incentives Be Used in PBSC Contracts? Deductibles Summary CHAPTER 4. USING A STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES (SOO) AND RELATED ISSUES What Is an SOO? SOO Format Section L Section M Incorporation by Reference Using an SOO Competing the SOO Five-Step Approach Releasing Funding Information Summary CHAPTER 5. THE SOW FORMAT SOW Part I: General Information Section A: Introduction Section B: Background Section C: Scope Section D: Applicable Documents SOW Part II: Work Requirements Section A: Technical Requirements Section B: Deliverables SOW Part III: Supporting Information Section A: Security Section B: Place of Performance Section C: Period of Performance Section D: Government-Furnished Property Section E: Qualifications of Key Personnel SOWs for Sealed Bidding How the Differences between Sealed Bidding and Negotiation Affect the SOW Techniques to Support the SOW Summary CHAPTER 6. COMMON PROBLEMS IN WRITING SOWS General Writing Guidelines Common Ambiguities in SOWS Inconsistency of Requirements Calling a Requirement by Different Names Conflicting or Unreasonable Schedules Incomplete Description of Requirement Vagueness and Generalized Language Use of Abstractions Unnecessary Comments Poor Sentence Construction Typos or Missing Text Overly Complicated Vocabulary Excessively Long Sentences Conflicts Between the SOW and Contract Clauses Obtaining Contractor Comments Draft Solicitations Preproposal Conference Proposal Preparation Instructions Guidelines Related to the Use of Words Guidelines Related to the Use of Phrases and Terms CHAPTER 7. MANAGING CHANGES TO THE SOW Legal Precedents Backing Change Management Identifying Changes Managing Project Changes Factors Affecting Change Mismanagement Tools for Managing Changes Change Order Form SOW Change Order Tracker APPENDIX A. SOW REVIEW INDEX