Statement of Work (SOW)
A written narrative that specifies the products, services, or outcomes the project is expected to deliver.
Key Points
- Describes what will be produced by the project and what is out of scope.
- Provides a foundation for the project charter, WBS, and procurement documents.
- Often includes deliverables, acceptance criteria, key milestones, constraints, and assumptions.
- Can be used internally to initiate work or externally as part of a contract or RFP.
Example
A company plans to implement a new CRM. The SOW states that the project will configure the CRM, migrate existing customer data, integrate with the billing system, train 200 users, and deliver go-live support. It lists acceptance criteria, major milestones, and assumptions about data quality and user availability.
PMP Example Question
During initiation, the sponsor asks for a document that narratively describes the products, services, or results the project will deliver. Which document are they requesting?
- Project charter
- Statement of Work (SOW)
- Scope baseline
- Requirements traceability matrix
Correct Answer: B — statement of work
Explanation: The SOW provides a narrative description of the deliverables the project is expected to provide, forming a basis for initiation and planning.
