IT projects often fail because the parties involved don't fully understand what work needs to be done, or how success will be measured. Mitigate this risk through the creation of a solid Statement of Work (SOW) document. As a starting point use Info-Tech's SOW template.

Statement of Work Lays the Ground Rules

According to the PMBOK from the Project Management Institute (PMI) the Statement of Work (SOW), also called statement of requirements (SOR), is "a narrative description of products, services, or results to be supplied [under contract]." In the PMBOK, the SOW is part of the project procurement management process. The SOW is used to set the scope and boundaries of a project and to establish an agreement between the company and an external provider about what work will be done, when it will be performed, and who will do it. Info-Tech has created a McLean Report "Statement of Work" template that has the following components: