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Writing Statements of Work: The Heart of Any Contract

Fee:

$1,995

· QuickCode:

QQBMXQ

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Provider:
ESI International

Topic(s):
Purchasing/Procurement

Who Should Attend?
Requirements developers, in-house SOW team members, project managers, contract managers

Full Seminar Description

Learn How To

• Identify the most common errors found in inappropriate, confusing or misconstrued narratives
• Employ easy techniques and “best practice” methods that will help you maintain consistently high quality in your SOW documents.
• Identify what a “breach of contract” entails
• Assist others more effectively in critiquing SOWs for quality, clarity and completeness.
• Utilize information on how the courts historically interpret disputes in contract language according to long-standing principles.

Course Synopsis

Widely considered the “heart of the contract,” the Statement of Work (SOW) is the foundation of the relationship between buyers and sellers. The purchase or sale of products and services can only be executed by skillfully creating the SOW document. This course is designed for practical use by requirements developers, in-house SOW team members and other project managers and contract managers whose responsibilities include properly identifying needs and turning them into quality contracts. It provides the essential information you’ll need, including basic contract management concepts, to consistently develop and administer effective SOWs.

The course employs challenging team exercises and case studies that will take you through the process of building a solid statement of work. You will learn how outsourcing needs emerge within companies and how these needs are eventually recognized and articulated. You will identify methods by which needs are analyzed using proven tools to yield contract objectives that generate logic, flow and consistency in the resulting SOW. This course defines the essential ingredients of the SOW, which include the scope and background statements, comprehensive listing of responsibilities for both buyers and sellers, deliverables and their schedules, acceptance criteria and special terms and conditions of performance.

You will also learn techniques for managing performance against the SOW requirements, including organizing responsibilities, monitoring obligations on both sides of the bargain, as well as taking corrective actions and resolving disputes. The skills learned in this practical course can be immediately applied by anyone involved in writing, negotiating, awarding or administering SOWs.

Course Topics

• The role and importance of the Statement of Work (SOW)
• A well-written SOW
• The essential elements of a contract
• Addressing risk management in SOWs
• Basic concepts of agency—agent law
• Types of authority at your company or organization
• Basic concepts in contract law

The Purpose of the SOW

• Relationship between master contract and SOW
• Conflicts in contracts
• Contract interpretation guidelines
• Different approaches to SOWs
• Uncertainty and risk in contracting
• Categories and types of contracts

An SOW’s Concept Development

• Needs and requirements evolution in SOW development
• Sources of requirements
• Initiating requirements identification
• Ensuring clarity of requirements
• Use of a requirements analysis checklist

The Use of a Requirements Definition

• The work breakdown structure’s relationship to requirements and the SOW
• Integral parts of the SOW format
• Outline for typical SOW
• Preparing an actual work breakdown structure (WBS)

Creating the Narrative

• Problems associated with poor writing and poor construction
• Guidelines for writing SOWs
• Locating errors in a draft SOW
• Drafting an actual SOW

Quality Assurance Through the Use of an SOW Master Checklist

• The purpose/rationale of a SOW master checklist
• The Use of the Master Checklist by the SOW writer

Standard Tools Used for Preparing Quality SOWs

• Standard Outline for a typical SOW
• Checklists for identifying typical problems of poor or complicated narratives
• Master Checklist for the SOW writer
• Basic Project Management Glossary
• Basic Contract Management Glossary

Long-Term issues for Quality SOWs

• Ways to monitor SOWs and performance issues
• Responsibilities of team members
• Having a sound contract administration plan
• Post-award orientation
• Proactive problem resolution

Other Information

PMBOK™ knowledge areas:

• Project Scope Management
• Project Time Management
• Project Cost Management
• Project Procurement Management

Professional Development Units (PDUs):18.0

Sponsor Background:

As the demand for project management expertise increased, ESI began offering public courses.

To date, more than 250,000 students from 50 countries around the world have benefited from the courses. As a result, our Project Management Professional Development Program has achieved the distinction of being the world's most comprehensive education program for building project management knowledge and skills.

Discounts and Payment Policy

Receive 10 percent off your registration when you sign up for two or more classes or you register yourself and a friend for the same course at the same time. You must sign up for the courses at the same time and pay in advance. Course discounts do not apply toward The Project Advantage course, the PMP Exam Preparation course or any e-training course.

In case of a course cancellation, substitutions can be arranged. Double Deal discounts cannot be applied to any past classes and are not applicable to e-training courses, the PMP Exam Preparation course or The ProjectAdvantage.

Past Participants Include:

• Abbott Labs
• Amoco Corporation
• AMTRAK
• Bank of America
• The Boeing Company
• Dell Computers
• FedEx
• The Gillette Company
• Hewlett-Packard
• IBM
• Oracle
• Shell Oil
• US Postal Service
• World Bank

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