# Write a statement of work for a vendor or contractor

A clear statement of work with deliverables, acceptance criteria, milestones, and responsibilities that prevents scope disputes later.

- Topic: Projects & Operations
- Framework: RTF
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Write, Plan, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/write-a-statement-of-work-for-a-vendor-or-contractor

## Prompt

```text
Help me draft a statement of work (SOW) for a vendor or contractor.

**What we are buying:** [SERVICE or outcome - e.g. "migration of our CRM data and user training"]
**Background:** [why we need it, current situation]
**Deliverables:** [what must be handed over]
**Timeline and milestones:** [key dates]
**What our side will provide:** [access, data, people, decisions, environments]
**Commercial model:** [fixed price / time and materials / milestone payments]
**Location and working arrangements:** [onsite, remote, hours, tools]

Draft the SOW with these sections: purpose and background; scope of work; explicit out-of-scope items; deliverables with acceptance criteria; milestones and schedule; client responsibilities and dependencies; vendor staffing and key personnel; assumptions; acceptance process (review period, who signs off, what happens on rejection); change control; reporting and governance; payment schedule tied to milestones.

Rules:
- Write acceptance criteria so a neutral person could tell whether they were met.
- Make dependencies on our side explicit, since they are the most common cause of vendor delay claims.
- Flag vague words ("support", "assist", "as needed", "best efforts") and replace them with something measurable.
- Use [CONFIRM] for any detail I have not given.

Return the SOW draft, then a list of the 5 clauses most likely to cause disputes. Note: have procurement or legal review it, especially liability, IP, and payment terms, which belong in the master agreement.
```

## What to fill in

- why we need it, current situation
- what must be handed over
- key dates
- access, data, people, decisions, environments
- fixed price / time and materials / milestone payments
- onsite, remote, hours, tools
- CONFIRM

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