CREATING A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT | 1 

Exploring Ways to Work Together 

Creating a Memorandum of Agreement 

A memorandum of agreement (MOA) is a written document that describes 

how two parties will work together to meet a common objective. 

MOAs help partners specify the purpose of their collaboration, as well as the roles and 

responsibilities of each partner in achieving articulated goals. MOAs can range from informal (a 

firm handshake) to formal (a binding legal document that holds parties responsible for their 

commitment). The terms memorandum of agreement and memorandum of understanding 

(MOU) are often used interchangeably.

This tool presents the major sections of a standard MOA, accompanied by a template you can 

adapt to your needs. 1

Purpose and Scope 

This section conveys the “big picture” of why and how all parties will work together. It typically 

includes a clear mission or vision statement that defines the primary purpose of the 

collaboration and how it will benefit the community. It may also include the goals and objectives 

that the collaboration hopes to achieve. Other components may include: 

• Name of all parties involved in the collaboration 

• Brief description of the scope of work and desired outcomes 

• Financial obligations of each party, if applicable

• Dates that the agreement is in effect 

• Key contacts for each party 

• A logic model depicting the relationship between planned activities and identified 

prevention goals (optional) 
CREATING A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT | 2 

Background 

This section contains a brief description of the agencies participating in the collaboration and 

named in the MOA, as well as any current or historical ties between partners. 

Responsibilities 

This section contains a brief description of how partners will work together (i.e., what they will 

be doing), as well as individual partner responsibilities. It can also describe expectations for 

meetings and communication (e.g., frequency and approach), and the types of management and 

decision-making processes that will be used. It may also include descriptions of: 

• How information will be shared across agencies, including any policies or 

procedures that inform and/or dictate the selected approach. 

• Partner responsibilities related to evaluation, data collection, data sharing, and 

reporting. 

• Who has decision-making authority? Some MOAs may benefit from a delineation of 

decision-making authority. For example, for an MOA between a law enforcement 

agency and school district, it can be helpful to clarify the scope of law enforcement 

authority to enforce state, local, and federal laws on school grounds. 

Funding 

This section describes each partner’s fiscal duties, if any, ensuring that these are consistent with 

the stated goals and planned activities. 

Effective Date and Signature 

This includes: 

• Duration of the Agreement. This is the effective date that the agreement begins and 

how long it will be in effect, as well as circumstances under which the agreement can 

be modified or terminated. 

• Signatures. The MOA is not considered in effect until all parties have signed it. Each 

party should keep an original signed copy. 

 
CREATING A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT | 3 

MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT TEMPLATE 

A generic template for an MOA is provided on the following page. You may want to include 

additional selections, depending on the nature of the agreement and the parties involved. 

As you develop your MOA, imagine that you are writing for someone who knows nothing about 

the collaboration. Be specific, but succinct; avoid jargon; and always provide partners with a 

chance to review and provide feedback on early drafts. 

REFERENCE 

1

 Education Development Center, Inc. (2013). How do we create an agreement for working together? 

Retrieved from www.promoteprevent.org.

SPTAC@edc.org | samhsa.gov/SPTAC
MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT (MOA)

Between 

___________________________________

(insert legal name of Party A) 

And 

____________________________________ 

(insert legal name of Party B) 

This is an agreement between “Party A,” hereinafter called

___________________________________

(insert common name or acronym of Party A) 

And “Party B,” hereinafter called

_____________________________________

(insert common name or acronym of Party A) 

I. PURPOSE AND SCOPE 

The purpose of this MOA is to clearly describe the roles and responsibilities of each party as they 

relate to: 

In particular, this MOA is intended to: 

II. BACKGROUND
III. RESPONSIBILITIES 

(Party A) shall undertake the following activities: 

(Party B) shall undertake the following activities: 

IV. FUNDING 

This MOA does (does not) include the reimbursement of funds between the two parties (clearly 

describe details of funding agreement/reimbursement). 

 

V. EFFECTIVE DATE AND SIGNATURE 

This MOA shall be effective upon the signature of Parties A and B authorized officials. It shall be 

in force from _________________________to _________________________________. 

Parties A and B indicate agreement with this MOA by their signatures. 

__________________________________ _______________________________________ 

Name Name 

__________________________________ _______________________________________

Title Title 

__________________________________ _______________________________________ 

Party A Party B 

__________________________________ _______________________________________

Date Date