Writing Statements

of Work for 

Commercial Services

By Kenneth Smith, Natural Resource

Specialist, BLM, National Science

and Technology Center

Background

Statements of Work (SOWs)

are essential when purchasing

a commercial service, such as

the contractual writing of an

Environmental Impact Statement or an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis. These

statements are read and interpreted by government and industry

personnel with diverse training,

background, and experience in

such fields as engineering, science, accounting, law, and contracting. Careful drafting of the

SOW is, therefore, essential. The

basic structure of a successful

SOW is described here:

Discussion

The primary objectives of a

SOW are to provide a logical

and readable presentation, identify and emphasize the critical

elements of the procurement

document, and state exactly what

the contractor must do to receive

payment.

There are two kinds of SOWs—

the performance-based SOW

and the detailed SOW. The performance-based SOW is written

to ensure that contractors are free

to determine how to meet the

government’s performance objectives. An example stipulation of a

performance-based SOW is

“The contractor shall develop

a Community Relations Plan

consistent with the National

Contingency Plan, 40 CFR,

Part 300.” Often, contracting

officers prefer a performancebased SOW because it leads to

more cost-effective acquisitions

and better value, holds the contractor accountable for the end

results, maximizes contractor

control of the work processes,

and allows for innovation in

approaching various work

requirements.

The detailed SOW requires

that the procuring official be

proficient enough to describe

the work in great detail. Such

SOWs must accurately portray

the job to be performed. When

using a new contractor, you

should use a detailed SOW to

be sure that you and the contractor are in agreement on task

performance. Later SOWs for

the same contractor and similar

duties can be performance-based,

with greater confidence that

the work will be accomplished

satisfactorily. 

There is no standard form for a

SOW. Contracting officers and

contracting officers’ representatives may have varying opinions

as to the contents of a SOW.

Your SOW should contain at

least the following elements:

background, objectives, tasks or

requirements, deliverables and

delivery schedule, government

furnished equipment, government furnished information,

security requirements, and place

and period of performance.

Separate headings are not necessarily required to develop this

information into a procurement

document.

• The background section

describes the project in general, defines the purpose of

the project, explains why

the project is being undertaken, and discusses how it

relates to other projects. The

background may include a

summary of statutory authority, applicable regulations,

and copies of pertinent

background materials in a

reference or attachment.

• The objectives section provides a concise overview of

the project, includes goals

and objectives, and explains

how the results and products

of the project will be used.

• The tasks or requirements section describes specific work

and management requirements, defining in detail what

is expected of the contractor.

This section provides objective standards of acceptable

performance for the contractor and indicates the design

output, verification, and

design change management.

• The deliverables and delivery

schedule sections clearly state

the deliverables required,

method of delivery, schedule

for delivery, quantities of

product, and to whom the

NO. 60 DATE 01/16/03

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GENERAL POLICY

Resource Note 60

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product should be delivered.

This section describes the

delivery schedule in calendar

days from the date of the

award. The delivery date and

mailing date are different and

should be labeled clearly to

avoid confusion. If the delivery date is critical, discuss it

during negotiations with the

contractor. Any specialized

expertise, service, training, or

documentation required is

identified here. This section

also specifies printed and electronic copies to be provided,

including the appropriate

computer programs that

develop both the product

and quality indicators desired

by the government.

• The government furnished

equipment and government

furnished information sections identify any government furnished equipment

and government furnished

information.

• The security requirements

section states the security

requirements for the project

and includes, as needed, such

statements as Freedom of

Information Act Exempt,

Enforcement Confidential,

and Prepared in Anticipation

of Litigation.

• The place of performance

section specifies whether the

work is to be performed at a

government site, the contractor’s site, or another site.

• The period of performance

section specifies the period of

performance in hours, days,

weeks, or months.

Language

• The SOW should contain

simple words, phrases, and

sentences. Be precise and

consistent. Keep sentences

short and concise.

• Use active verbs; avoid passive

verbs.

• Use “shall” when describing a

provision binding on the contractor. Use “will” to indicate

actions by the government.

Avoid “should” or “may”

because they add a degree of

uncertainty to the decision

for action. Use consistent

terminology.

• Avoid redundancy.

• Avoid vague or inexact

words and generalizations.

Avoid catchall and openended phrases, such as “is

common practice in the

industry,” “as directed,”

“subject to approval,” “any,”

“either,” “and/or,” or “etc.”

• Define technical terms.

• Use abbreviations or

acronyms only after spelling

them out at first reference.

• Make available any document referenced unless the

document is an industry

standard.

Contact

Kenneth Smith

National Science and 

Technology Center

Denver Federal Center

Building 50

P.O. Box 25047

Denver, CO, 80225-0047

Phone: 303-236-0206

Fax: 303-236-3508

Email: Ken_P_Smith@blm.gov.

Range

The Bureau of Land Management Resource Notes,

which are posted on this

Web site

(http://www.blm.gov/nstc/resourcenotes/resnotes.html),

are early announcements of technical and informational

topics for BLM personnel and their customers. Information

contained in this Resource Note has not been 

peer-reviewed. Conclusions and opinions expressed herein

do not necessarily represent those of BLM. Use of trade

names does not imply U.S. government 

endorsement of commercial products.

Technical Editor - Deborah Harris

(Debbie_Harris@blm.gov)

Science Editor - Brian St. George

(Brian_St_George@blm.gov)

Graphic Designer - Ethel Coontz (Ethel_Coontz@blm.gov)

If you would like to prepare a Resource Note

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can suggest an author for a Resource Note, 

contact the Science Editor (e-mail:

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Thank you for your interest in Resource NoteS.

Resource Note 60

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