How to Write a Statement of Work

The standard on government statements of work just got better! How to Write a Statement of Work has been a standard reference for government employees and contractors for many years. Now, with this sixth edition, it is even more relevant and useful. Based on the excellent foundation laid by the late Peter Cole, Michael Martin has updated and added material to guarantee this handbook’s place in the list of “must haves” for working with government contracts. As in the earlier editions, the emphasis is on providing practical, detailed guidance on writing and preparing a description of government requirements, whether a statement of work (SOW), a performance work statement (PWS), or a statement of objectives (SOO). Among the many additions to this sixth edition are updates to reflect the current definition of an SOO as well as references and guidance regarding the development and application of the SOO. There is a new chapter on why change management is so important on projects, legal precedents supporting change management, and how to identify when a change occurs using the SOW. This new chapter also includes information on the federal government’s Standard Form 30 (SF30) to provide perspective on how change orders are used and applied in the federal government. If you are working in government contracting in any capacity, you should have this book on hand!

Peter S. Cole, CPCM, had more than 37 years of experience in acquisition and contract management. During his military career he served as a contracting officer, taught basic and advanced procurement, and worked on procurement policy matters. Following his retirement from the Navy, he developed textbooks and presented training programs on cost-plus-award fee contracting, competitive negotiation, implementation of OMB Circular A-76, FAR implementation, and contract management for technical personnel.
Michael G. Martin, PMP, is an internationally recognized consultant, speaker, trainer, and author with extensive experience in portfolio, program, and project management as well as enterprise risk management. He is the author of Federal Statements of Work: A Practical Guide and Delivering Project Excellence with the Statement of Work, Second Edition. He is the past President and Chair of the Atlanta PMI® Chapter, former member of the PMP® exam development committee, and Founding Chair of the PMI® Government Specific Interest Group.