Project Management For Dummies®

Chapter 2. Clarifying What You're Trying to Accomplish — and Why

In This Chapter

• Understanding your project's Statement of Work (SOW)

• Clarifying the need for the project

• Handling the unknowns

• Forming your own Statement of Work

All projects are created for a reason. Someone identifies a need and devises a project to address that need. How well the project ultimately addresses that need defines the project's success or failure.

This chapter helps you develop a mutual agreement between the project's requesters and the project team about your project's goals. It also helps you establish the conditions necessary to perform the project work.

Defining Your Project with a Statement of Work

A Statement of Work (SOW) is a written confirmation of what your project will produce and the terms and conditions under which you will perform your work. Both the people who requested the project and the project team should agree to all terms in the SOW before actual project work begins.

Kissing cousins: Documents closely related to a Statement of Work

Your organization may use a number of other documents that address issues similar to those in the Statement of Work (SOW). If you use these as sources of information to prepare or describe your project plan, be careful to note how they differ from your SOW.

• Market requirements document: A formal request to develop or modify a product. This document (typically a member of your organization's sales and marketing group prepares it) may lead to the creation of a project. ...