MIL-HDBK-502 - Barringer and Associates, Inc.

MIL-HDBK-502: ACQUISITIONALOGISTICSbe adequately defined in Section B and the specification. SOWs or SOOsare usually prepared using the Work Breakdown Structure described inMIL-HDBK-881. Prior to acquisition reform, a SOW was written in a veryprescriptive, task-oriented manner. Now under acquisition reform, thephilosophy is for a SOW to be stated in performance terms (objectives orrequirements) as much as possible. Other approaches are also beingconsidered in upper levels within the Office of the Secretary of Defense.These include issuing government-developed draft SOWs for contractorsto respond to, or just providing a system specification or OperationalRequirements Document without a SOW being utilized at all. Whateverapproaches are deemed appropriate, it is apparent that the old way ofwriting SOWs will no longer suffice.Statement of WorkThe statement of work is the contractual vehicle for expressing whatperformance objectives or requirements a contractor must meet and the workthe contractor is to perform. It is the keystone of the request for proposal(RFP), the offerors' proposals, and the resulting contract. The statement ofwork may be incorporated directly into Section C or it may be included as anattachment to the contract and listed in Section J.The clarity of the statement of work has a direct effect on efficient contractadministration because it defines the scope of work to be performed.Ambiguous statements of work, or statements of work with unduly restrictiverequirements, result in unsatisfactory performance, delays, disputes, and highercosts.During proposal evaluation and source selection, the statement of work playsa significant role. Failure to adequately describe the scope of work often resultsin needless delays and extra administration effort during the source selectionprocess. The ability to clearly define the desired performance objectives orrequirements of the end product in a clear, precise manner often affects thetype of contract which will be selected. A well-defined product can often beacquired with a fixed-price contract; a product that cannot be defined preciselyis usually acquired using a cost reimbursement contract.After contract award, the statement of work becomes the standard formeasuring contractor performance. As the effort progresses, both thegovernment and the contractor constantly refer to the statement of work todetermine their respective rights and obligations with regard to the contract.When a question arises concerning an apparent change in a performancerequirement or an increase in the scope of work to be performed, the statementof work is the baseline document that must be used to resolve the issue.Language in the statement of work that defines the limits of the contractor'seffort is of critical importance. If the limits are poorly established, it is difficult8-8