Getting Your Scope of Work Right — the Complete Guide [+ Templates & Examples]

As a freelance writer, I’m ever receiving and reviewing scope of activity documents. These integer documents thief maine support clarity, truthful I cognize who’s responsible for what and erstwhile tasks are due.

Many projects derail because expectations aren't intelligibly group from nan start.

Deadlines get missed, budgets spiral retired of control, and nary 1 seems to cognize nan adjacent step. The bully news? A well-crafted scope of activity tin lick these problems earlier they arise.

In this guide, I’ll show you really to constitute a clear and effective scope of work, complete pinch examples and a useful template to streamline your process.

Table of Contents

• What is simply a scope of work?
• What does a scope of activity include?
• Free Scope of Work Template
• How to Write a Scope of Work
• Scope of Work vs. Statement of Work
• Scope of Work Examples

Download HubSpot's Free Scope of Work Template

What is simply a scope of work?

A scope of activity is simply a general project management archive that ensures nan customer and squad are afloat aligned connected each task specifications — tasks, timelines, deliverables, and expectations. It covers nan basal questions:

• Who is responsible for what?
• When is it happening?
• Where is it happening?
• How will everything beryllium executed?

Consequently, everyone is connected nan aforesaid page, ensuring soft advancement without disorder aliases miscommunication. It acts for illustration a task roadmap, detailing each nan captious elements, truthful everyone stays connected track.

What does a scope of activity include?

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When I commencement moving pinch a caller client, I ever dive heavy into their scope of activity documents. This helps maine understand what they’re looking for and really we tin create a long-standing partnership.

From my experience, present are nan astir important parts of a scope of work.

1. Project Scope Statement and Objectives

The task overview explains why nan task is being undertaken.

It clears up what you’re hoping to execute and tackles nan business problem you’re aiming to solve. Having crystal-clear objectives helps everyone enactment connected nan aforesaid page and avoids misunderstandings.

Ideally, anyone reference this conception — moreover if they’re not straight progressive successful nan task — should beryllium capable to get what nan task is astir and what occurrence looks like.

2. Scope of Work

Here’s wherever you springiness a big-picture look astatine nan activity that needs to get done, but without getting excessively elaborate conscionable yet — things enactment astatine a higher level.

For example, successful a institution blog motorboat project, nan scope whitethorn see tasks for illustration “designing a blog layout” aliases “writing and editing blog posts.”

It tin besides outline method specifications, specified arsenic nan CMS to beryllium used, ensuring there's nary disorder down nan statement and everyone knows nan wide plan.

3. Project Timeline and Milestones

The task timeline outlines circumstantial commencement and extremity dates for each phase, while milestones people those all-important checkpoints. Hitting these milestones keeps things connected way and ensures cardinal deliveries hap arsenic planned.

Plus, they connection moments to reassess and pivot if needed.

Even successful agile projects wherever things are much fluid, a timeline gives everyone an thought of really agelong tasks and phases are apt to take. As a writer, I emotion scopes of activity that person owed dates for first drafts, 2nd drafts, and last drafts.

4. Project Deliverables

Deliverables are your “here’s what you’ll get” list. Whether it’s beingness products, package components, aliases services, this conception spells retired precisely what will beryllium handed complete astatine nan end.

This conception is cardinal to avoiding scope creep and making judge everyone’s connected nan aforesaid page astir what’s coming. When deliverables are crystal clear, there’s nary room for disorder later.

5. Reporting Requirements

No 1 likes being successful nan dark. That’s why this conception is each astir keeping each stakeholder successful nan loop. It breaks down really often position updates will hap and successful what shape — whether done reports, presentations, aliases meetings.

Regular check-ins make judge everyone stays aligned and issues are caught early, truthful they don’t go bigger problems down nan road.

6. Estimated Costs

As nan sanction suggests, this portion of nan scope of activity outlines nan costs associated pinch nan project. It specifications really and erstwhile payments will beryllium made, whether done milestones, deliverables, aliases a fixed schedule.

I admit erstwhile scopes of activity spell retired nan costs method — deliberation ligament transportation aliases ACH — and nan conditions that trigger payments.

This keeps nan financial broadside of things crystal clear and helps debar immoderate awkward misunderstandings later.

7. Approval and Sign-Off

This is wherever you nail down nan details. Who’s responsible for signing disconnected connected what?

This conception ensures a clear process for approvals and mightiness besides see things for illustration information requirements aliases ineligible terms.

And erstwhile you’re fresh to wrap it each up, nan sign-off guarantees everyone agrees connected what’s being delivered, truthful location are nary surprises astatine nan decorativeness line.

Free Scope of Work Template

Skip nan hassle and drawback HubSpot’s free scope of activity template. Available successful Microsoft Word, PDF, and Google Docs formats, it’s fresh to beryllium customized successful minutes.

This template covers everything: task scope, deliverables, exclusions, milestones pinch deadlines, and stakeholders. It’s built to make judge everyone’s connected nan aforesaid page astir what’s included (and what’s not).

How to Write a Scope of Work

Below, I’ll break down really to constitute a scope of work. To make things tangible, I’ll crushed it successful a applicable example: starting a blog for a client.

1. Start pinch clear objectives.

The instauration of your scope of activity is nan why. What’s nan big-picture goal? For a blog launch, I would constitute thing like:

• "Increase marque visibility and thrust integrated postulation by 25% successful nan adjacent six months by publishing play SEO-optimized contented to target applicable keywords for nan industry."

I want to support nan nonsubjective concise but measurable. I debar vague goals for illustration “improve marque awareness” unless I tin straight necktie them to metrics (e.g., number of visitors, sign-ups, aliases conversions).

2. Outline nan scope of work.

Now, it’s clip to specify nan boundaries. That’s what’s included — and much importantly, what’s not. This prevents scope creep, which is conscionable a fancy measurement of saying: debar doing activity that wasn’t agreed upon.

For nan blog project, I want to characteristic contented creation, SEO, and mounting up nan blog. My scope mightiness include:

• Conduct keyword research.
• Set up WordPress CMS.
• Write, edit, and people 5 cornerstone blog posts.
• SEO optimization for each post, including meta descriptions and alt text.

I don’t see things for illustration ongoing attraction aliases contented updates because that’s not portion of nan deal. I want to support nan scope tight and focused.

3. Identify deliverables.

This is nan nutrient and potatoes of your scope of work. What’s nan tangible result of nan project? What does “done” look like? Each deliverable should beryllium thing you tin constituent to and say, “Here’s what we completed.”

For nan blog launch, my deliverables look for illustration this:

• Deliverable 1: A afloat functional blog tract connected WordPress
• Deliverable 2: SEO-optimized contented strategy for nan adjacent 3 months
• Deliverable 3: Five cornerstone blog posts, each 1000-1500 words long
• Deliverable 4: Google Analytics and Search Console setup for search postulation and performance

Each deliverable should beryllium clear, concise, and measurable. If it’s a blog post, it should authorities nan expected connection count and value standards (like SEO optimization, readability scores, etc.).

Make judge your deliverables are circumstantial and measurable. If it's a blog post, see connection count and value standards for illustration SEO optimization and readability scores.

4. Define tasks and timeline.

Once you cognize what’s being delivered, break it down into tasks and group deadlines.

For a analyzable task for illustration launching a blog, I should create a timeline that aligns pinch my deliverables. Not everything happens astatine once, truthful I request to prioritize.

For example, my scope of activity whitethorn look astatine this:

• Week 1-2: Finalize blog creation and group up WordPress.
• Week 3-4: Conduct keyword investigation and create a contented strategy.
• Week 5-6: Write and edit nan first 2 blog posts.
• Week 7-8: SEO optimization, contented upload, and last launch.

Timelines should beryllium elastic capable to accommodate changes but patient capable to support things connected track. And remember, if location are limitations — for illustration needing nan keyword investigation earlier you tin constitute nan posts — make that clear.

5. Set acceptance criteria and costs terms.

This is nan value cheque measurement — what does “good enough” mean for each deliverable? Without this, you consequence endless back-and-forth or, worse, delivering thing that wasn’t what nan customer expected.

For example, for nan blog, I tin person nan pursuing criteria:

• Acceptance criteria for each station mightiness be: Flesch reference easiness people of 60+, optimized for attraction keywords, and reviewed for marque reside and voice.
• For nan website setup, it could be: Fully responsive web design, loading velocity nether 3 seconds, and mobile-friendly compatibility.

Additionally, specify nan financial details, including erstwhile and really payments happen. I urge tying payments to deliverables aliases milestones to guarantee nan task is moving guardant earlier each installment.

6. Outline nan reporting and alteration guidance process.

In your scope of work, specify really often updates will beryllium provided and successful what format. Maybe play check-ins complete email aliases bi-weekly reports summarizing contented advancement and tract capacity metrics.

Continuing pinch my blog example, I mightiness report:

• Content creation progress.
• SEO improvements (keyword rankings).
• Traffic maturation via Google Analytics.

In immoderate project, unforeseen changes are inevitable. Scope creep happens erstwhile nan task evolves without general adjustments, truthful preempt that by establishing a change management process.

Think: If nan customer wants 10 blog posts alternatively of 5 halfway through, really will that beryllium handled?

Pro tip: Set up a general petition strategy wherever some parties work together connected changes earlier nan activity starts.

Scope of Work vs. Statement of Work

You’ve astir apt heard nan position scope of activity and Statement of Work tossed astir for illustration they’re nan aforesaid thing. But, spoiler alert: they’re not.

• A scope of work is simply a conception wrong nan larger Statement of Work. It’s nan nuts and bolts—the tasks, deliverables, and nitty-gritty specifications that representation retired what’s needed to complete a project. Think of it arsenic nan detailed, action-oriented portion of nan plan.
• The statement of work is simply a broader, much general archive that includes everything related to nan project, specified arsenic objectives, scope, timelines, costs terms, and governance. It serves arsenic nan statement aliases ineligible statement betwixt parties.

Simply put, nan connection of activity is nan maestro plan, and nan scope of activity is nan to-do database that gets you there.

When should you usage a scope of activity vs. a connection of work?

If you’re pulling together a ample task (think: building aliases package development), nan connection of activity is your go-to.

It gives you a afloat contract, including costs terms, deadlines, and compliance specifications — everything you request to support everyone connected nan aforesaid page and legally covered.

On nan different hand, nan scope of activity is utilized for soul projects wherever you’re much focused connected getting things done.

It’s cleanable for projects for illustration launching a blog aliases updating a website — basically, situations wherever you don’t request to impact ineligible paperwork but still want a coagulated plan.

Scope of Work Examples

1. Scope of Work for Social Media Management

This societal media guidance scope of activity template intelligibly lays retired nan project’s scope, breaking down tasks, deliverables, and what’s not included — keeping customer expectations crystal clear.

The timeline? Realistic and tied to circumstantial tasks, pinch estimated hours that support everyone accountable. The fund conception is system to debar immoderate mix-ups, pinch each deliverable priced out.

What I like: This template smartly includes a database of resources needed from nan client, making collaboration smoother. Plus, nan position for other activity aliases revisions thief support scope creep astatine bay.

2. Scope of Work for Content Writing Services

This scope of activity archive nails clear and straightforward communication. It covers nan essentials—salary, commencement date, cardinal responsibilities, and deliverables—so everyone’s connected nan aforesaid page from nan start.

Notice really nan wide reside strikes nan correct equilibrium betwixt master and welcoming, showing disconnected nan company's civilization and excitement astir bringing personification caller connected board.

What I like: This template intelligibly lays retired each nan accusation nan writer needs to know. Bullets make nan archive easy-to-skim, truthful nan writer tin return to it again and again.

3. Scope of Work for a Website Redesign

Right from nan start, this scope of activity archive zeroes successful connected nan mission: Enhancing nan website’s personification acquisition and making it much mobile-friendly.

The tasks are intelligibly outlined, leaving nary wiggle room for misinterpretation, while nan out-of-scope items guarantee nary other activity slips successful unnoticed.

With a elaborate timeline, nan customer knows precisely erstwhile each shape will footwear disconnected and wrap up, minimizing immoderate guesswork. Plus, nan straightforward fund and costs position trim done imaginable misunderstandings.

What I like: The pieces successful this archive create a model that keeps everyone connected way and avoids nan dreaded scope creep.

Define nan Scope to Prevent Scope Creep

When drafting a scope of work, deliberation of it arsenic your project's roadmap. It needs to beryllium clear, detailed, and easy to follow.

Be circumstantial astir what’s covered, from tasks to deliverables, truthful there’s nary disorder later. Outline what’s not included to forestall scope creep, and make judge timelines and budgets are realistic and upfront.

A coagulated scope of activity aligns everyone's expectations and keeps things moving smoothly, avoiding hiccups on nan way. And, of course, don’t forget: Both parties request to reappraisal and motion disconnected earlier nan existent activity begins.