Consulting statement of work. Scope you can point to.
An editable consulting statement of work covering phases and workshops, deliverables, exclusions and acceptance, with a filled-in example. No email required.
Implementation of recommendations; Software purchases.
03
Client responsibilities
A named sponsor and day-to-day contact.
04
Milestones
Discovery → Analysis → Recommendations → Report and handover.
What goes in a consulting statement of work
A statement of work turns an agreed proposal into something both sides can check delivery against. For consultants, the sections that prevent most disputes are the deliverables, the exclusions and what the client must provide.
Section
What to write
Objectives
Why the project exists and what success looks like
Scope and deliverables
Specific outputs, such as interview summary
Out of scope
What isn’t included, such as implementation of recommendations
Assumptions and client responsibilities
A named sponsor and day-to-day contact; Access to staff for interviews; Operational data in agreed formats
Milestones
Discovery, Analysis, Recommendations, Report and handover
Acceptance and changes
How deliverables are approved and how changes are priced
Governing agreement: [Master service agreement dated … / terms attached]
1. Background and objectives
[Why the project exists and what success looks like.]
2. Scope of work
Discovery: [activities]
Analysis: [activities]
Recommendations: [activities]
Report and handover: [activities]
3. Deliverables
#
Deliverable
Description / format
Due
1
[Interview summary]
[Detail]
[Date]
2
[Current-state process maps]
[Detail]
[Date]
3
[Recommendations workshop]
[Detail]
[Date]
4
[Final report with a 90-day implementation plan]
[Detail]
[Date]
4. Out of scope
[Implementation of recommendations]
[Software purchases]
[Travel beyond the agreed sites]
5. Assumptions and client responsibilities
[A named sponsor and day-to-day contact]
[Access to staff for interviews]
[Operational data in agreed formats]
If these are late, dependent dates move by the same amount of time.
6. Milestones
Milestone
Target date
Depends on
Discovery
[Date]
[Approval or input]
Analysis
[Date]
[Approval or input]
Recommendations
[Date]
[Approval or input]
Report and handover
[Date]
[Approval or input]
7. Acceptance
The client’s named approver reviews each deliverable within [5] working days. Deliverables are accepted on written approval, or when the review period passes without material issues being raised.
8. Changes
Changes to scope, deliverables or timeline are agreed in writing, with the effect on fees and dates, before work begins.
9. Fees and payment
Fee: [Amount and basis]
Schedule: [Payment by milestone]
Expenses: [At cost with approval / included]
10. Sign-off
Client: [Name, title, signature, date]
Provider: [Name, title, signature, date]
How to fill it in
Reference the agreement the SOW sits under, so legal terms aren’t repeated.
State the objectives in a sentence or two.
List deliverables specifically enough that two people would agree whether they were delivered.
Write the exclusions and the client’s responsibilities, and link dates to them.
Set milestones, the acceptance process and how changes are handled.
Add fees by milestone and get it signed before work starts.
Use it in Word, Google Docs or PDF
Microsoft Word
Download the Word (.docx) file and open it. If Word opens it in Protected View, select Enable Editing.
Use Find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for “[” to jump between the placeholders you need to replace.
Save a clean copy as a Word template (File → Save As → Word Template) so every new document starts from it.
Google Docs
Upload the .docx file to Google Drive.
Right-click it and choose Open with → Google Docs, then File → Save as Google Docs to keep an editable copy.
Use File → Make a copy for each new client so your master stays clean.
PDF
Use Print or save as PDF in the template section above to print just the template, or fill it in Word or Google Docs first and export it (File → Save As → PDF in Word, File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs).
Example: Meridian Advisory statement of work for Calder Manufacturing
Key sections for a operations review and improvement plan. Both companies are fictional.
Deliverables
#
Deliverable
Phase
1
Interview summary
Discovery
2
Current-state process maps
Analysis
3
Recommendations workshop
Recommendations
4
Final report with a 90-day implementation plan
Report and handover
Out of scope
Implementation of recommendations
Software purchases
Travel beyond the agreed sites
Client responsibilities
A named sponsor and day-to-day contact
Access to staff for interviews
Operational data in agreed formats
Fees
Total: $13,885.00 excluding tax
Schedule: Invoiced at the end of each phase: Discovery, Analysis, Recommendations, Report and handover
Confidentiality
Each party keeps the other’s confidential information private and uses it only for this engagement.
Send it for signature in Angelwood
Angelwood’s proposal software builds proposals and agreements from your own templates, shows when the client has opened them and collects e-signatures, with a countersignature to execute the agreement.
State the objectives, the phases and activities, deliverables with dates, the client’s responsibilities, fees and expenses, how deliverables are accepted and how changes are agreed.
What’s the difference between a scope of work and a statement of work?+
People use them interchangeably. Strictly, a scope of work describes the work and deliverables, while a statement of work is the wider project document that also covers timeline, fees, acceptance and sign-off.
Who writes the scope of work?+
Usually the provider drafts it, because they know what the work involves, and the client reviews and signs it. Writing it together after discovery produces the fewest surprises.
Can I edit this template in Word or Google Docs?+
Yes. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it in Microsoft Word, or upload it to Google Drive and choose Open with → Google Docs. There’s also a Markdown version for any text editor. No account or email address is needed.
How do I save it as a PDF?+
Fill it in, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs. On this page you can also print just the template or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print dialog.