Chapter 12 - Statements of Work for IT Procurements

The importance of complete, clear and well-developed requirements definition, scope statements, and statement of work documents for information technology (IT) solicitation and contract documents cannot be overstated. The complexity of the IT acquisition will affect the depth and breadth of these documents. Simple IT hardware or computer-off-the- shelf (COTS) procurements will generally have fewer requirements and more straightforward statements of work than a solution-based acquisition, which may combine requirements for software (COTS or newly developed), hardware and/or services.  Performance-based contracts will generally include meatier requirements for gathering, validating and reporting performance metrics since performance results will be tied to supplier payments or other incentives. However, performance-based contracts will generally have less restraining statements of work and requirements documents since they are more concerned with results and outcomes than with how the work is performed. These are two examples of how requirements and statements of work may vary in complexity and size, but the need to carefully develop these documents does not vary. The agency information technology resource (AITR) and project management representative (https://www.vita.virginia.gov/it-governance/contact-it-governance/) for your agency can be contacted for assistance in these activities, whether the project is within your agency’s procurement authority or must undergo VITA’s delegation and Procurement Governance Review (PGR) and CIO approval process.