The statement of work is a description of the objectives of the project or programme. It is one of the very first documents to be produced and is unlikely to contain a great deal of detail. Its primary purpose is to trigger the develop charter process and provide the context of the work.
It should contain three main sections:
- Business need
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An explanation of why the business needs to undertake this work.
- Strategic positioning
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A description of how this business need fits into the strategic objectives of the organisation.
- Objectives
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A high level description of the outputs, outcomes and/or benefits that the work should deliver and how they fulfil the business need.