BOOK REVIEW:

Book Title: Delivering Project Excellence with the Statement of Work, 2^nd Revised Edition
Authors: Michael G. Martin, PMP
Publisher: Management Concepts
List Price: US$69.00
Publication Date: February, 2010
ISBN: 978-1567262575
Reviewer: Buck Field
Review Date: April 20, 2010

Overview

Michael Martin’s “Delivering Project Excellence with the Statement of Work, Second Revised Edition” presents experience and advice from an author who clearly knows his way around government contracting and managing projects under them. As is often the case when expectations are not met and a formal contract exists, the wording of the contract and related documentation becomes of paramount importance. This author describes the statement of work as the primary documentation for resolving such disputes, but wisely points out its greatest potential value lies in avoiding such disputes entirely and ensuring project success. This potential will be fulfilled if the SOW is developed in sufficient detail, communicated effectively, and evolves under proper monitoring, control, and communication as Mr. Martin describes.

Brief Thoughts

The structure of this edition is laid out in the preface, featuring Part 1 as “Understanding the Fundamentals of the Statement of Work”, wherein examples of past analogs to the modern SOW are presented, and modern definitions from the U.S. federal government and the Project Management Institute are discussed in the first chapter. Subsequent chapters in Part 1 discuss the potential value of a detailed SOW, different flavors of SOW’s, and from where new standards are emerging.

Part 2 “Building the Statement of Work”, focuses on two underlying, preliminary components for the SOW beginning in Chapter 5: a due diligence analysis and a work breakdown structure (WBS). Chapters 6 through 8 explain commonalities in structuring and drafting good SOW’s. Part 3 is “Maintaining the SOW for Project Excellence”, notable for its sample change request forms and explanation of the SOW’s lesser known cousin: the statement of objectives (SOO). Part 4, “Changing the Paradigm”, includes advice nearly every PM is likely to need at some point in their career: gaining support for investing the time and expense required for planning and developing a good, detailed SOW. Executives tend to loathe what they have good reason to believe is unproductive, bureaucratic paper shuffling.

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About the Reviewer: John C. ‘Buck’ Field Buck Field, MBA, PMP, MCP, CPM has been a member of the Project Management Institute since 2001, serving PMI since 2002 as a contributor to the PMBOK® Guide and the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. He co-authored the first official Project Management Professional training program in China, created the California Department of Transportation’s project management glossary, and currently researches project management of scientific research with the hope of supporting development of technology for faster than light transit. www.twitter.com/BurntSynapse http://structureddream.blogspot.com/ www.fieldoperative.com