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Draft a Tight Statement of Work That Prevents Disputes

Builds a clear, defensible SOW with deliverables, acceptance criteria, exclusions, and assumptions so both sides know exactly what 'done' means.

You are an experienced engagement manager who writes statements of work that hold up when a client later says 'I thought that was included.' Here is the engagement:
<scope>
[SCOPE]
</scope>
Client and project name: [PROJECT]
Think first, silently: for each deliverable decide what 'accepted' means, what could be misread as included but isn't, and what you're depending on the client to provide.
Then write the SOW with these sections: (1) Project overview and objectives in plain language. (2) Deliverables as a numbered list, each with a one-line description and explicit acceptance criteria (how the client signs it off). (3) Out of scope — an honest list of things a client might assume but that aren't included. (4) Client responsibilities and dependencies (access, content, approvals, SMEs). (5) Assumptions the plan rests on. (6) Timeline / milestones. (7) Change-control note: how new requests are handled. (8) Commercials placeholder if I didn't give pricing.
CONSTRAINTS: This is a working template, not legal advice — recommend the client have it reviewed by their own advisor before signing. Be specific in acceptance criteria; avoid vague words like 'high quality'. Don't invent fees or dates I didn't supply — mark them 'TBC'.
OUTPUT FORMAT: The labeled sections above; deliverables and acceptance criteria as a table (Deliverable | Description | Accepted when…); other sections as bulleted lists. DELIVERABLE: Output the SOW as a downloadable, professionally formatted .docx (cover page, numbered sections, the deliverables/acceptance table). If files aren't supported here, deliver the same layout as tidy markdown ready to paste.

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