Node A6 · Acronym decoder
SOW
Statement of Work
What it actually means
The contract section defining the work to be performed — tasks, deliverables, standards, and the requirements documents invoked. It's the boundary of the deal: work not in the SOW is not owed, and "that's out of scope" is a sentence about this document. Written as tasks; its performance-based sibling (the PWS) is written as outcomes.
Where you'll meet it
Every contract; the reference document in every scope argument.