| Authority/Reference(s) | |
|---|---|
| Revision Date | June 28, 2024 |
Policy
The Statement of Work (SOW), which may also be referred to as the Scope of Work, describes the goods or services being purchased. Based on the determination of need documentation, the SOW is developed by DFPS staff responsible for procurement planning and development for that program.
In addition to a clear, thorough description of the goods or services being purchased, the SOW should also include:
- Contractor responsibilities;
- Contractor required trainings, and compliance reporting (unless captured in another contract document such as terms and conditions);
- Any constraints on the contractor;
- Methods and timeframes that will be used to evaluate, measure, and monitor deliverables and performance; and
- Criteria and related point values for assessing best value.
The success or failure of a contract can usually be linked to a lack of clarity and thoroughness in the SOW. The SOW should be written with enough detail about the requirements for delivery of the goods or services to inform potential vendors or service providers while not being overly prescriptive. This encourages competitiveness among vendors.
It is important that the SOW be contractually sound and unbiased towards potential respondents. The SOW should encourage innovative solutions to the requirements described, if appropriate.
Developing the Statement of Work
DFPS staff coordinate with applicable stakeholders, including Contracts Legal, to draft the statement of work. Primary sources that should be used in developing the statement of work include any previous procurement, the current contract for the service, and the service description in the program handbook, if applicable.
Coordinating with Contracts Legal
Legal review is part of the procurement timeline generated by HHS-PCS after DFPS staff creates a CAPPS Requisition entry. Legal review is not required prior to CAPPS Requisition entry; however, DFPS staff may consult with Legal for questions that arise during SOW Development.
If Contracts Legal assistance is needed, DFPS staff may submit requests to dfpslegalcontracts@dfps.texas.gov.
Descriptions of Current Services
Detailed descriptions of most current services that meet program requirements can be found in either:
- Child Protective Services (CPS) Handbook, Section 8000; or
- Adult Protective Services (APS) Handbook, Section 3000 and Appendix IX.
Statement of Work Sections
Statements of Work typically contain the following, as applicable:
- Eligible population
- Client characteristics
- Service areas
- Service description
- Service authorization and referral process
- Minimum qualifications
- Required record keeping
- Required reports
- Utilization and Compensation
- Performance Measures
- Best Value Consideration