Statements of Work for Fractional CTOs
by: Scott Booher
It’s common for a Master Services Agreement (MSA) and Statement of Work (SOW) to be drafted and executed between myself and clients before work begins. If that engagement is extended or pivoted to other scopes, there may be several SOWs under the ‘umbrella’ MSA over time.
In my experience, there is often a great deal more flexibility in the drafting, content and final format of client SOWs than for MSAs - of course that content should be driven by the specific needs of the client, shared during early calls and discovery sessions. If the SOW is light on content (especially the first SOW), it might be a flag that more information is needed to ensure alignment and shared expectations.
Understanding that each SOW will differ, following are thematic ideas for content sections that may be useful within a client SOW for independent/fractional CTOs such as myself - this doesn’t purport to be legal advice.
SOW Template Sections & Content Ideas
| Section | Examples |
|---|---|
| SOW Summary & Goals (Why is this engagement needed? Why now?) |
Leadership / Organization / Talent Coordinating across Company stakeholders and initiatives, provide interim engineering/product leadership for the organization to support its daily operations and (specific goals). Evaluate talent in existing roles within engineering/product and recommend changes as needed. Identify the most pressing engineering and product gaps for the organization. Assist in finalizing an organizational redesign with clear reporting lines/responsibilities to ensure (outcomes) Software Development Lifecycle Lead a redesign of the Company’s SDLC processes & tooling to deliver improved release velocity and software quality. Product Releases Lead engineering and product teams to successful delivery of (specific commitments) for current clients by (dates) |
| Background (Restate what’s been shared in introductory calls. What’s the state of affairs? What are current gaps?) |
Engineering Strengths Current Gaps Unrealized Opportunities Most Pressing Items Product Strengths Current Gaps Unrealized Opportunities Most Pressing Items Other Challenges, Customer Commitments, etc |
| Engagement In-Scope Topics & Functions (Ensure shared alignment) |
Engineering Product Specific Teams, Processes, Products etc. Others as discussed |
| Key Stakeholders & Partners | CEO Specific Leaders Other Stakeholders |
| Timeline/Approach (How will we approach the work? What are the initial timelines and goals?) |
Week 1: Overview & Grounding (date) Provide Operational Engineering Leadership ASAP Staff Introductions & 1:1s Relevant Document Aggregation Strategic Partners, External Dependencies & Services Market Offerings, Value Propositions Compliance Program(s) and Efforts Underway Strategic Planning Effort Artifacts Others Week 2-4: Functional Drill Downs Engineering Leadership team interviews Current efforts/challenges/gaps Technical drill-downs Tech stack, architectural overview, rationale & future strategy Engineering SDLC components People - technology skill-sets & sourcing status Scaling infrastructure to support growth goals Key partners and dependencies Technical debt Development efforts underway Product Leadership team interviews Development history, key decisions made etc. Current efforts, challenges & gaps Product SDLC components Tools and technical support required Product drill-downs (1-n) Inputs into developing product strategy Priority list and engineering support needed Week 5+: Leadership Continuation and Deliverables Production Deliverables and their due dates Executive presentation and adjustments |
| Deliverables TOC (What will the deliverables look like?) |
Executive Summary Findings and key considerations for (client) Current Gaps Remediation Plan and Progress Staffing and leadership recommendations Input into strategy efforts underway Key investments required (CapEx, OpEx) Addenda Relevant meeting notes Other Materials |
| Investment & Logistics | Anticipated engagement investment Travel and expense plan Engagement length Anticipated hours/week Days on-site, Availability hours Other details |
| Engagement Tenets (specific tenets, or “how” we’ll get the work done together) |
In an agile fashion, sync weekly on progress and findings with CEO, modifying the focus as we go but retaining operational accountability and key deliverables. Make the most efficient use of stakeholder and resource time, on-site and over the phone - split teams/focus where needed. Keep front-of-mind the Key Considerations that will be of most value to executive stakeholders Keep it informal/collegial |