Writing Performance Work Statements (PWS)

Register Now Click class session below to register Classes & Locations Washington, DC 9/15/2010-9/17/2010: (10107907) Denver, CO 8/16/2011-8/18/2011: (11107909) Las Vegas, NV 3/1/2011-3/3/2011: (11107907) San Diego, CA 5/10/2011-5/12/2011: (11107908) Vienna, VA 1/18/2011-1/20/2011: (11107905) 6/29/2011-7/1/2011: (11107906) Washington, DC 11/22/2010-11/24/2010: (11107901) 5/23/2011-5/25/2011: (11107902) 7/25/2011-7/27/2011: (11107903) 9/14/2011-9/16/2011: (11107904) Course Details PRICE:  $745.00 LENGTH:   3 days FORMAT:  Lecture, discussion, practical exercises, and independent readings. LEVEL:  Basic FIELD OF STUDY:  Finance CPE CREDITS:  24

FAR Part 37 requires agencies to use performance-based methods to the maximum extent practicable when contracting for services, which means telling the contractor what to do, not how to do it.  This training course is designed for program personnel or others who develop performance work statements to describe their service contract requirements. Contracting personnel who must review or critique performance work statements will also benefit.  Additionally, this course will benefit companies faced with writing a PWS in response to a statement of objectives (SOO).  This is a hands-on training course — be prepared to think and write! 

Note: Contracting or other personnel interested in learning about other aspects of acquiring and monitoring performance-based services should consider taking Performance-Based Service Acquisition.

Suggested Prerequisite: None

Course Objectives:
After successful completion of this training course, the student will be able to:

• Discuss the policies and procedures governing the use of performance work statements
• Describe the statement of objectives approach to describing the requirement
• Use a systems approach called job analysis to develop the PWS
• Write the PWS and quality assurance surveillance plan (QASP)
• Discuss performance-based considerations for evaluation of offers and award and administration of the contract

Major Topics:

• Contracting for Services — An Overview

Review of service contracting: personal vs. nonpersonal services, private sector temporaries, advisory and assistance services, and inherently governmental functions.  What is performance-based service acquisition?  Key performance-based service acquisition terms. 

• Basic Policies and Principles

Requirements documents.  Defining requirements.  Types of requirements.  Types of descriptions.  Compliance criteria.  PWS implications.

• Defining the Need

How a need may arise.  Job analysis: conducting a needs analysis; analyzing the work; conducting an activity analysis; classifying jobs; gathering workload and resource data; identifying government directives; and conducting performance, incentive, and deduct analyses.  Consider methods of surveillance.  Benchmarking.

• Preparing the PWS

Choosing a PWS format.  Language of performance work statements.  Reviewing the PWS.

• Writing the QASP

Selecting the method(s) of surveillance.  Identifying sources of surveillance information.  Establishing schedules, checklists, and reports.  QASP content.

• Another Approach — Statement of Objectives

When to use a SOO.  Format of a SOO.   

• Pre-Solicitation Considerations

Purchase request.  Funding information.  Government cost estimate.  List of recommended sources.  Justification for other than full and open competition.  Recommendation of a contracting officer’s representative.  Proposal evaluation plan.  Preproposal/prebid conference.

Suggested Follow-on Resources:

• How to Write a Statement of Work
  
• Federal Statements of Work: A Practical Guide
  
• Performance Work Statements
  
• The Work Breakdown Structure in Government Contracting
  
• Plain Language in Government Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide