SOW Should Follow Discovery Phase When Project Scope Is Unclear

A Statement of Work formally defines a project's deliverables, price, and acceptance criteria. It is best used after a separate, paid discovery phase when initial requirements are vague. The discovery phase is a short initial contract to clarify project goals, requirements, and risks through research and analysis. Starting with a fixed SOW on an unclear project often leads to inaccurate pricing and later disputes. This approach moves critical planning questions to a cheaper, pre-development stage.