If you need outside help with the user-centered design process or with specific usability activities, you will need to prepare a Request for Quotation (RFQ) which includes a Statement of Work (SOW).
An SOW describes the work to be performed and usually includes a timeline and level of effort so that a vendor or contractor can respond to the RFQ with a proposal and cost estimate. You can then select the most qualified help at the most affordable cost.
SOWs should include the following:
- work to be performed
- location of the work
- period of performance and timeline
- deliverable schedule
- any special requirements (such as security clearances, travel required, special skills or knowledge)
The evaluation criteria may include:
- the bidder’s plan for performing the work
- the skills and experience of the individuals who are proposed for the work
- the past performance and other projects that the company has completed
- price
To help you issue a contract or task order for usability support, we have provided some sample SOWs:
- Usability Statement of Work (DOC - 93KB)
- evaluation of current sites
- user research and analysis
- user and task analysis
- information architecture and content organization
- iterative usability testing
- Usability and Focus Group Participant Recruitment (DOC - 36KB)
Sample SOW on usability and focus group recruitment. - Web Usability Consulting (DOC - 42KB)
Sample SOW for acquiring usability analysis and testing. - Web Usability Testing (DOC - 48KB)
Sample SOW for acquiring usability testing and documenting lessons learned.
Sample SOW covers a range of user-centered design activities, including:
Next steps
As you review responses to your Statement of Work, you may find useful questions to think about in our article on Hire a Usability Specialist.
Once you have your usability expert(s) on board, you may be ready to Hold a Kick-Off Meeting.
