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Developing a Performance Work Statement in a Deployed Environment

Handbook 09-48
September 2009

Table of Contents

Foreword

This handbook is designed to aid the requiring activity in developing a performance work statement (PWS). Army reliance on contracts for equipment, supplies, and services has significantly increased in recent years. Identifying the requiring activity's requirements and clearly articulating them, in a PWS is critical; nothing is more fundamental to the success of a contract than the PWS.

Key lessons:

• A PWS defines a unit's contractor support requirement for supplies, services, or construction.
• A PWS does not dictate the ways and means of contractor support.
• The benefit of a well-written PWS is that the government pays for results, not activity.
• The handbook's eight-step process for writing a PWS greatly increases the probability of maximizing contractor performance.

The PWS is a detailed set of verifiable performance or quality standards for everything the contractor is required to perform or produce. A PWS must be specific because contracting officers and contractors are not mind readers. A properly-developed PWS is concise in defining the performance parameters and quality of product. Ultimately, an effective PWS is the basis for viable contracts that meet or exceed the user's requirements.

Download CALL 09-48 Hanbook [PDF]