Content design scope of work template: what to include so procurement can actually buy it
A content design scope of work is the document that says what you will hand over, what you will not, and who signs off at each point. Most of the ones I read fail for the same reason. They describe a process rather than naming an artefact, so the buyer cannot tell what lands on their desk at the end.
That gap is not a contracts problem. It is a content design problem, and it shows up in exactly the way you would expect: the reader cannot find what they need, understand it, or act on it.
A procurement officer reading your scope has one question: what am I receiving, and how will I know it is done? If your scope answers that in the first paragraph, it moves. If it opens with a paragraph about your collaborative, user-centred approach, it sits in someone's inbox while they work out who should assess it.
Why content design scopes get rejected or reworked
The common failure is the unbounded content audit. "Audit the website" is not a scope. It is an invitation to argue later about whether 400 pages or 4,000 pages were in scope, and whether the audit was meant to produce a spreadsheet or a plan.
The second failure is the invisible decision point. Content design work stalls when nobody names who has the authority to approve a content model, a page structure, or a decision to retire content. If the scope does not name the person who signs off, the engagement will discover that person the hard way, usually three weeks late.
The third is silence on exclusions. What you leave out of a scope is doing as much work as what you put in. I have never regretted an exclusion clause, and I have often regretted leaving one out.
What this template is, and how to use it
It is a white-label content design scope of work you can copy, adapt, and put your own name on. It is written for solo practitioners and small consultancies working with Australian government agencies, though it holds up in the private sector.
It has four engagement archetypes: a discovery sprint, a content audit, a governance build, and a retainer. Use one, or combine two, but do not paste in all four and hope the client picks. Delete the archetypes you are not proposing before you send it.
You can take it two ways, both at the end of this article. Download the branded file to send as-is, or copy the on-page version into your own document. Everything in [square brackets] is yours to fill in, and the notes in italics are for you, not the client. Strip them out before it goes anywhere.
The four archetypes
Use the scope structure in the template, and swap in the deliverables and boundaries that match the engagement.
Discovery sprint. Deliverables: a findings report, a prioritised list of content problems, and a recommended next engagement. Boundary to set: the number of interviews and the number of pages reviewed. Discovery expands to fill whatever time it is given.
Content audit. Deliverables: an audit spreadsheet with a keep, merge, rewrite, or retire recommendation against every page, plus a summary report. Boundary to set: the page count, the date the content set was captured, and whether documents and PDFs are included. They usually are not, and clients usually assume they are.
Governance build. Deliverables: a content governance framework, named content owner roles, a review cycle, and a decision-rights table. Boundary to set: governance is a document plus the meetings that make it real. Say whether you are writing the framework only, or also standing up the first two review cycles.
Retainer. Deliverables: a defined number of days per month, an agreed list of what those days may be spent on, and a monthly summary. Boundary to set: unused days do not roll over more than one month. Otherwise you will be asked to deliver six months of work in the final fortnight.
What good looks like
A good content design scope of work can be read by a procurement officer who has never heard the phrase "content model" and they can still tell you what they are buying, what they are not, and when they need to make a decision.
Test it the way you would test a web page. Give it to someone outside content design, ask them what they receive at the end, and see whether they can answer without rereading. If they cannot, the problem is not that they lack context. The problem is the scope.
What does your last scope say about who signs off on retiring content? If the answer is nothing, that is the clause to write first.
Get the template
Use it two ways. Download the branded version to send to a client, or open the scope in the accordion below and copy it into your own document.
Content design scope of work template
Scope of work: [your business name]
Client: [Agency or organisation name]
Engagement: [Engagement name]
Prepared by: [Your name, role]
Date: [Date]
Version: [1.0]
1. Purpose
[One or two sentences naming the problem this engagement solves and the decision it will let the client make.]
Write this last. It should be the sentence the client repeats to their executive when asked what they are buying.2. Deliverables
At the end of this engagement, [client] receives:
- [Named artefact. For example, a content audit spreadsheet covering [number] pages, with a recommendation against each page.]
- [Named artefact. For example, a content model and page templates for [number] content types.]
- [Named artefact. For example, a written report of no more than [number] pages, with prioritised recommendations.]
- [Named artefact. For example, a two-hour walkthrough session with the [team name] team.]
3. Activities
To produce the deliverables above, [your business name] will:
- [Activity. For example, review [number] pages against the Australian Government Style Manual and WCAG 2.2 Level AA.]
- [Activity. For example, interview [number] content owners across [number] business areas.]
- [Activity. For example, run [number] workshops of [duration] with nominated staff.]
4. What is not included
This engagement does not include:
- Writing or rewriting page content, unless listed as a deliverable in section 2.
- Implementing changes in the content management system.
- Accessibility remediation of documents, PDFs, video, or images.
- User research or usability testing with members of the public.
- Ongoing content maintenance after the final deliverable is accepted.
- [Any other exclusion specific to this engagement.]
5. Scope boundaries
- Content in scope: [number] pages, being [describe the set, for example, all pages under /services/ as at [date]].
- Content out of scope: [describe, for example, the intranet, the news archive, and all third-party microsites].
- If the volume of content in scope varies by more than [10%] from the figure above, both parties will agree a revised scope and fee in writing before work continues.
6. Decisions and sign-off
| Decision | Who approves | By when |
|---|---|---|
| [Content model and page templates] | [Name, role] | [Date or milestone] |
| [Recommendation to retire or consolidate content] | [Name, role] | [Date or milestone] |
| [Final report] | [Name, role] | [Date or milestone] |
If a decision listed above is not made within [10 business days] of being requested, timelines shift by the equivalent number of days.
7. Standards this work is measured against
Content produced or recommended under this engagement will meet:
- The Australian Government Style Manual.
- WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
- AS ISO 24495.1:2024, the Australian standard for plain language.
- The Digital Service Standard, where the client is subject to it.
8. Fees and payment
- Fee: [$amount] [inclusive or exclusive] of GST.
- Payment: [for example, 40% on commencement, 60% on acceptance of the final deliverable.]
- Additional work outside this scope: [$rate] per hour or day, agreed in writing before it starts.
9. Use of AI
- [Your business name] [will / will not] use generative AI tools in producing the deliverables under this scope.
- Where AI is used, it is used for [drafting, structuring, and analysis], and all output is reviewed by [your name] before it is provided to the client.
- No client content, data, or unpublished material will be entered into any AI tool without the client's written agreement.
- [Note any client policy this engagement operates under, for example, the agency's AI use policy dated [date].]
10. Intellectual property
- [Client] owns the content, audit data, and reports produced under this engagement on final payment.
- [Your business name] retains ownership of its underlying templates, frameworks, and methods, and may reuse them.
- [Your business name] [may / may not] describe this engagement in general terms as a case study, without naming [client] or quoting its content, unless separately agreed in writing.
Photo by Salomé Guruli on Unsplash.
Did this land?
I write these to be used, not just read. Tell me if this wouldn't work in your organisation, and why.