Get project acceptance and signoff

Clearly define the conditions under which a project is considered complete. Being sloppy here is the root of all scope creep and rework. Consider defining specific deliverables, timelines, or approval criteria. Without those descriptions, it won’t be clear when you finish the project. This means the client can keep asking for more work. Agree upon who gets to determine when the work is done. It can be you, the client, or through mutual agreement. More often than not, it’s the client who gets to say when your work is complete. I like terms like not to be unreasonably withheld and in its sole discretion. Those can become powerful tools in this section. At thoughtLEADERS, when we do consulting work, we say that the client will approve the deliverable when we think it’s done, and that approval will not be unreasonably withheld. What that’s saying is we both look at it and say, look, this is done, you can’t be unreasonable here. The clause of in its sole discretion gives us the power to determine when a project is complete. We’ll write that the deliverable will be deemed complete by thoughtLEADERS in its sole discretion. That means the client gets no say in when the deliverable is done. There may be a clause in here that defines the notification process for defective workmanship. The client will usually have 30 to 90 days to notify you in writing that a deliverable is substandard. Usually you’ll have to fix the issue in a specified time frame. Signoff formally ends your project. Don’t let this milestone be ambiguous. Drive clarity, so you can finish your work and finish it well.