Before the kickoff call,
check the edges.

A useful scope makes the project easier to start, review, and finish. Use this checklist to find the missing decisions.

The outcome

• What is the project intended to achieve?
• Who is the intended audience?
• What can both parties use to judge whether the deliverable is ready?

The deliverables

• List the number, type, format, and level of detail of each deliverable.
• State where the work will be used: website, print, social, internal, or elsewhere.
• Define what files or access the client receives at handover.
• List exclusions, especially work that commonly gets assumed.

The process

• Who is the client’s decision-maker?
• What content, approvals, and access must the client provide?
• How many feedback rounds are included, and what is a round?
• Where will feedback be collected?
• What happens if a new request changes the scope?

The schedule

• Set milestones and identify the client inputs each one depends on.
• Agree feedback deadlines and how delays affect the delivery date.
• Define the final review and handover process.

The commercial details

• Confirm the project fee, currency, applicable taxes, and expenses.
• Agree the deposit, payment milestones, and payment due dates.
• Clarify ownership or usage rights and any third-party license limits.
• Agree cancellation and pause arrangements in a suitable written agreement.

The final sanity check

Send the brief to your client and ask them to identify anything they expected that is missing. Resolve those differences before work begins. Store the agreed version somewhere both parties can refer to it.

A scope brief describes the work. A suitable contract also addresses rights, obligations, and remedies. Use the brief alongside the agreement your business needs.

This checklist is a planning resource, not a complete contract or legal advice.