Scope Freeze. The scope of work is defined exclusively by the applicable Statement of Work. Any modification, addition, or removal of Deliverables, Milestones, or acceptance criteria requires a written Change Order signed by both parties before work begins.
Change Order Process.
- Either party submits a Change Request describing the proposed modification, estimated impact on timeline, and estimated additional cost (if any).
- The receiving party has five (5) business days to accept, reject, or propose an alternative.
- If accepted, the parties execute a Change Order amending the Statement of Work. The Change Order specifies revised Milestones, fees, and timeline.
- Work on the changed scope begins only after the Change Order is signed by both parties.
Pricing Impact. Additional work described in a Change Order is billed at the rates specified in the Master Services Agreement, or at rates agreed in the Change Order itself if different.
Emergency Changes. If the Customer requests changes that are urgently needed to prevent data loss, security breach, or legal non-compliance, the Contractor may begin work before the Change Order is signed, provided the Customer confirms the request in writing (email is sufficient). The Change Order must be formalized within five (5) business days of the emergency request.
Why this clause matters¶
Scope creep is the single largest source of disputes in fixed-price engagements. Without a Change Order process, the contractor absorbs every "small addition" until the project economics collapse and the relationship turns adversarial.
The emergency carve-out is pragmatic — sometimes you need to act before paperwork catches up — but it requires written confirmation to prevent "we never asked for that" disputes after the fact.
Commentary
Prevents scope creep in fixed-price engagements. Any work outside the SoW requires a written Change Order before execution begins.