Preparing a freelance assignment: the brief before the start

What belongs in a brief you can actually work from?

Describe the expected result, its scope and how it will be assessed.

A heading such as “project support” leaves a great deal open to interpretation. State the problem to address, what is already available, and what must be handed over. Separate the work expected from the subjects that stay outside the initial scope.

The brief can fit in a short document. Above all it must let the consultant confirm they understand the request, and let the client give precise feedback.

• Objective: what decision or what work should the assignment make possible?
• Deliverables: which documents, analyses or outputs are expected?
• Scope: which subjects are included, and which remain to be discussed?
• Resources: which information and which access need to be prepared?
• Organisation: which review points and which deadlines are envisaged?
• Approval: who examines each deliverable, and against which criteria?

Who prepares what before the start?

Identify the operational, administrative and decision-making contacts before the file is sent.

One person can hold several roles, but those roles must be identifiable. Whoever follows the work is not necessarily the person who approves the activity report or handles an invoicing question.

One person can hold several roles, but those roles must be identifiable.

Which information should sit alongside the brief?

Check that the description of the assignment matches the terms discussed between the parties.

Gather the service rate, the period envisaged, the estimated volume and how the activity will be tracked. Mark what is confirmed and what is still under discussion. An estimate of effort and an assignment duration do not answer the same question.

The consultant works as an independent professional and is not employed by WoW. Their company invoices WoW, and WoW invoices the client. The people handling procurement and accounting need to understand that arrangement before the first invoice.

For the file and the KYC checks, ask your WoW contact which items suit your situation. Avoid assembling a list of documents from a template found elsewhere.

Find the steps for your own company and the role of your contact in the consultant journey.

What does a sufficiently precise brief look like?

A concrete example helps spot the decisions still missing.

An example to adapt: “Analyse our customer request journey and deliver a diagnostic note with recommendations. The analysis covers the current journey; implementing the recommendations will be discussed separately.”

Then complete that text: which data will be available, who will provide it, who will review the note, and by when? If nobody can answer, record the question as a point to resolve. A useful brief makes uncertainties visible before they become blockers.

A useful brief makes uncertainties visible before they become blockers.

What should the final check before kick-off cover?

Read the brief together and confirm the next actions.

The consultant confirms their understanding; the client checks the resources and the contacts; WoW reviews the file and the contracts. Note every open subject with a person responsible for handling it.

Plan too how a new request will be discussed: its effect on the scope, the workload and the agreed terms. After kick-off, assignments, deadlines, invoices and messages are available in the consultant’s own space, along with their WoW contact. Keep the brief as the reference for day-to-day exchanges.

The contractor management fee calculator separates the base day rate from the amount invoiced to the client.