Contractor Brief

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Write a detailed brief to send to a contractor before starting work
• Define scope, deliverables, timeline, and payment terms clearly
• Set communication expectations and feedback processes
• Create a reusable brief template for hiring contractors consistently

DO NOT use this skill for full contractor agreements or legal contracts, job descriptions for employees, or project management plans. This is for the operational brief that tells a contractor exactly what you need.

Core Principle

A CONTRACTOR BRIEF IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENT IN A FREELANCE ENGAGEMENT — 80% OF CONTRACTOR DISPUTES TRACE BACK TO UNCLEAR SCOPE, VAGUE DELIVERABLES, OR UNSPOKEN EXPECTATIONS.

Phase 1: Define Requirements

Gather everything the contractor needs to know.

Required Inputs

Scope Clarity Test

Before drafting, answer these three questions:

1. If the contractor delivered exactly what the brief says, would you be satisfied?
2. Could two different contractors read this brief and produce similar outputs?
3. Is there anything you are assuming but not writing down?

GATE: Confirm requirements are complete before drafting the brief.

Phase 2: Write the Brief

Create the comprehensive contractor brief.

Brief Template

# Contractor Brief: [Project Name]

**Date:** [Date]
**Prepared by:** [Your name]
**Contractor:** [Name — or "To be assigned"]

---

## 1. Project Overview

**What:** [1-2 sentences describing the project]
**Why:** [Business context — what problem this solves or opportunity it captures]
**Who:** [Target audience for the deliverable, if applicable]

## 2. Scope of Work

### In Scope
- [Deliverable 1 — be specific: "5 blog posts of 1,500 words each"]
- [Deliverable 2 — "Social media graphics for 4 platforms, 3 variations each"]
- [Deliverable 3]

### Out of Scope
- [What is explicitly NOT included — "Ongoing maintenance after launch"]
- [What requires separate agreement — "Additional revisions beyond 2 rounds"]

## 3. Deliverables and Specifications

| Deliverable | Format | Specifications | Quantity |
|-------------|--------|---------------|----------|
| [Deliverable 1] | [File type, platform] | [Dimensions, word count, technical specs] | [#] |
| [Deliverable 2] | [Format] | [Specs] | [#] |

## 4. Timeline

| Milestone | Deliverable | Due Date |
|-----------|------------|----------|
| Kickoff call | Align on brief and questions | [Date] |
| First draft / v1 | [Deliverable] | [Date] |
| Feedback round 1 | [Your review] | [Date] |
| Revised draft / v2 | [Updated deliverable] | [Date] |
| Final delivery | All deliverables complete | [Date] |

**Revision rounds included:** [2 rounds — additional revisions at $X/hour]

## 5. Brand and Style Guidelines

[Include or link to:]
- Brand voice and tone description
- Visual style guide or brand kit
- Examples of work you like (with notes on what you like about them)
- Examples of work you do NOT want (with notes on what to avoid)

## 6. Communication

**Primary contact:** [Name and email]
**Communication tool:** [Email / Slack / Project tool]
**Check-in cadence:** [Weekly call / async updates every X days]
**Response time expectation:** [Within 24 hours for messages]
**Questions:** Direct all questions to [contact] — do not proceed with assumptions

## 7. Compensation and Payment

**Rate:** $[Amount] [per project / per hour / per month]
**Payment schedule:** [50% upfront + 50% on delivery / Net 15 after invoice / Monthly]
**Invoice method:** [Email invoice to X / Submit through Y platform]
**Expense policy:** [No additional expenses without approval / Pre-approved expenses up to $X]

## 8. Ownership and Confidentiality

- All deliverables become the property of [Business Name] upon payment
- Contractor may include work in portfolio [with / without] prior approval
- Confidential business information must not be shared with third parties
- [NDA required: Yes / No]

## 9. Success Criteria

This project is successful when:
- [ ] [Criterion 1 — measurable: "All 5 blog posts published and generating traffic"]
- [ ] [Criterion 2 — "Graphics received positive client feedback"]
- [ ] [Criterion 3 — "All deliverables submitted on or before deadline"]

GATE: Present the brief for review before sending to the contractor.

Phase 3: Review and Refine

Ensure the brief is clear and complete.

Brief Quality Checklist

## Brief Review Checklist

- [ ] Scope is specific enough that deliverables are unambiguous
- [ ] Out-of-scope items are explicitly listed
- [ ] Timeline has specific dates, not "ASAP" or "as soon as possible"
- [ ] Payment terms and amounts are clearly stated
- [ ] Revision limits are defined
- [ ] Communication norms are set (tool, frequency, response time)
- [ ] Brand/style references are included or linked
- [ ] Success criteria are measurable
- [ ] Ownership and confidentiality are addressed
- [ ] A kickoff meeting is scheduled

Kickoff Meeting Agenda

## Kickoff Call (20-30 minutes)

1. Walk through the brief together (10 min)
2. Contractor's questions (10 min)
3. Confirm timeline, next deliverable date, and communication plan (5 min)
4. Agree on any brief adjustments (5 min)

Phase 4: Manage the Engagement

Use the brief as the reference point throughout the project.

During the Project

• Reference the brief when reviewing deliverables — does it match the specs?
• If scope changes, update the brief in writing and agree on adjusted timeline/cost
• Keep feedback specific and tied to the brief's success criteria

Feedback Template

## Feedback: [Deliverable Name] — Round [#]

**Overall assessment:** [On track / Needs revision / Major rework needed]

### What works well:
- [Specific positive feedback]

### What needs to change:
- [Specific, actionable feedback — not "make it better" but "change the headline to focus on [benefit]"]

### Priority:
1. [Must fix]
2. [Should fix]
3. [Nice to have]

**Next step:** Revised version due by [date]

Project Closeout

## Engagement Review: [Project Name]

**Deliverables received:** [All / Partial]
**On time:** [Yes / No — X days late]
**Quality:** [Exceeded / Met / Below expectations]
**Communication:** [Excellent / Good / Needs improvement]
**Would hire again:** [Yes / With reservations / No]
**Notes for future engagements:** [What to change in the brief or process]

Anti-Patterns

• Vague scope — "Design our website" is not a brief. "Design a 5-page website (Home, About, Services, Blog, Contact) with mobile-responsive layout" is.
• No examples — telling a contractor "make it modern" means something different to everyone. Show examples.
• Scope creep without documentation — adding work without updating the brief and agreeing on compensation causes resentment.
• No revision limit — unlimited revisions incentivize vague feedback. Define 2 rounds; additional revisions are paid.
• Payment only on completion — holding all payment until the end creates risk for the contractor and less leverage for you. Split payments by milestone.

Recovery

• Contractor delivers something completely wrong: Review the brief together. If the brief was clear, the contractor missed the mark. If the brief was vague, the fault is shared — clarify and give another attempt.
• Scope is expanding during the project: Stop, document the new scope, agree on revised timeline and cost, then proceed. Never let scope creep without a paper trail.
• Contractor misses a deadline: Ask what happened and what the new timeline is. If it is a pattern, address it directly and reference the brief's timeline.
• User does not know what they want: Start with a discovery phase. Pay the contractor for a strategy session or mood board before committing to full deliverables.
• Communication breaks down: Revisit the communication section of the brief. Set a standing check-in and escalate if non-responsiveness continues.