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17 · Format Spec
Brand System · 17 · Lockwood Advisory · MMXXVI
Engagement
Scope
Visual preview · spec 17
17 · Engagement Doc · Format Spec

Engagement Scope

Shorter than a Proposal, more agile. Often the agreement itself.

Live spec

When to use it

  • Ongoing engagement terms with hourly rates or retainers.
  • Sliding-scale or success-fee arrangements.
  • Quick-start engagements where a full Proposal would slow things.
  • Variations to existing scope mid-engagement.

When NOT to use it

  • Net new pitch requiring narrative · use the Proposal (14).
  • Defined one-shot piece of work · use the Quote (16).
  • Payment owed · use the Invoice (15).

When this format is right

If the engagement is real but you don't need to PITCH it · you just need to set the terms · it's an Engagement Scope. The mid-format between Proposal and Quote.

Canonical reference

Airbridge Engagement Scope v3 · canonical reference.

Tooling

Built with the docx skill. Typically 3-6 pages. Output as PDF for signature.

Structure

  • Header with LA letterhead
  • Engagement summary (one paragraph)
  • Focus areas (3-5 bullets)
  • Commercial terms (rate, success fee, sliding scale, retainer)
  • Next steps (acceptance via email or signed return)
The DNA

LA letterhead, navy + gold + cream. Cormorant Garamond section heads. Tenor Sans body. No formal signature page · acceptance via email reply or initialled return.

The Anatomy

Header · Engagement summary · Focus areas · Commercial terms · Next steps · Footer.

Voice rules

  1. Clear about commercial terms. No ambiguity on rate, fee, or scope boundaries.
  2. Focus areas, not deliverables. The Scope sets direction, not output list.
  3. Brief. 3-6 pages.
  4. Direct. Skip pitch language.

Production checklist

  1. Commercial terms unambiguous
  2. Rate stated with GST treatment
  3. Engagement period defined
  4. Next steps make acceptance frictionless
  5. Filename: LockwoodAdvisory_[Client]_Engagement-Scope_vX.pdf
Prompt-ready brief · copy into any AI 
You are writing an Engagement Scope for Lockwood Advisory.

CONTEXT
Mid-format between Proposal and Quote. Sets ongoing engagement terms without a full pitch.

STRUCTURE
- LA letterhead
- Engagement summary (one paragraph)
- Focus areas (3-5 bullets)
- Commercial terms (rate, success fee, sliding scale, retainer)
- Next steps (acceptance via email reply or signed return)

VOICE
- Clear about commercial terms. No ambiguity.
- Focus areas, not deliverables. Set direction, not output list.
- Brief. 3-6 pages.
- Direct. Skip pitch language.

FORBIDDEN SYMBOLS (NEVER USE)
- No em dashes (—)
- No en dashes (–)
- No section symbol (§) — use plain numbers (01, 02) instead
- No curly quotes (“ ” ‘ ’) — use straight quotes (")
- No ellipsis character (…) — use three dots (...)
- Use middle dot . only as separator (the . shown here is U+00B7)

OUTPUT
Write an Engagement Scope for [client] for [engagement type] with [commercial structure].

What this block does

Drop this into Claude, GPT, Gemini, or any LLM to produce a Engagement Scope in the Lockwood Advisory format and voice without re-explaining each time.