Is an electronic signature legally valid?

Yes. Under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and state UETA laws, electronic signatures are legally valid when intent, consent, attribution, and retention are demonstrable.

When is notarization required?

Most internal project documents do not require notarization. Notarization may be required for attachments that are deeds, powers of attorney, or other notarizable instruments.

What if a signer’s name doesn’t match ID?

Mismatched names can delay acceptance or trigger identity verification; use the signer’s full legal name as shown on government ID to minimize issues.

Can I use remote online notarization (RON)?

RON is permitted in many states subject to state rules on identity proofing and audio-video recording; verify state notary regulations before relying on RON.

How long should I keep signed Phase 1 Documents?

Retain during project and for several years after closeout; federal standards (e.g., IRS, HIPAA) may set minimum retention requirements for certain record types.

How do I fix a mistake after signing?

Execute an amendment or corrected document with the same approval process and audit trail; avoid handwritten changes on an executed electronic record.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Miscellaneous
Project Phase 1 Document

Project Phase 1 Document

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

PROJECT PHASE 1 DOCUMENT

Parties

Client Name Client Address Client Contact (Name and Title) Contractor Name Contractor Address Contractor Contact (Name and Title)

Recitals

WHEREAS, Client and Contractor desire to commence Phase 1 of the project identified as for the purpose of defining requirements, producing initial deliverables, and completing acceptance testing; and

WHEREAS, this Project Phase 1 Document sets forth the scope, deliverables, payment, schedule and other terms governing Phase 1 activities commencing on and continuing in accordance with the Term and Termination provisions below; and

WHEREAS, the parties intend that Phase 1 be governed by a binding agreement to which these terms shall be incorporated.

Scope of Work

Contractor shall perform the tasks and produce the deliverables described below. Deliverables shall conform to the acceptance criteria set forth and be completed in good workmanlike manner.

Detailed Scope and Deliverables Acceptance Criteria (tests, metrics, deliverable review)

Payment Terms

The Client shall pay Contractor the fixed fee for Phase 1 as set forth below. Payments shall be conditioned on delivery of the specified deliverables and Client's acceptance in accordance with the Acceptance Criteria.

Total Phase 1 Fee (USD) Payment Schedule and Milestones

Payment is due within days of invoice date for each milestone accepted by Client. Late payments shall accrue interest as set forth below.

Late Fee

Term and Termination

This Phase 1 engagement shall commence on and shall terminate on unless earlier terminated in accordance with this section.

Notice Period for Termination Without Cause (days)

Either party may terminate for material breach if the breaching party fails to cure within days after written notice. Termination shall not relieve Client of payment obligations for services rendered and accepted through the termination date.

Termination for Insolvency or Bankruptcy

Either party may terminate immediately upon written notice if the other becomes insolvent, makes an assignment for creditors, or is subject to a bankruptcy petition not dismissed within 60 days.

Confidentiality

"Confidential Information" means non-public business, technical, commercial, or financial information disclosed by one party to the other in connection with Phase 1. Each party shall: (a) maintain Confidential Information in strict confidence using at least the same degree of care it uses to protect its own confidential information but no less than reasonable care; (b) use Confidential Information solely to perform under this document; and (c) not disclose Confidential Information to third parties except to employees, contractors or advisors who have a need to know and who are bound by confidentiality obligations no less protective than those herein. Confidential Information shall not include information that is already publicly available through no fault of the receiving party, independently developed by the receiving party without use of the disclosing party’s Confidential Information, or lawfully received from a third party without restriction.

Intellectual Property and Deliverables

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, Contractor grants Client a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide license to use all final deliverables produced under Phase 1 for Client's internal business purposes. Contractor retains ownership of Contractor's pre-existing materials, tools, and methodologies. To the extent Contractor incorporates third-party materials, Contractor shall secure the necessary rights and shall notify Client of any license terms affecting Client's use.

Representations and Warranties

Each party represents that it has the full power and authority to enter into this document and to perform its obligations. Contractor warrants that services and deliverables will be performed in a professional manner consistent with industry standards. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED, NEITHER PARTY MAKES ANY OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

Limitation of Liability

Neither party shall be liable to the other for indirect, incidental, consequential, special or punitive damages, including lost profits, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Each party's aggregate liability for claims arising out of or related to this document shall not exceed the total fees paid by Client to Contractor under Phase 1.

Governing Law

This document shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of without regard to its conflicts of law principles.

Entire Agreement; Amendment

This Project Phase 1 Document, together with any incorporated attachments or exhibits signed by the parties, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to Phase 1 and supersedes all prior proposals, negotiations and representations, whether written or oral. Any amendment must be in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both parties.

Notices

Any notice required or permitted under this document shall be in writing and delivered to the addresses specified above or to such other address as either party may designate by written notice. Notices shall be effective on receipt.

Execution

The parties, intending to be legally bound, have executed this Project Phase 1 Document through their duly authorized representatives.

Client:

By:

Date:

Contractor:

By:

Date:

What the Project Phase 1 Document Is and when it’s used

The Project Phase 1 Document is a structured project initiation record that defines scope, objectives, deliverables, schedule, roles, and preliminary budget for the first phase of a project. It establishes who will perform work, what will be delivered, acceptance criteria, key milestones, and initial risks. Organizations use it to align stakeholders, obtain internal approvals, and create a baseline for project tracking. The document is commonly attached to contracts, statements of work, or purchase orders and can be executed electronically where permitted under U.S. law.

Why a clear Phase 1 Document matters

A concise Project Phase 1 Document reduces ambiguity, speeds stakeholder alignment, and creates an auditable record of commitments and deliverables that supports budgeting, scheduling, and risk management.

Which teams and roles commonly complete this document

In larger organizations, approval workflows often require sequential sign-offs from finance, legal, and executive sponsors to validate scope and funding.

Project Managers and PMO teams responsible for scope, schedule, and risk allocation.
Functional leads (engineering, design, operations) who confirm deliverables and resource estimates.
Procurement, legal, and finance staff who review commercial terms and budget approvals.

Essential components to include in a professional Phase 1 Document

A high-quality Project Phase 1 Document is compact but complete: it defines deliverables, acceptance criteria, responsibilities, timeline, budget, and escalation paths so downstream teams know how to proceed and measure progress.

Scope

Clearly list included work, excluded items, and assumptions so stakeholders share a common baseline and change requests can be isolated.

Deliverables

Describe tangible outputs, formats, and acceptance tests for each deliverable to avoid rework and dispute at handover.

Schedule

Provide milestone dates, dependencies, and review windows to align resourcing and identify critical-path items.

Roles

Assign responsibilities, single-point contacts, and escalation contacts to prevent gaps in ownership during execution.

Acceptance Criteria

Define measurable criteria and sign-off conditions so completion is objective and verifiable.

Budget

List estimated costs, billing milestones, and any contingency so financial approvers can validate funding.

Step-by-step: completing and approving the Phase 1 Document

Follow these sequential steps to prepare, review, and execute the Project Phase 1 Document efficiently and with clear approvals.

01

Draft the document: Populate scope, deliverables, schedule, budget, and contacts.
02

Internal review: Circulate to functional leads and revise per feedback.
03

Legal and finance review: Confirm contract terms, billing, and risk allocation.
04

Execute signatures: Collect required approvals and record the audit trail.

Recommended digital workflow settings for Phase 1 approvals

Configure your eSubmission workflow to match internal approval order, authentication level, and retention settings for an auditable record.

Field	Configuration
Signature Order	Sequential signing by role, then executive approval
Authentication	Email link with optional SMS code for higher assurance
Conditional Fields	Show budget fields only when contract value exceeds threshold
Audit Trail	Enable full event log with timestamps and IP addresses

Typical online submission and signing flow

A standard eSubmission flow reduces manual handoffs and preserves a time-stamped audit trail for each signer and action.

Upload document: Sender uploads the Phase 1 Document to the platform.
Place fields: Add signature, date, and conditional fields for each party.
Authentication: Choose signer verification method (email, SMS, or stronger).
Complete signing: Signers execute signatures and receive final copies plus certificate.

Technical considerations for digital signing and storage

Align platform settings with your retention and audit requirements to ensure legal defensibility and ease of retrieval.

File Formats: PDF, DOCX, and HTML supported for upload and signing.
Integrations: Connectors for Salesforce, NetSuite, and Google Workspace available.
Authentication: Options include email links, SMS codes, and SSO/SAML.

Common preparation errors to avoid

Omitting effective or milestone dates creates ambiguity about obligations and can delay invoicing and approvals from stakeholders.
Using inconsistent party names across documents can trigger TIN or contract mismatches and complicate financial reconciliation.
Attaching incomplete exhibits or leaving acceptance criteria vague invites disputes at review and slows project closeout.
Failing to gather approvals in the defined order increases rework and voids audit sequence expectations during compliance reviews.

Security and compliance elements to include

Encryption in transit: TLS 1.2/1.3

Encryption at rest: AES-256

Access controls: Role-based access and SSO

Audit logging: Event timestamps and IP addresses

Regulatory compliance: ESIGN, UETA, SOC 2 Type II

Healthcare support: HIPAA (BAA required)

Potential legal and administrative consequences of errors

Contract unenforceability: Missing signatures or unclear acceptance criteria

Tax penalties: Incorrect payee or TIN triggers IRS penalties

I-9 violations: Incomplete employment forms incur DHS fines

Data breach exposure: Improper storage violates privacy obligations

Late deliverable penalties: Liquidated damages or withheld payments

Intentional disregard: Severe tax penalties under IRC §6721

Key dates typically tracked in Phase 1 and their purpose

Document these dates clearly so approvals, deliveries, and billing milestones are measurable and auditable.

Project Kickoff Date:

Date work is authorized to begin and schedules lock.

Milestone 1 Delivery:

First deliverable due to trigger review and partial payment.

Review Window:

Period allotted to client for acceptance testing and comments.

Client Approval Deadline:

Date by which client must accept or request changes.

Handover and Closeout:

Final acceptance and transition to next project phase.

Typical eSignature vendor pricing and capability comparison

Compare baseline pricing and common feature criteria across vendors. signNow is listed first per standard comparison format; verify vendor details for specific plan features.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day trial	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No

FAQs and troubleshooting for the Project Phase 1 Document

Answers to frequent questions about completion, signatures, notarization, and electronic submission for Project Phase 1 Documents.

Need help? Contact support

Is an electronic signature legally valid?
Yes. Under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and state UETA laws, electronic signatures are legally valid when intent, consent, attribution, and retention are demonstrable.
When is notarization required?
Most internal project documents do not require notarization. Notarization may be required for attachments that are deeds, powers of attorney, or other notarizable instruments.
What if a signer’s name doesn’t match ID?
Mismatched names can delay acceptance or trigger identity verification; use the signer’s full legal name as shown on government ID to minimize issues.
Can I use remote online notarization (RON)?
RON is permitted in many states subject to state rules on identity proofing and audio-video recording; verify state notary regulations before relying on RON.
How long should I keep signed Phase 1 Documents?
Retain during project and for several years after closeout; federal standards (e.g., IRS, HIPAA) may set minimum retention requirements for certain record types.
How do I fix a mistake after signing?
Execute an amendment or corrected document with the same approval process and audit trail; avoid handwritten changes on an executed electronic record.

be ready to get more

Join over 28 million airSlate SignNow users

Sign Now