What type of agreement is best for setting expectations and preventing additional service requests from companies?

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a formal document that outlines the agreement between two or more parties on a set of expectations, roles, and responsibilities without creating a legally binding commitment. It serves primarily as a means of clarifying intentions, which is particularly useful in preventing additional service requests by establishing clear guidelines and boundaries regarding what is included in the agreement.

MOUs are beneficial in settings where parties wish to collaborate or engage in a project but want to avoid operational ambiguities that could lead to misunderstandings. By explicitly stating the scope of work and the expectations upfront, an MOU can help mitigate scope creep—the tendency for additional requests or changes to be made that were not part of the initial agreement. This clarity can facilitate smoother cooperation by ensuring that everyone involved understands their obligations and the limits of what is being agreed upon.

In contrast, the other options serve different purposes. A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) primarily protects confidential information, while a Master Service Agreement (MSA) lays out the terms and conditions for ongoing services but may not detail specific expectations as comprehensively as an MOU. An Interconnection Security Agreement (ISA) focuses on security requirements when two or more systems are interconnected. Each of these has its own advantages,