validated deliverable vs accepted deliverable

This blog post was written based on the fourth edition of the PMBOK Guide. Since the arrival of the PMBOK Guide 5th Edition, this post is no longer valid. However, I am leaving it intact as part of organizational process assets. If you wish to review old definitions you can read them here.

Many PMP aspirants may confuse validated deliverables and accepted deliverables. They seem similar, but they are not.

Validated deliverables and accepted deliverables are important concepts in project management. You will see a few questions on these topics on your PMP exam.

Validated Deliverables

Validated deliverables have been checked for completeness and correctness.

According to the PMBOK Guide, they are an output of the perform quality control process and are an input of the verify scope process.

The perform quality control process belongs to the Monitoring & Controlling Process Group.

Accepted Deliverables

According to the PMBOK guide, accepted deliverables have met the acceptance criteria and are approved by the customer or client.

Accepted project deliverables are the output of the verify scope process.

The client accepts the deliverable when it has passed the validation process. First, the project management team checks it for its completeness and correctness; then, they send it to the customers to be accepted or rejected.

Summary

Validated deliverables and accepted deliverables belong to different knowledge areas. They help project managers develop and deliver the correct product. A validated deliverable means you have checked it for completeness and that it meets quality requirements. You do this during the quality control process. On the other hand, an accepted deliverable means the client has accepted the deliverable, and it meets their requirements.

How is a deliverable validated and accepted in your project experience? Please share in the comments section.

Fahad Usmani, PMP

I am Mohammad Fahad Usmani, B.E. PMP, PMI-RMP. I have been blogging on project management topics since 2011. To date, thousands of professionals have passed the PMP exam using my resources.