Today we will discuss control quality vs validate scope.
The control quality and validate scope processes help you build the right product and deliver it to the client. These are important processes; you should understand them well.
Control Quality Vs Validate Scope
Before I differential control quality and validate scope, let me explain two key terms in quality management that may confuse many professionals.
These terms are “validate” and “verify.” I have seen experienced project managers who don’t understand the difference.
Verification is about building the product correctly.
Here, you inspect the deliverable for completeness and correctness, ensuring that the product is built correctly. It is an internal process to confirm that the requirements and specifications are met.
A quality control engineer performs this function.
Validation, on the other hand, is about building the right product.
This process ensures that products meet customer requirements. This process does not involve the project team. Generally, the project manager performs this function with the client or other stakeholders.
The validation process comes after the verification process.
Let me give you an example of verification and validation.
Suppose you plan to launch a new product. You develop it and check to see if it matches the design. Are the specifications meeting the requirements? If the answer is yes, you have verified the product.
You launch the product into the market and receive a good customer response. Sales are better than expected, and you earned a good profit.
The product is validated because it fulfills the customer’s requirements; they are satisfied.
Now, we come to the topic of this blog post. Many professionals believe that the control quality and validate scope processes are similar because they involve inspection and review of deliverables. This is an incorrect assumption. They are different processes. Let me explain.
Control Quality
According to the PMBOK Guide, “Control Quality is the process of monitoring and recording results of executing the quality management activities to assess performance and ensure the project outputs are complete, correct, and meet customer expectations.”
You perform the control quality process internally during the execution phase to ensure defect-free deliverables and fulfill the stated requirements. You will recommend corrective action if you find any deviation.
Put simply, you inspect the deliverable for its correctness.
Example of the Control Quality Process
You have a project to build a 200km road. You start the work and appoint a quality control engineer. They will check the deliverables at each stage: raw materials, road level, the slope on the turn, alignment of the footpaths, and more. They will take necessary corrective actions if they find any variation in the process or product.
The above example shows quality control activities.
Validate Scope
According to the PMBOK Guide, “Validate Scope is the process of formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables.”
After the product is ready, the project manager performs the validate scope process with the client. The objective is to get a formal product acceptance from the client.
You verify the product in the control quality process and then validate it with the client in the validate scope process.
Example of the Validate Scope Process
Let’s continue with the example given for the control quality process.
You have completed 50km out of 200km of the road. You invite the client to inspect and accept it so you can receive payment.
They check to see if the width of the road is correct, if the footpath is properly aligned, and if the length is right. After inspecting these parameters, the client examines the strength of the road.
Once they are satisfied, they sign the acceptance letter, and you get paid for the completed work.
This is an example of the validate scope process.
This is not always performed at the end of the project. You can perform it during the project execution, along with the control quality process, as you saw in the example above.
The client has accepted 50km of the road while you remain busy completing the rest.
Similarities Between Control Quality and Validate Scope
- The processes belong to the monitor and control process groups.
- Both involve the inspection and review of deliverables.
Differences Between Control Quality and Validate Scope
- Control quality is an internal process, while validate scope is external.
- Control quality checks if the product was developed the right way and validate scope is concerned with building the right product.
- The control quality process ensures the product is ready for delivery, while the validate scope process gets the client’s formal acceptance.
- Control quality is performed during the project execution, and validate scope is usually performed at the end of the phase or project.
Summary
The control quality and validate scope processes are a part of the monitoring and controlling process group, and both involve the inspection of deliverables. However, their purpose is different. One helps you build the correct product in the first place, and the other gets formal acceptance from the client. Both processes complement each other and help you deliver a high-quality product.
What activities do you carry out in the control quality and validate scope processes? Please share your experiences in the comment section.
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.
You will qualify the risk first.
Hi Sir,
Can explain below question?
As the manager of a small construction project, you are nearing project closing when a previously unidentified risk is identified by one of the team members. The risk could affect the project success and on time completion. What should your next action be?
A. Develop Risk Mitigation Plans
B.Qualify the Risk
C. Develop the work around
D. Inform your managers about the newly discovered risk and its impact.
Hey Fahad
Thanks so much for all the blog posts I will be writing the pmp test next tomorrow . You will be the first to know how it goes.
I just want to add that it is important to distinguish that the “deliverables” in we are checking out during the validate scope are interem deliverable since it is at close phase or project that the ” final” delieverables will be validated. Hope you get my point!
Hello Solomon, I hope you would have passed the exam.
The deliverable may or may not be internal.
Its an awesome post & spoon fed
Thanks Hari.
Nice read
Thanks Rondity.
You need to write a project management book. This is the best explanation I have found. Your explanation was so vivid and in layman terms that I could visualize and fully comprehend the concepts. I usually don’t leave comments but I had to in this case.
Thanks Michelle, though I’ve written several ebooks.
Hi Fahad. I was reading your blog post, and i would say that some of the information you wrote here is incorrect. Based on CAPM Exam Prep: Rita Mulcahy’s Course in a Book for Passing the CAPM Exam, and PMBOK 5th edition, it says that the validate scope process occurs many times during the project execution, in order to validate the project deliverables with the customer/sponsor. So, the validate scope is not performed only at the end of the phase or project. Also, there is an important detail missing in the post, in relation with the dependency between the Control Quality process and Validate Scope. So, the project deliverable or product is not submitted to the customer’s formal acceptance, during Validate scope process, before the project deliverable / product is not verified in relation with quality control. So, the quality control internally happens first, in order to ensure that the project deliverable / product respects the quality requirements and standards defined, and then if there are no change requests, it is valid to be submitted to the customer for formal acceptance during validate scope process. Have a look and see if it makes sense what i am saying.
Thanks,
HB
Please refer to the following references:
The PMBOK Guide, fifth edition, page: 133
Validate Scope is the process of formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables.
The PMBOK Guide, fifth edition, page: 134
The verified deliverables obtained from the Control Quality process are reviewed with the customer or sponsor to ensure that they are completed satisfactorily and have received formal acceptance of the deliverables by the customer or sponsor.
excellent
Thanks Insaf.
Hi
I am slightly confused about when “Validate scope” is performed. The article has 2 contradictory statements:-
1. “Please note, it is not necessary that the validate scope process should be performed at the end of the project. This process can be performed before the project ends;”
2. “and validate scope is performed at the end of the project.”.
The latter one seems to be more correct.
But could you please clarify again whether Validate scope should ONLY be performed at the end of the project or can be done even while the project is still on going. What about the first statement. ?
Thanks
Vidita
Sorry for inconvenience Vidita. The blog post is corrected.
Thanks. After reading the other comments and replies my doubt got clarified. Started reading your blogs on project management recently. Very nice and simple explanations. Thanks again.
You are welcome Vidita.
Excellent explanation Fahad! No wonder it is the first search result in Google.
It saves my day(exam)! Thank you!
You are welcome Joe.
Well explanations of this two terminologies. I am getting to understand this new language.
Thanks for your comment Alejandro.
Excellent explanation, Your blog post is really nice and clear the gray area between these two process.
Thank you Abubakr for your comment.
Fahad,
I found your explanation very helpful.
Another way to say this is, control quality verifies the product was built to the project specs (compared to requirements documents), while validate scope verifies that the project specs were proper, i.e. did we make the right thing (are the requirement documents correct). So if we wrote the specs wrong, it would pass control quality, but fail validate scope.
Well said Larry.
Your blog post is really good. However, I do have the same question as Norman. I think what is confusing is that you have written the following sentence in your comparison section:
“Control quality is usually performed at the end of the phase, and validate scope is performed at the end of the project.” This sentence makes one think that “Validate Scope” is only performed once in the project.
Control Quality and Validate Scope are both part of Monitor and Control Process. “Validate Scope” is not just performed at the end of the project. Like you mentioned the aim of “Validate Scope” is to get “frmal acceptance” from client of a deliverable. So it can be performed every time a verified deliverable is ready to be approved by the client. The formal documentation from the “Accepted Deliverables” which is an output of of “Validate Scope” is forwarded for the final “Close Project/Phase” Process.
I have already clarified in above comment about this issue.
“So the validated scope will be performed whenever the deliverable is completed or the main product is completed.”
Fahad, i got a question, as you say:
“•Control quality is usually performed at the end of the phase, and validate scope is performed at the end of the Project”
Are u sure that validate scope is only performed at the end of the Project or when you have a deliverable completed and presenting it to your client?
so if you have like, 10 deliverables, every time one is completed control quality kicks in, to check if it has been created/developed in the right way according to requirements/specifications, but only when the 10 are completed (thus completing the scope at least internally) only then you go to your client and validate scope kicks in?
thats how it is cos thats what i’m getting from your assertion.
I said that:
The validate scope process is performed by the project manager with the client after the deliverable or the product is completed.
And according to the PMBOK Guide:
Validate Scope is the process of formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables
So the validated scope will be performed whenever the deliverable is completed or the main product is completed.
Excellent explanation on control quality and validatescope
Thanks Ramakkannu for your comment.
So, why PMBOK is saying “Validated Changes” in Control Quality process for Change Requests? As per your explanation, it should be “Verified Changes”! Is not it?
You will inspect the changes (i.e. verify), then accept or reject it (i.e. validation). That is why it says “Validated Changes”.
Then, are you saying – Verification and Validation both happen in Control Quality process?
Just asking. Want to know your view.
Hi Som,
Both verification and validation by the team happens in control quality. The primary purpose of control quality is to keep errors out of the customer’s hand.
During validate scope the validation and verification happens again but this time the customer does that as a precursor activity for acceptance of deliverables.
Hope this clarifies your doubt.
As per my understanding, yes.
Verify which us actually an audit so it happens at Perform quality assurance but validate which inspects the deliverable happena at Control quality.
So easy to understand — thank you very much Fahad! Answers several process and deliverable acceptance questions I’ve struggled with for years.
You’re welcome WBHutchins.
Farad, i must confess to you, your blog posts have really helped me to understand Project Management in details. This is another wonderful post.
Thanks Abimbola.
Great post! It really helps to clarify the terminology confusion that comes from the changes between PMBOK v4 to v5.
Thanks Robert for your comment and visit.