Project Scope Management - Validate Scope

This is the process of formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables.

How is Control Quality process different than Validating Scope?

• Control quality is concerned with the correctness of the deliverables and meeting the quality requirements

• Validate scope is concerned with the acceptance of the deliverables 

Let's take a look at the Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Outputs of this process:

1) Project Management Plan

• This plan contains the scope management plan and the scope baseline
• Scope management plan - specifies how formal acceptance of the completed project deliverables will be obtained
• Scope baseline - includes approved version of scope statement, WBS and WBS dictionary. 

2) Requirements Documentation

• Documentation that lists all the project, product and other types of requirements for the project and product, along with acceptance criteria.

3) Requirements Traceability Matrix

• Links requirements to their origin and tracks them through the project life cycle 

4) Verified Deliverables

• Deliverables that are completed and checked for correctness through the Control Quality process

5) Work Performance Data

• Can include the degree of compliance, number and severity of nonconformities, or the number of validation cycles performed in a period of time

6) Inspection

• To determine if work and deliverables meet requirements you will have to inspect them. They can be called reviews, product reviews, audits or walkthroughs. 

7) Group Decision-Making Techniques

• Techniques to help reach a conclusion when the validation is performed by the project team and other stakeholders. 

8) Accepted Deliverables

• Formal documentation that is signed off on that acknowledges acceptance of the deliverables. This is then forwarded to the Close Project or Phase process. 

9) Change Requests

• The completed deliverables that have not been accepted have to be documented along with the reasons for nonacceptance. They may require a change request for defect repair and are processed through the Perform Integrated Change Control process

10) Work Performance Information

• Project progress information is documented so that you can track which deliverables have been started, their progress, which deliverables have to be completed, and which have still to be accepted. All which needs to be communicated with the stakeholders. 

11) Project Documentation Updates

• Update any documents that define the product or report status on product completion. You can get signatures on the documents that need approvals. 

Source: PMBOK 5th ed.