HKSM

Structured sessions with customers and key stakeholders to examine verified deliverables against documented acceptance criteria. Used to gain formal acceptance, or to record defects and change requests. They keep scope aligned with expectations and enable timely sign-off.

Key Points

• Focus on verified deliverables and documented acceptance criteria.
• Customer or product owner participation is essential for decision authority.
• Timeboxed agenda with clear outcomes: accept, accept with conditions, or reject with actions.
• Objective evidence drives decisions: demos, test results, checklists, and traceability.
• Decisions, variances, and actions are recorded immediately and signed off.
• Held at phase gates, iteration reviews, or when major deliverables are ready.

Purpose of Analysis

Confirm whether completed work meets the agreed scope by comparing deliverables to acceptance criteria and requirements traceability. Identify gaps, classify them as defects or changes, and determine the formal disposition.

Provide transparency on status and value delivered, enabling informed acceptance and preventing unauthorized scope growth.

Method Steps

• Prepare: circulate agenda, acceptance criteria, demo scripts, and evidence packs in advance.
• Set context: restate scope, success criteria, and decision rules at the start.
• Demonstrate and inspect: show the deliverable, present test results, and map to each criterion.
• Evaluate: for each criterion, mark met/not met; capture questions and clarifications.
• Decide: accept, accept with conditions, or reject; classify issues as defects or change requests.
• Document: record decisions, sign-offs, actions, owners, and due dates in the decision log.
• Follow-through: update accepted deliverables, submit change requests, and update WPI and registers.

Inputs Needed

• Verified deliverables and supporting test results.
• Requirements documentation and traceability matrix.
• Acceptance criteria and quality checklists.
• Scope baseline and WBS dictionary.
• Product demo scripts or inspection procedures.
• Issue log, risk register, and prior decision log entries.
• Meeting agenda, attendee list, and roles with decision authority.

Outputs Produced

• Accepted deliverables with formal sign-off records.
• Change requests for unmet or new requirements.
• Work performance information summarizing acceptance status and variances.
• Updates to requirements documents, traceability, issue log, and lessons learned register.
• Decision log entries and action items with owners and dates.

Interpretation Tips

• Use binary outcomes per criterion to avoid subjective debates.
• Minor deviations that still meet business value may be accepted with conditions; document rationale.
• New needs discovered are scope changes, not defects; route them through change control.
• Ensure the person signing has the contractual or product ownership authority.
• Tie every decision back to objective evidence and traceability to prevent scope creep.

Example

A product owner joins a sprint review to assess a reporting dashboard. The team demonstrates each report, shows automated test results, and checks performance metrics against acceptance thresholds. Three reports meet all criteria and are accepted and signed off. One report fails a filter requirement, so a defect is logged and scheduled for the next sprint. A request for a new export format is raised as a change request.

Pitfalls

• Inviting stakeholders without decision authority, delaying acceptance.
• Vague or missing acceptance criteria leading to subjective arguments.
• Failing to circulate materials beforehand, turning the session into rework.
• Not distinguishing defects from change requests, corrupting baselines.
• Skipping formal sign-off, which weakens contractual and governance controls.
• Using live demos only, without preserved evidence or traceability.

PMP Example Question

During a Validate Scope review meeting, what outcome should the project manager secure before closing the session?

1. Signed acceptance of the deliverables that met the criteria.
2. Approved preventive action for future risks.
3. Updated detailed test plans for the next phase.
4. Executive approval of the overall project budget.

Correct Answer: A — Signed acceptance of the deliverables that met the criteria.

Explanation: Validate Scope focuses on formal acceptance of completed deliverables. Other items may occur elsewhere in the project, but the key outcome of review meetings is documented acceptance or rejection with follow-up actions.