introduction
the fifth process of scope management area is validates scope
Validate Scope is the process of formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables. The key benefit of this process is that it brings objectivity to the acceptance process and increases the chance of final product, service, or result acceptance by validating each deliverable.
Validate scope process aims to organize frequent, planned meetings with the customer or sponsor to gain formal acceptance of deliverables during Project Monitoring and Control process group. Customer check and acceptance of the deliverables is a critical activity since the final acceptance of the project will be received from the customer
validate scope concepts
- validate scope process involve check temporary deliverable with customer during (monitor and controlling process group )
- validate scope is concerning of deliverables formal acceptance from customer
- while quality control is concerning of correcting deliverables to meet quality standards and requirements specified for deliverables before send to customer
- validate scope could be done at end of each phase of project lifecycle to get formal acceptance , also we can get formal acceptance for each deliverables alone in middle of phase
- Scope validation, which occurs in the Validate Scope process, focuses on customer acceptance of a deliverable. Product validation, which occurs during project closing, is focused on making sure all the work is completed satisfactorily
- Product reviews, audits, and walkthroughs are all forms of inspections, which may be used in the Validate Scope process.
Who Accepted Them?
Who Accepted Them?
During the stakeholder analysis within the planning phase, each stakeholder should have been identified as requiring approval or disapproval of the deliverables.
Their concerns should also have been identified. Thus, upon submission of the project deliverables the project manager must re-visit this list to ensure all the approvals are obtained and project criteria met.
A reasonable review period is normally required, and follow up is often necessary to ensure the project can proceed without taking on too much risk from previous phases.
The project sponsor is a special stakeholder. It is important that the project sponsor approve and “sign off” on project deliverables. Letting project sponsors avoid decisions for extended periods of time presents a major risk to the project, especially since humans tend to delay approval (and communication) on things they are not completely satisfied with.
What if scopes are not Accepted?
What if scopes are not Accepted?
often stakeholders will require changes, or worse yet they do not accept the deliverable >> and send the project back to the drawing board.
This is an unfortunate situation.
To avoid it,
the project manager should be aware of the stakeholders and manage their expectations throughout the project.
Communication is essential.
At the project outset the stakeholders should each communicate their requirements and each should receive regular updates throughout the project.
This falls under the Project Stakeholder Management and Project Communications Management knowledge areas,
but clearly if these two knowledge areas are not sufficiently addressed, the Validate Scope process is impacted.
If the schedule, cost, or other project plans are impacted, the project will require changes. as part of the Project Integration Management knowledge area.
validate scope inputs-outputs-tools-techniques
Inputs
- pm plan
- requirement documentation
- requirement traceability matrix
- verified deliverables
- work performance data
Techniques
- inspection
- group decision-making techniques
Outputs
- accepted deliverables
- change request
- work performance information
- update project documents
Validate Scope VS Control Quality
Validate Scope VS Control Quality
Validate Scope – Inputs: Project Management Plan
The Project Management Plan contains the Scope Management Plan which helps in specifying how formal acceptance of the completed project deliverables will be obtained. Described below are the Project management plan components:
Scope management plan
- The scope management plan determines how formal acceptance of the completed project deliverables will be obtained.
Requirements management plan
- The requirements management plan in the process which describes how the project requirements are validated.
Scope baseline
- The scope baseline is compared to the actual results of the project at the point of completion to determine if a change, corrective or preventive action is necessary to be implemented in the project.
Validate scope input : Project Documents
The project documents that can be considered as inputs for the Validate Scope process are:
Lessons Learned Register
- The lessons learned in the current project or in the previous project can be applied or implemented in the later phases or stages in the project, in an attempt to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of validating the project deliverables.
Quality Reports
- The quality reports contain information regarding all the quality issues concerned with the project and the recommendations for improvement which were previously escalated by the project team. The quality report also includes details of finding provided by Control Quality Process. This information is reviewed and checked before product acceptance.
Requirements Documentation
- The Requirements Documentation process lists all the project, product, and other types of requirements for the project and product, along with their acceptance criteria. Keeping these essential aspects in mind, the project manager has to deliver the required objectives to the stakeholder. A well-documented requirement makes it easier to detect any deviation in the scope agreed for the project or product.
Requirements Traceability Matrix
- The Requirements Traceability Matrix links requirements to their origin and tracks them throughout the project lifecycle. It also compares the performance of the project with the project management plan and links a requirement to every objective to add business value to the deliverables.
Validate scope input: Verified Deliverables
Verified Deliverables is a process where the deliverables are completed and checked internally for correctness and quality through the Control Quality process.
Validate scope input: Work Performance Data
The Work Performance data includes the degree of compliance with requirements, number and severity of nonconformities.
Validate Scope - Tools and Techniques
Inspection
- Inspection is the process of examining the work product to determine if it adheres to the documented standards. The results of an examination generally include measurements and may be conducted at any level. Inspections are sometimes also called as reviews, product reviews, audits, and walkthroughs.
Group Decision-Making Techniques
- Group Decision Making Technique evaluates alternatives in a group setting and reaching an agreement leading to a final decision, which will cater to delivering the desired objectives.
Validate Scope - Outputs
Accepted Deliverables
- Accepted deliverables are the deliverables that meet the acceptance criteria of the project management plan and are approved by the appropriate Stakeholders. Getting approval is the primary output of this process and is typically performed by the project manager, the customer, the sponsor, and the functional or operational managers.
Change Requests
- It is assured that all final deliverables would be entirely accepted by the stakeholders and such unaccepted deliverables are documented along with the reason for non-approval. In such cases, the deliverables will require changes, and that is when the process of change request will come into effect to repair the defect. After the change request is executed, they are reviewed through – Perform Integrated Change Process method.
Work Performance Information
- Information about which deliverables have been started, their progress, which deliverables have been finished, or which has been accepted. The Work Performance Information process takes place at every particular stage of the project lifecycle.
Project Documents Updates
Documents that define the product or report status of the product upon completion. Verified project documents may require approvals from the customer or sponsor in the form of signatures or signoffs.
Lessons learned register
- The lessons learned register is on a timely basis updated with information on challenges the project team encountered and how they could have been avoided as well as approaches that worked well for validating deliverables.
Requirements documentation
- The requirements documentation will be updated with the actual results of validation activity. In certain situations, the actual results obtained may on a more significant note outweigh the project requirements.
Requirements traceability matrix
- All the results derived through the validation process are updated within the requirements traceability matrix. It also includes information on the various methods used and the actual outcome of the process.
