In project management, deliverables refer to any item that is produced as a result of a project. Deliverables can take many forms, from physical products to online documents, reports, or software applications.  

Deliverables are not milestones. Yes!, a project milestone, sometimes encompasses deliverables, is the only marker in time to indicate the transition from one thing to another. Deliverables are also not the objectives of the project. Deliverables ideally should be agreed upon by the project management team and stakeholders during the project planning phase.

Inaccurately defined deliverables are a massive risk factor for project failure. This is why project managers need to establish accurate, measurable, and high-quality deliverables at the very beginning of a project.

If you see the Knowledge area map, you can see them as inputs and outputs to any type of project. Inputs are what you put into the project, such as data, resources, etc., and the outcomes are the deliverables. Again, those deliverables vary greatly. For example, a project deliverable can be either a product or service or it can be the documentation that’s part of the project closure.

Project Management and Product Management Deliverables

Internal and External Deliverables

Deliverables in project management can be internal or external.

1. Internal Deliverables are usually deliverables that make a project run, but they are not a part of the product that the end-users would like to see. They are deliverables which the project generates internally. Project Management, Configuration Management, Training, and Testing are some examples of internal deliverables.
2. External Deliverables is work done for a client, customer, or stakeholder to generate revenue

Tangible Deliverables and Intangible Deliverables

A tangible deliverable is one of those project outcomes that are concrete. That is, they have form and substance. An example of a tangible deliverable would be things such as a building, the product of a manufacturing line or even a magazine or newspaper.

An intangible deliverable is a measurable outcome but one that is conceptual rather than one you can touch or hold in your hands. Some examples of intangible deliverables would be a training program for your project team so that they can learn how to use a new software tool or piece of equipment.

Project Documentation by Project Phase

Projects vary in size and complexity and some require more comprehensive project documentation than others. Here’s an overview of some of the project documents that are usually created throughout the project life cycle.

• Project Initiation: Project charter, project summary, business case, project kickoff meeting agenda, Stakeholder Register
• Project Planning: Project management plan, work breakdown structure, project budget, project schedule, change management plan, scope management plan, risk management plan
• Project Execution: Project status report, lessons learned template, timesheets, change requests, change orders
• Project Monitoring and Control: Project status report, lessons learned template, timesheets
• Project Closure: Project closure template, Lesson Learned, Project Report

Project Documentation by Knowledge Area wise

Key Deliverables of Project Integration Management

Project Charter:

The document that legally authorizes the existence of a project. It allows the project manager to use performing organization resources for the project activities.

Project Management Plan:

The document defines, organizes, and brings together all crucial components into an integrated project management plan.

Deliverables:

This is a perceptible or imperceptible good or service as a result of a project. It can be a report, a manuscript, or a software merchandise of an overall project which is intended to be distributed to a customer.

Key Deliverables of Project Scope Management

Project Scope Statement**

An effective project scope statement includes a number of specific points. This should be used as an effective communication tool to provide a common understanding of the project scope among project stakeholders. These points include the following:

• Justification: explaining the need that your project is addressing.
• Product scope description: Project scope planning means that understanding and defining the scope is essential to do before beginning project work, including project and product scope
• Acceptance criteria: e specific conditions that need to be met before any project deliverables are excepted.
• Deliverables: The deliverables of a project are also known as the project objectives.
• Project Exclusions: It includes what will not be done as part of the project so that any uncertainties or assumptions are clarified fully for everyone involved.
• Limitations: Limitations refer to the restrictions placed on what is possible to achieve, the timeframe in which you achieve it and the cost of the achievements
• Assumptions: In the scope of business management, change is constant, and sometimes no matter how in-depth your planning process has been, your project and team could face some uncertainties. The project scope statement should outline the procedure you will follow in addressing any uncertain information throughout project work.

The project scope statement is the description of the project scope, major deliverables, assumptions, and constraints.

WBS & WBS dictionary

WBS, a graphical hierarchal representation of Project Deliverables. It provides a basis to many other processes like;

• Cost Estimation
• Cost Budgeting
• Scope control
• Activity Definition
• Plan Purchases and Acquisitions

The WBS Dictionary defines every component of the WBS with its milestones, deliverables, undertakings, and opportunities. It’s a project series that let you analyze your project data from many aspects. It can also provide you with dates, resources, budgets, and worth.

Requirement Traceability Matrix

RTM is the most important item in your arsenal as it starts early remains with you throughout the execution and ends with the transfer of deliverables sometimes with an operational transfer

Scope Baseline

Scope baseline – All the work and only the work included. It consists of Scope Statement, WBS and WBS dictionary

Key Deliverables for Project Schedule Management

Schedule Management Plan

A Schedule Management Plan is either a formal or informal part of the project management plan. It advances the schedule estimation procedure by providing strategies on how these estimates should be stated. The Plan also deals with methodologies includes critical path method (CPM) and critical chain Method. It also identifies the formats in which schedule will be shown like the Gantt Chart. Gantt Charts uses horizontal bars on a timescale to show the start, duration and finish dates of the work package or activity.

Schedule Baseline

A schedule baseline also is known as the approved project schedule which is decided by project stakeholders prior to the project begins. It’s a security measure used as preparing mark against which the progress on the real project schedule can be estimated. While creating a schedule it is important to keep a note of your surroundings, the organization structure, the stakeholders and the project itself, as one size doesn’t fit all.

Schedule Forecast

Forecast schedule is the practice of updating the project schedule periodically to keep the project end dates updated. It provides the most relevant prediction of scheduled end dates.

Key Deliverables for Project Cost Management

Cost Management Plan

The Cost Management Plan establishes

• level of accuracy
• level of precision
• unit of measurement
• control threshold
• earned value rules of performance, reporting, funding and processes

Project Budget

Activity cost estimates + contingency reserves + work package estimates + contingency reserves + management reserve project.

1. Budget vs Cost Estimates
2. Cost baseline vs Budget

Cost Baseline

The Cost baseline informs you how much you should have spent at a given time period. It refers to the approved time-phased project budget. Any changes to the cost baseline must be permitted by the change control board.

Cost Baseline = Project Cost Estimates + Contingency Reserves

Cost Forecast

The Cost Forecast is the process that can be used to adapt cost planning according to consistently changing circumstances. For the cost to complete, the system identifies and values the activities based on the plan, forecast, and actual values in the network.

Key Deliverables for Project Quality Management

Quality Management Plan

Quality management planning highlights the quality policies and processes relevant to the task for both project deliverables and project process. It defines who is responsible for what.

The processes in this knowledge Area of Quality Management helps avoid issues at a later stage of the project. Nobody wants to deliver a poor quality product which client/stakeholder/customer returns.

Quality Metrics:

Quality metrics are an important component of an efficient quality management plan. These measurements make sure that consumers receive acceptable goods or deliverables. Quality metrics are used to interpret users’ needs into satisfactory performance measures.

Quality Report:

A quality report refers to documentation that conveys information regarding the quality of a statistical good or process. It comprises of text and quality indicators that are recorded in a document or a database.

Key Deliverables for Project Resource Management

Project Management Plan:

It explains how an association or corporation is run. A management plan lets you validate your management structure and functions. Also, it makes sure that everyone is on one platform and the determined goals will be achieved.

Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS):

It refers to a hierarchical list of resources regarding functions and resource types that are used to facilitate planning and monitoring the project work. The procedure of classification continues even with distinct categories until each resource type is broken down into simple individual entities. When RBS is done, it becomes easier to determine the total available resources for every team and manage their utilization.

RACI Chart/RACI Matrix

Its a tool for tracking the roles and responsibilities of project members/ or positions in general for specific project tasks during the project life cycle. R- responsible, A – Accountable, C- Consulted, I- Informed

Key Deliverables for Project Communication Management

Communication Management Plan

A Communication Plan makes sure that effective communications are carried out throughout the lifecycle of the project to all project stakeholders. Good communication is like a lifeline to project stakeholders. It aims to drive the success of a project by fulfilling the information requirements of project stakeholders.

Information is required to flow in every direction i.e downward, upward and laterally within the organization. A failure in communication can have a negative impact on the project and PMI suggests that many projects fail because of communication failures

Key Deliverables for Project Risk Management

Risk Management Plan: It’s a manuscript that a project manager formulates to predict risks, evaluate impacts, and define responses to these risks. The plan comprises of risk assessment matrix.

Risk Register: It refers to Risk Log, a document which is developed in the initial stages of the project. It helps in tracking issues and addressing them as soon as they arise.

Risk Register vs Risk Report

Key Deliverables for Project Procurement Management

Procurement Plan

It refers to the annual document which describes the products and services that a public body will acquire from external suppliers. An effective procurement plan helps in procuring entity to explain their procurement requirements and choose when and where to procure.

Source Selection Criteria

It defines properties that are critical for a purchaser when deciding on a supplier. Individual judgement may be biased and therefore it requires balance with objective measures. The criteria are based on multiple factors like the project’s scope, schedule, requirements, payment terms and quality certifications. Risk factors and budgetary constraints are also considered while drawing out the source selection matrix

Agreement

It obligates the project manager and the contractor to provide the specified deliverables. Also, it obliges the project owner to pay for the rendered facilities. An agreement can never be legal without a contract.

Procurement, Purchasing, Contract, Agreement, Contract Types and Risks Associate

Key Deliverables for Project Stakeholder Management

Stakeholder Management Plan

It’s an official document framing how stakeholders will be engaged in the project. A stakeholder is an individual who has a major interest in the project.

Stakeholder Register

It refers to a project management manuscript comprising the information regarding the project’s stakeholders. It determines the individuals, groups, and corporations that have any sort of interest or participation in the project. It helps the project team to identify the appropriate focus on the project stakeholders