HKSM

A policy that a deliverable is officially accepted only after it meets its defined acceptance criteria and the customer or sponsor provides formal business approval and signs off.

Key Points

• Acceptance criteria are defined and testable before work is performed.
• Formal approval authority rests with the customer or sponsor, not the project team.
• Sign-off is documented and indicates the deliverable is ready for release or integration.
• In agile, this happens repeatedly at reviews or demos for each increment or iteration.

Example

During a sprint review for a new login feature, the product owner verifies that all acceptance criteria are met (multi-factor prompt, error handling, lockout after failed attempts). The sponsor provides formal sign-off in the tracking tool, marking the feature as accepted and ready for deployment.

PMP Example Question

Which statement best describes a Working Deliverables Agreement in an agile project?

1. It outlines how scope changes are escalated to the change control board.
2. It requires that deliverables meeting acceptance criteria receive formal approval and sign-off from the customer or sponsor.
3. It defines how the team prioritizes the product backlog each iteration.
4. It specifies the tools used for defect tracking and reporting.

Correct Answer: B — Deliverables meeting acceptance criteria receive formal approval and sign-off.

Explanation: The agreement emphasizes that only deliverables that satisfy predefined acceptance criteria are formally accepted by the customer or sponsor.