What is a set of conditions that must be met before deliverables are accepted?

Acceptance criteria represent a clear and concise set of conditions that must be satisfied before the project deliverables can be approved and accepted by stakeholders. This concept is vital in project management because it establishes mutual understanding and expectations between the project team and the stakeholders regarding what constitutes a successful completion of deliverables.

When acceptance criteria are defined, they guide the development process, allowing team members to understand the requirements needed to meet the project goals. Furthermore, they provide a basis for evaluating project outcomes, facilitating decision-making for when to accept or reject work products.

In contrast, quality metrics focus on the measures applied to determine and assess the quality of work, while performance standards may relate more to the level of efficiency or effectiveness expected from project tasks. Verification requirements are associated with the processes used to confirm that the requirements have been met, often involving tests or checks to ensure compliance. These concepts are important but serve different purposes than acceptance criteria, which directly outline the conditions for deliverable acceptance.