What are deliverables in the context of project management?

In project management, deliverables are defined as specific outputs produced as a result of project activities. They represent tangible or intangible items that are created through the project work and are essential for achieving the project's objectives. Deliverables might include reports, documents, software, products, or any other output that meets the project's goals and requirements.

Identifying and clarifying deliverables is crucial for successful project management, as they form the basis for measuring project success. Each deliverable typically has defined criteria for acceptance, and it is often linked to a specific phase or milestone within the project timeline. By focusing on the actual outputs, project managers can ensure that the project stays aligned with its goals and that stakeholders' expectations are met effectively.

Meetings, while an essential part of project communication and collaboration, do not qualify as deliverables since they don't produce a concrete output. Stakeholder feedback is a valuable input that can inform necessary adjustments but doesn’t itself yield a deliverable. Similarly, project risks are critical to managing the project but do not constitute a deliverable since they are more about identifying potential issues rather than tangible results of the project work.