Acceptance Plan

For [Project Name]

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Copyright 2000 Method123 Ltd

Table of Contents
TEMPLATE GUIDE....................................................................................1
1

ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA........................................................................2
1.1
1.2
1.3

ACCEPTANCE PLAN............................................................................3
2.1
2.2
2.3

SCHEDULE............................................................................................................................. 3
ASSUMPTIONS........................................................................................................................ 3
RISKS................................................................................................................................... 3

ACCEPTANCE PROCESS........................................................................4
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5

DEFINITION............................................................................................................................ 2
MILESTONES.......................................................................................................................... 2
CRITERIA............................................................................................................................... 2

PURPOSE............................................................................................................................... 4
PROCEDURES......................................................................................................................... 4
RESPONSIBILITIES....................................................................................................................4
REGISTER.............................................................................................................................. 4
TEMPLATES............................................................................................................................ 4

APPENDIX.......................................................................................4

Copyright 2000 Method123 Ltd

ii

Template Guide
What is an Acceptance Plan?
Acceptance is defined as gaining agreement from the customer that the deliverables
produced by the project meet the criteria defined by the customer. The criteria upon which
acceptance is based may be viewed in terms of the quality of the deliverable produced, the
cost of building the deliverable or the timeframe in which the deliverable is produced.

An Acceptance Plan usually includes:

A list of the milestones to be achieved and deliverables to be produced

A set of criteria and standards for the acceptance of deliverables by the customer
A plan outlining how the deliverables will be reviewed to determine whether or not they
meet the criteria and adhere to the standards set by the customer
A process for gaining customer acceptance once the deliverables have been produced.

When to use an Acceptance Plan

The Acceptance Plan is a key document within the project. It is usually constructed near the
end of the Project Planning phase, after the Project Plan, Resource Plan, Financial Plan and
Quality Plan have been identified. The Acceptance Plan builds on all prior planning
documentation by specifying the completion criteria and the timeframes which must be
achieved. The Acceptance Plan is referenced throughout the Execution phase as each
deliverable is produced and presented to the customer for final acceptance. The Acceptance
Plan is also referred to during the Closure phase as part of the Project Closure Report and
the Post Implementation Review.

How to use this template

This document provides a guide on the topics usually included in an Acceptance Plan.
Sections may be added, removed or redefined at your leisure to meet your particular
business circumstance. Example tables, diagrams and charts have been added (where
suitable) to provide further guidance on how to complete each relevant section.

Copyright 2000 Method123 Ltd

1 Acceptance Criteria
To successfully complete a project, a set of deliverables must be produced which meets the
requirements of the customer. This document defines the criteria which must be met and the
review process which must be undertaken to ensure that each deliverable produced does in
fact meet the requirements of the customer.

1.1

Definition

Define the term acceptance for the purposes of this project. For example:
Acceptance is defined as gaining agreement from the customer that the deliverables
produced by the project meet the criteria defined by the customer.

1.2

Milestones

List and describe each of the Milestones and Deliverables for this project.
Milestone

Deliverable

Name

Description

Name

Description

Financial
System
Upgraded

Implement the software

package on new
hardware and provide
access to the internet

Software
Package
installed

Implementation of General Ledger (GL),

Accounts Payable (AP) and Accounts
Receivable (AR) software

1.3

Criteria

Identify the acceptance criteria and standards to be achieved for each deliverable:
Deliverable

Software Package
installed

Criteria

Standards

System functionality:
GL tested & installed
AP tested & installed
AR tested & installed
System Performance
System up-time
System response-time
Data transferred

System functionality:
GL operational with no errors
AP operational with no errors
AR operational with no errors
System Performance
99.9% system uptime
< 1 second response times
100% data accuracy

The criteria and standards listed must convince the customer that the deliverables produced
can be sufficiently measured to ensure that their requirements are met. Although the criteria
listed primarily address product quality, other types of criteria may be used. For example:

The quality of new processes delivered by the project

The timeliness of the products and processes actually delivered
The financial expense incurred in delivering the products.

Copyright 2000 Method123 Ltd

2 Acceptance Plan
2.1

Schedule

Provide a schedule of reviews to be undertaken to ensure that the deliverables produced

meet the criteria and standards defined above:
Completion

Acceptance

Milestone

Deliverable

Date

Review Method

Reviewers

Date

Financial
System
upgraded

Software
Package
installed

Date

Date

Physical inspection
Software testing
Data accuracy review

Systems Tester
Project Manager
Data Quality Manager
Customer advocate
Independent advisor

Note:
Completion Date is the planned date on which the deliverable is 100% complete
Review Method is the method of ensuring that the quality criteria have been met
Reviewers are the people jointly responsible for undertaking the review
Review Date is the planned date for completion of the review
Approval Date is the planned date for acceptance of the deliverable by the customer.

2.2

Assumptions

List any planning assumptions made. For example:

It is assumed that:

2.3

There will be no changes to project requirements during this project

The Acceptance Criteria will not change during this project
The reviewers are available to conduct the reviews as required.

Risks

List any risks identified. For example:

The Acceptance Criteria may not be directly aligned with the customer's requirements
The reviews undertaken may not provide adequate confidence that the deliverables meet
the Acceptance Criteria listed above
The resource allocated to undertake the acceptance review may not be appropriately
skilled to complete the review as required.

Copyright 2000 Method123 Ltd

3 Acceptance Process
(NB Refer to the Method123 Acceptance Management Process for a complete example)

3.1

Purpose

Describe the purpose of acceptance management and the general process for obtaining
customer acceptance of deliverables produced by the project.

3.2

Procedures

Provide a diagrammatic representation of the procedures to be undertaken to gain customer

acceptance for each deliverable produced. Describe how each procedure will be undertaken.

3.3

Responsibilities

Define the roles and responsibilities of all resources involved with the review and acceptance
of project deliverables.

3.4

Register

The Acceptance Register records the actions undertaken to gain the customer acceptance
of project deliverables. Insert a copy of the Acceptance Register below.
(NB Refer to the Method123 Acceptance Register' for a complete example).

3.5

Templates

Insert a copy of the template required to request customer acceptance of a deliverable.

(NB Refer to the Method123 Acceptance Form for a complete example).

4 Appendix
Attach any documentation you believe is relevant to the Acceptance Plan. For example:

Project documentation (e.g. Business Case, Feasibility Study, Terms of Reference,

Project Plan, Resource Plan, Financial Plan or Quality Plan)
Requirements Analysis or Needs Analysis documentation
Other relevant information or correspondence.

Copyright 2000 Method123 Ltd