What is a deliverable in project management?

Project management is plagued with jargon — but ‘deliverable’ — unlike other trendy office phrases — is the real deal. But what is a deliverable? Put simply, it’s the thing you hand over when work is done.

It might be an app or website, a cake, or happier customers — it’s a broad church, but deliverables all have one thing in common: they are markers of progress. And because they’re usually tied to stakeholder expectations, getting them right is the difference between a project that succeeds and one that flops. So as you can imagine, knowing the ins and outs is worth your time.

What is a deliverable?

A deliverable is an output that’s produced as part of a project and handed over to a client or stakeholder.

It’s the “finished thing” that shows progress and moves the project toward its goal. It can be something big or small, tangible (you can touch it, like a hat, offroad car, or travel app), or intangible (something you can’t, like customer satisfaction, or a faster booking page). Projects might produce multiple deliverables, or just the one.

What is a deliverable in project management?

In project management, deliverables are tied to deadlines and expectations (e.g. whether it passes quality control, or customers buy it). A project isn’t truly complete until its deliverables are reviewed and signed off by the various stakeholders.

Along the way, you’ll have a mix of deliverables. Key ones include big outputs that mark significant progress, like a successful company rebrand. Smaller ones are the stepping stones towards this finish line, like a shiny new logo or a revised user persona.

What are tangible and intangible deliverables?

Deliverables come in many forms, but generally speaking, they fall into two categories.

Tangible deliverables

Tangible deliverables are physical or clearly defined outputs. You can point to them, package them up, and often hand them over to a client.

• Product prototypes
• Printed reports
• A piece of hardware
• A completed webpage
• A signed contract
• Marketing assets (graphics, blog posts, email templates)
• Completed buildings or physical installations.

Intangible deliverables

Intangible deliverables are less visible but just as valuable. You can’t physically hand these over, but they’re still important parts of the project.

• Improved sales results
• Increased brand awareness
• Customer satisfaction improvements
• Process optimizations.

Project deliverable vs. process deliverable

A project deliverable is the final output or result your project is working toward. A process deliverable is a supporting output created along the way that helps achieve that final result — like plans, documentation, designs, or prototypes.

An example: let’s say your project deliverable is a completed house. Your process deliverables will probably include the architectural blueprint, the construction schedule, the planning permission, the materials list, the work rota, and so on. These process deliverables guide the work, and without them, it would be impossible to produce the final project deliverable (the house).

Project deliverable vs. project milestone

A project deliverable is a concrete output — something you can hand over, review, or sign off. Think: a completed wireframe, a finished user manual, or a final design. Deliverables are specific, measurable, and directly tied to your project’s end goal.

A project milestone is different. It’s not something you produce, but a point in time that marks progress. Examples include reaching the halfway point of your development schedule or getting stakeholder approval on a key phase.

The easiest way to remember the difference?

• Deliverable = a thing
• Milestone = a moment

3 project deliverable examples

To give you a clearer idea of what both kinds of deliverables can look like in practice.

1. Marketing campaign

Deliverable: A full campaign rollout. This includes social media graphics, blog content, email templates, and performance reports.

These are the tangible outcomes of creative development and analytics tracking — all tied to specific timelines and objectives.

2. Software development

Deliverable: A functioning mobile app. This includes login features, user settings, help pages, and integrated payment options.

Along the way, there may be multiple sub-deliverables like UI mockups, code releases, and user testing feedback, each building toward the final result.

3. Construction project

Deliverable: A completed office building. This might include several phased deliverables: structural foundations, electrical systems, interior finishes — each one delivered and signed off before the final handover.

Every deliverable should serve a clear purpose in the overall project. They should also be measurable, so you can determine whether it’s been successfully completed.

How to set project deliverables (and smash them)

Ready to get started? Just follow this guide and you’ll be well on your way. As with all step-by-step processes, there might be a bit of back and forth as you fine-tune things, and you might not need to follow it to a tee. That’s both normal and ok! Just use it as a rough structure.

1. Plan ahead

Before diving in, get crystal clear on your destination and how you’ll get there. Start with a project charter to outline objectives, scope, and stakeholders. Then break your project into key goals that will guide your deliverables.

Ask yourself:

• What are we trying to achieve?
• How will we achieve it?
• What resources do we need?
• Do stakeholders agree on the plan?

Since deliverables are the result of specific activities, make sure they’re measurable and tied directly to your objectives. Use SMART goals to check they meet the mark.

2. Define your deliverables with a Work Breakdown Structure

Once stakeholders give the plan the thumbs up, it’s time to get into the details. A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is one of the easiest ways to pinpoint your deliverables and turn big projects into manageable pieces.

Start with your main project goal at the top. Break it into smaller, more specific objectives. Keep going until each branch ends in a clear, actionable task or output. Those final items? They’re your deliverables.

As part of this process, ask yourself:

• What does this deliverable achieve?
• What are its dependencies?
• When does it need to be completed?
• What resources are required?
• How will we communicate progress?

Gantt charts are another handy tool for mapping tasks and timelines. If you’re using project management software (which, of course, we highly recommend!), you can automate the bulk of the work, which saves you time and brainpower.

3. Set everyone’s expectations

Prep work done? Now it’s time to share the deliverables and make sure everyone knows their role. You’ll also need to explain how the team should track and measure progress along the way. Not to sound like a broken record, but project management tools are the gold standard here for a reason).

Some questions to ask yourself:

• Who needs to be involved?
• What’s the best way to communicate these deliverables?
• Do I need to set some time aside for training before the project kick-off?

4. Work out who’s responsible for what

Every deliverable needs a clear owner. Without one, tasks can fall through the cracks. Or worse, multiple people think someone else is handling it (aka ‘social loafing’).

When everyone knows who’s responsible for what, it’s easier to spot things like duplicated work and roadblocks. Clear ownership also helps people feel accountable for the work.

Ask yourself:

• Who owns this deliverable?
• Do they have the authority to complete it?
• Do they have enough time/resources to get it done?
• Is there a clear handoff process?
• Who’s reviewing and signing off on the final deliverable?

Using a RASCI chart can help clarify roles and responsibilities — especially in large or cross-functional teams.

5. Track your progress

At some point, other teams or leadership will be snapping at your heels for updates. So keep your deliverables, milestones, tasks, and dependencies clearly tracked so you can present the goods when needed. Monitoring progress helps you pace the work and adjust resources, budgets, or timelines as needed — as well as keep others in the loop.

Collaboration tools make it easy to do all this and share updates in real time. While a spreadsheet works, a project management tool is faster, easier, and avoids the chaos of multiple document versions. Whatever you use, standardize the process so everyone tracks work the same way.

Questions to yourself at this stage:

• Do I have the right information ready for stakeholders?
• Is my team actively tracking their work?
• Are we on schedule?
• Do we need new tools or software to streamline tracking?

6. Measure your results

As with all projects, being honest about what’s working and what isn’t is important. This will help you plan similar projects more effectively in the future. There are lots of methods for measuring progress, but one of the easiest ways is with a project post-mortem meeting.

Some questions to ask yourself:

• What went well? And what didn’t work so well?
• What do we need to change next time?

Documents to help you define and manage your deliverables

Good documentation is your best friend when it comes to tracking your project deliverables.

Here are some of the essentials to have in your toolkit:

• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): It’s in the name. Breaks your project into manageable chunks, which helps you spot deliverables.
• Project scope statement: Defines project boundaries, including what’s in and out of scope. This prevents the dreaded scope creep.
• Project charter: Outlines objectives, stakeholders, and high-level deliverables. Your north star at the start of a project.
• Timesheets: Track time spent on specific tasks or deliverables. This helps you monitor progress and resources.
• Status reports: Show what’s complete, in progress, or delayed. This keeps everyone aligned.
• Variance reports: Compare planned vs. actual progress to catch issues early and adjust.

Tips to help you track your deliverables

Even the best-laid plans can fall apart without proper tracking. Here are some practical tips to help you stay on top of things.

Start with clear definitions

Clearly define each and every deliverable from the outset. This includes what it is, what ‘done’ looks like, and how you’ll measure success.

Set realistic timelines

Be honest about how long each task will take. Try not to be too optimistic — it’ll only stress you/your team out and set your stakeholders up for disappointment. Factor in things like dependencies, reviews, and unexpected delays.

Assign one owner per deliverable

The saying “too many cooks spoil the broth” holds true here. One person should always be responsible for each deliverable — even if a team is doing the work. This stops things getting confusing, but more importantly, it keeps accountability clear.

Schedule regular check-ins

Weekly or biweekly check-ins keep everyone up to date and help you catch any issues early. Use these catch-up sessions to review progress, adjust timelines, remove blockers, and just as importantly — celebrate wins!

Document everything

Keep your documentation up to date, ffrom project scope to status reports. This keeps everyone on the same page and gives you a paper trail if questions arise. Use a centralized spreadsheet or database (we’re going to recommend project management software again here) with the deliverable’s name, start and end dates, status, and owner recorded. This can help you keep everything manageable. Just remember to keep it up to date.

Review and refine

After each project, take time to review what worked and what didn’t. Use these insights to fine-tune how you track deliverables the next time around.

Use project management software

Being a project manager is like spinning plates. Hand some of that work over to a project management tool, which helps you stay on top of tasks and measure them. With Backlog, our own tool, you can assign tasks, set deadlines, and view progress in real time — no need to juggle multiple spreadsheets or email threads. It also means the team has an easy way to track their work, and you have more time to focus on making your project the success it deserves to be. Ready to give it a try?

This post was originally published on June 14, 2019, and updated most recently on September 19, 2025.