Types of Project Management Artifacts

Project management artifacts are more than paperwork—they’re how project managers create clarity, defend decisions, and keep projects aligned when things change. They’re also a frequent source of confusion on the PMP® exam, especially as PMI evolves its guidance in the PMBOK® Guide – Eighth Edition.

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Project Management Artifacts

The project management method (i.e., Predictive, Agile, Hybrid) to use for a given project should be tailored to best support the delivery approach, deliverables, and organizational environment of that specific project. As part of the tailoring process for project management, the required and recommended project artifacts should be identified. What artifacts to use for the project should be determined by the Project Manager and Project team as part of the project planning process work.

What are project artifacts in project management?

In project management, a project artifact is a document designed to keep the project work aligned to project requirements and business goals. The PMBOK® Guide – 8th edition defines a project artifact as: ““A document or other item created during a portfolio, program, or project to help manage it and provide information to the project team, stakeholders, and management”.  Attributes of project artifacts include:

Concept	Description
Essential Management Assets	Created to support project management activities and share information with teams, stakeholders, and leadership.
Sample Inputs and Outputs	Function as example inputs to, or outputs from, project management activities performed across the performance domains.
Mindfully Tailored	Selected and adapted based on the project’s context, objectives, environment, and complexity.
Inclusive of Deliverables	Include templates, documents, outputs, and project deliverables, such as management reports and supporting documentation.
Evolutionary and Dynamic	Evolve through progressive elaboration as project needs change.
Categorized by Function	Grouped by purpose, including strategy artifacts, logs and registers, plans, baselines, and hierarchy charts.
Outcome-Oriented	Exist to enable outcomes such as alignment, informed decision-making, and effective project control.

While these attributes help define what project artifacts are, they also highlight an important distinction between artifacts and other project documents.

Why are project management artifacts important?

Project artifacts are a means to increase project management efficiencies. Project artifacts ensure that a project operates within its established budget and allow for a common understanding of its purpose, goals, and details. In practice, the value of project artifacts can be seen in how they support core project management outcomes:

• Enable alignment and shared understanding

Artifacts such as the project charter, schedule, and risk register provide visibility into what the project is delivering, how work will be managed, and what could affect success.

• Support decision-making and control

Artifacts such as logs, baselines, and reports allow project managers to monitor performance, assess impacts, and respond to changes in a structured way. Instead of reacting informally, teams use artifacts to evaluate options and stay aligned with agreed-upon goals.

• Strengthen governance and accountability

Artifacts document decisions, approvals, assumptions, and changes, creating traceability and accountability throughout the project lifecycle. They also preserve knowledge that can be reused on future projects, supporting organizational learning.

• Focus on outcomes, not documentation

In the Eighth Edition, artifacts are valued for the outcomes they enable. A schedule matters because it aligns stakeholders and informs decisions. A risk register matters because it drives proactive risk responses. When tailored and used intentionally, artifacts help teams focus effort where it delivers the most value.

What are project management artifact examples?

According to the PMBOK® Guide – 8th edition, project artifacts are presented as a comprehensive set of documents and items used to support project management activities, rather than being organized into prescriptive categories. While the Eighth Edition no longer groups artifacts under fixed headings, the following examples remain central to effective project management and are widely used across projects and delivery approaches:

• Strategy-related artifacts: Business Case, Project Charter, Roadmap
• Logs and registers: Change Log, Backlog, Issue Log, Risk Register
• Plans: Communications Management Plan, Cost Management Plan, Release Plan, Resource Management Plan
• Hierarchy charts: Product Breakdown Structure, Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS)
• Baselines: Budget, Performance Measurement Baseline, Project Schedule, Scope Baseline
• Visual data and information: Affinity Diagram, Burndown and Burnup Charts, Gantt Chart, Histogram, Information Radiator
• Reports: Quality Report, Risk Report, Status Report
• Agreements and contracts: Fixed-Price Contracts, Cost-Reimbursable Contracts, Time and Materials Contracts
• Other commonly used artifacts: Activity List, Metrics, Project Calendar, Requirements Documentation
  

Organizations are encouraged to define standards for artifact use through governance practices and organizational process assets, while project managers apply judgment and tailoring to determine which artifacts are appropriate based on the project’s context, complexity, and objectives.

When are documents also project artifacts?

Not every document created or used during a project is a project artifact. Remember, an artifact is tied to the management of the project. For example, a communication management plan is an artifact. It contributes to the overall management of the project work. The technical manual created for the widget developed as part of the project is documentation. Still, it is a project deliverable, not a project artifact, because it is not part of the management of the project.

The PMBOK® Guide provides a list of project artifacts for project managers to use in all types of project management. However, it should not be seen as a finite checklist, and different methodologies will have different artifacts. For example, an agile project will have artifacts such as a product backlog. A project using a plan-based or waterfall approach will have artifacts such as a change management plan.

Real-World Example: Project Artifact vs. Project Deliverable

Imagine a project to implement a new customer relationship management (CRM) system for a sales organization.

As part of project management, the project manager creates a project schedule and a risk register. The schedule outlines key milestones, dependencies, and timelines, while the risk register tracks potential issues such as data migration delays or user adoption challenges. These documents guide planning, decision-making, and ongoing control throughout the project. Because they support how the project is managed, they are considered project artifacts.

At the same time, the project team develops the configured CRM system, along with user training materials and system documentation. These items are delivered to the business at the end of the project and represent the actual product of the work. They are project deliverables, not project artifacts, because they exist to meet business needs rather than to manage the project.Some documents can serve both roles. For example, a status report or implementation report may be shared with stakeholders as a formal deliverable while also functioning as a project artifact used to track progress and support decisions. The key distinction is the purpose the item serves: if it exists to manage the project and inform decisions, it functions as an artifact.

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Key Project Management Artifacts by Focus Area

Project artifacts support the management of project work and may include templates, documents, outputs, and project deliverables. Rather than following rigid phases, the PMBOK® Guide – Eighth Edition frames project management activities around Project Management Focus Areas, which align with the project life cycle and performance domains. Enterprise Project Management Offices (EPMOs) or centralized project management functions often provide standardized templates and guidance for commonly used artifacts. While these standards promote consistency, the content of each artifact is tailored to the project’s specific context, objectives, and complexity.

The following examples illustrate artifacts commonly used in a predictive project, organized by focus area:

Focus Area	Commonly Used Artifacts
Originating / Initiating	Project ProposalBusiness documents (such as the Business Case, when applicable)
Initiating	Project Charter Team Roles Description
Planning	Communications Management PlansHigh-Level RequirementsProject ScheduleStakeholder AnalysisWork Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Executing, Monitoring, and Controlling	Action Items Tracking WorkbookDecision LogIssue LogProject Change Request FormProject Change Request LogProject Status ReportStatus Meeting Agenda
Closing	Closing or Transition PlanFinal Project Report or Documentation Archive

Organizations may use different terminology for focus areas or life cycle stages. However, the types of artifacts used to support governance, alignment, performance control, and knowledge transfer are generally consistent regardless of naming conventions. The PMBOK® Guide – Eighth Edition also emphasizes that artifact lists are not exhaustive or mandatory. Some artifacts may be required by organizational policy or governance standards, while others are selected based on the project’s needs.

Final Thoughts on Project Management Artifacts

Project management artifacts are not about creating paperwork for its own sake. They exist to help people stay aligned, make better decisions, and keep projects moving in the right direction when things change. In the PMBOK® Guide – Eighth Edition, artifacts are treated as flexible tools that support outcomes, not rigid requirements to be followed blindly.

When artifacts are selected thoughtfully and used with purpose, they reduce confusion, support accountability, and free the team to focus on delivering results. Used this way, project management artifacts become one of the most practical tools a project manager has for turning plans into successful outcomes.

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