Which document defines how a project is executed, monitored and controlled, and closed?

According to the PMI (Project Management Institute) standards and the PMBOK® Guide (6th and 7th Editions), the Project Management Plan is the formal document that describes how the project will be executed, monitored and controlled, and closed. It is the primary tool used by the Project Manager to ensure the project goals are met.

Here is the breakdown of why this is the correct document based on PMI frameworks:

Integration Management: The development of this plan is a key process within Project Integration Management. It aggregates all subsidiary management plans (such as Scope, Schedule, Cost, Quality, Resource, Communications, Risk, Procurement, and Stakeholder plans) and the three baselines (Scope, Schedule, and Cost Performance).

Execution and Control: While the Project Charter (Option B) authorizes the project and the project manager, it does not provide the " how-to " details. The Project Management Plan provides the roadmap for the team to follow and the benchmarks against which performance is measured.

Closing: The plan defines the criteria for project closure and the transition of the final product, service, or result to operations.

Baselines: It contains the " Performance Measurement Baseline, " which is the integrated scope-schedule-cost plan against which project execution is compared to measure and manage performance.