Which document formally authorizes the project and grants the project manager authority to expend resources?

Which document formally authorizes the project and grants the project manager authority to expend resources?

• A. Project Charter
• B. The Project Charter and the sponsor's signature
• C. Scope Statement
• D. Request for Proposal

Answer: (A)

The key idea is formal authorization and empowerment. The project charter is the document that officially starts the project and gives the project manager the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities. It outlines the project’s purpose, high-level objectives, and key stakeholders, and it includes the authority granted to the project manager to spend resources within approved limits. This sign-off from the sponsor on the charter (often part of the charter itself) is what provides legitimacy and formal authority to proceed. A scope statement describes what will be delivered and the boundaries of the project, but it does not authorize resource expenditure. A request for proposal is a procurement document used to solicit vendors, not to authorize the project’s existence or the PM’s resource authority.

The key idea is formal authorization and empowerment. The project charter is the document that officially starts the project and gives the project manager the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities. It outlines the project’s purpose, high-level objectives, and key stakeholders, and it includes the authority granted to the project manager to spend resources within approved limits. This sign-off from the sponsor on the charter (often part of the charter itself) is what provides legitimacy and formal authority to proceed.

A scope statement describes what will be delivered and the boundaries of the project, but it does not authorize resource expenditure. A request for proposal is a procurement document used to solicit vendors, not to authorize the project’s existence or the PM’s resource authority.