Which two processes should be used to influence costs in the early stages of a project?

Estimate Costs produces the cost estimates for individual activities, while Determine Budget aggregates those estimates into an authorized cost baseline. Both processes occur during the Planning process group and are the primary mechanisms through which cost decisions are made and locked in early - before execution begins, when the ability to influence costs is highest.

Plan Cost Management defines how costs will be managed but does not itself produce cost estimates; Estimate Activity Durations is a schedule process, not a cost process.

Control Quality and Control Costs are Monitoring and Controlling processes that react to variances after execution begins - they do not influence early cost decisions.

Plan Stakeholder Engagement and Plan Communications Management are in the stakeholder and communications knowledge areas and have no direct role in setting or influencing project costs.