A project manager has just completed the planning of a project, but cannot start the project execution until granted permission from the project sponsor. This is an example of which of the following…

Stakeholder analysis is the process of identifying project stakeholders and analyzing their influence and interest, not a decision point to start a new phase.

Risk assessment identifies and evaluates potential project risks, which is an input to project planning, not a formal approval process to transition phases.

An audit review is a formal examination of project activities or documents to determine if they comply with policies, processes, and standards, typically conducted during or after phases, but not primarily as the Go/No-Go decision for phase transition.

A phase gate, also known as a stage gate or kill point, is a review at the end of a phase in which a decision is made to continue to the next phase, defer, or terminate the project. Requiring sponsor permission to proceed from planning to execution is a classic example of a phase gate review to ensure all criteria for advancing are met.