A project manager is justifying a required change with the associated impact on the project. Which of the following is the NEXT step?

Implementation occurs only after the change has received formal approval - executing without approval violates change control governance.

The standard change control workflow follows the sequence: identification, documentation and justification, impact analysis, approval, and then implementation. Once the project manager has completed the justification and impact assessment, the change must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate authority (change control board or sponsor) before proceeding. Approval ensures accountability and formal authorization of scope, schedule, or cost changes.

Validation occurs after implementation to confirm the change was applied correctly and achieved the desired outcome.

Auditing is a periodic review activity that examines compliance with processes, not a step that immediately follows change justification.