Final answer:
The official authorization for a project is provided by the Project Charter, which gives the project manager the authority to use organizational resources. The project charter precedes other detailed project documentation such as the project plan, project schedule, and project budget.
Step-by-step explanation:
The document that serves as the official authorization for a project is the Project Charter. The project charter is a vital document in project management as it formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.
It contains high-level information about the project's purpose, objectives, constraints, assumptions, and key stakeholders, essentially laying the groundwork for the project plan, project schedule, and project budget.
The other options, such as the project plan, project schedule, and project budget, are detailed components of a project's documentation.
Specifically, the project plan outlines how the project will be executed, monitored, and controlled; the project schedule details the timing of project activities; and the budget outlines the budget for product development. However, these documents follow the project charter in the engineering design process.
The Project Charter outlines the purpose, objectives, scope, stakeholders, and overall direction of the project. It serves as a formal document that authorizes the initiation of the project and provides guidance throughout its execution.
For example, in a construction project, the Project Charter would include details such as the project goals, stakeholders, project manager, project team, key milestones, and budgetary constraints.