According to the PMBOK® Guide, the process of Perform Integrated Change Control is the central point where all change requests are reviewed, approved, or rejected.

Process Definition: This process is conducted from the project ' s inception through to completion. It is the only process responsible for managing changes to deliverables, project documents, and the project management plan.

The Output: When a change request is submitted (typically as an output from various Monitoring and Controlling processes), it is processed here. The Change Request Status Updates are the formal output indicating whether the request was:

Approved: The change is authorized and will be implemented.

Deferred: The change is postponed for a later phase or version.

Rejected: The change is denied.

Communication: These status updates are then communicated to the stakeholders and used to update the Change Log, which tracks the progress and final disposition of all changes throughout the project life cycle.

Comparison with Other Options:

Direct and Manage Project Execution (B): This process (now called Direct and Manage Project Work) is where approved changes are actually implemented. It provides " Change Requests " as an output when the team identifies a need for a change, but it does not update the " status " of the request itself.

Close Project or Phase (C): This process involves finalizing all activities across all Process Groups to formally complete the project or phase. While it ensures all changes are closed out, it is not the process that generates status updates for active requests.

Monitor and Control Project Work (D): This process is focused on tracking, reviewing, and reporting the overall progress to meet the performance objectives defined in the project management plan. It generates " Change Requests " as an output when variances are detected, but the decision and status update happen in Integrated Change Control.