Agile Foundation guidance, aligned with PRINCE2 and PRINCE2 Agile, explains that the closing a project process is primarily used to formally accept the project product, making option C the correct answer. This process ensures that the project has delivered what was agreed, that acceptance criteria have been met, and that the project can be closed in a controlled and orderly manner.

The closing a project process confirms that all products have been completed, approved, and handed over to the appropriate operational or business teams. Formal acceptance of the project product is critical because it provides clarity that delivery is complete and that responsibility for the product has transitioned from the project to ongoing operations or use. Agile Foundation documents emphasize that even in Agile environments, clear closure and acceptance are essential to good governance and benefit realization.

Option A, controlling the link between the project manager and the delivery team, relates to the managing product delivery process, not closing a project. Option B, ensuring the project is viable, is the purpose of the continued business justification principle and is reviewed throughout the project lifecycle, not just at closure. Option D, ensuring focus remains on delivering the stage’s products, aligns with the controlling a stage process, which operates while work is still ongoing.

Agile Foundation materials highlight that closing a project is more than an administrative step. It also includes confirming that benefits management responsibilities are handed over, lessons learned are captured, and stakeholders agree that the project objectives have been met. In Agile and PRINCE2 Agile contexts, this formal closure provides confidence to senior management that investment has delivered its intended outcomes.

By formally accepting the project product, the closing a project process ensures clarity, accountability, and a clean transition from project delivery to operational use, reinforcing disciplined governance while remaining compatible with Agile delivery approaches.