The correct answer is A. The purpose of planning quality is to define the applicable standards and quality requirements for the project and its outcomes. Quality planning establishes what ''acceptable quality'' means before work is performed. It identifies relevant standards, customer requirements, regulatory requirements, acceptance criteria, quality metrics, inspection needs, test approaches, responsibilities, and control methods. This allows the team to build quality into the work rather than discovering quality problems late. Option B describes quality assurance or quality management activities focused on ensuring that work is being performed in accordance with defined quality requirements and standards. Option C describes quality control, where results are checked, nonconformities are identified, and corrective action is taken to improve unsatisfactory performance. Planning quality is therefore the front-end definition phase: it clarifies the quality basis against which project work and outcomes will later be assessed. Without effective quality planning, the project team may deliver outputs that are technically complete but unacceptable to the customer or performing organization.

Reference topics: quality planning, quality standards, quality requirements, acceptance criteria, project outcomes.