What defines a change that requires management approval before it can affect software projects?

A change that requires management approval before it can affect software projects is often defined as technical change. In project management, particularly in software development, technical changes can have wide-ranging implications for the project’s scope, costs, resources, and timelines. These changes may involve alterations to the project's framework, tools, or methodologies, and can impact the complexity of the project as well as the quality of the delivered software. As such, it is essential for management to assess and approve these changes, ensuring that they align with the project’s overall goals and resource constraints. This scrutiny helps maintain project control and prevents unintended consequences that could arise from unapproved technical modifications.

The other options, while relevant in different contexts, do not universally necessitate management approval in the same way technical changes do. Architectural changes may also require scrutiny but tend to focus more on structural design rather than technical specifications. In addition, the product owner plays a key role in decision-making but may not encompass all changes that require management oversight. Release management involves the deployment of the software but is more related to the timing and process of delivery rather than the approval of changes.