During a kickoff call, a project was rejected by the legal department due to the risk of violating new legislation. Which of the following was applied?

In this scenario, the rejection of the project by the legal department due to potential violation of new legislation underscores the importance of compliance with existing laws and regulations. The correct answer focuses on the systematic evaluation of the project's alignment with legal requirements, which is crucial in ensuring that the project can proceed without the risk of non-compliance.

A compliance review ensures that all project initiatives adhere to necessary legal and regulatory standards. This process helps to identify any potential legal hurdles before a project moves forward, ultimately protecting the organization's interests and mitigating risk.

While planning, risk assessment, and stakeholder communication are important elements of project management, they do not specifically address the legal implications and adherence to legislation that are central to this scenario. Risk assessment primarily deals with identifying and analyzing potential risks throughout the project lifecycle, but legal compliance is a specific area that must be addressed early on to avoid future complications. Therefore, understanding and implementing a compliance review is a proactive measure taken to prevent the legal issues demonstrated in the situation described.