Which type of tool assists project managers in identifying project development bottlenecks?

The correct answer focuses on formal planning and control tools, which are essential for project managers to identify bottlenecks in project development. These tools provide frameworks and methodologies that allow for the structured assessment of project progress and resource allocation. By documenting tasks, timelines, and dependencies, formal planning and control tools facilitate the tracking of project milestones and performance metrics.

When a project falls behind schedule or exceeds budget, these tools can help project managers pinpoint where delays are occurring, analyze the reasons, and implement corrective actions. Proper use of such tools leads to enhanced visibility into the project's status and issues that may cause bottlenecks, ensuring that project goals can be met efficiently.

While internal and external integration tools are important for ensuring that different components of a project work together seamlessly, they do not specifically focus on identifying development bottlenecks. Integration tools are more concerned with aligning various systems or processes rather than analyzing project performance in the context of scheduling or resource management. As for external integration tools, they deal primarily with collaborations outside the immediate team or organization, rather than providing direct insights into the internal complexities faced during project execution. Thus, formal planning and control tools stand out as the relevant means for identifying project bottlenecks.