Which discipline involves applying technical and administrative direction to document functional characteristics of a configuration item?

The discipline that involves applying technical and administrative direction to document functional characteristics of a configuration item is configuration management. This process focuses on maintaining an accurate record of all components in a system, their characteristics, and those changes to configurations throughout the lifecycle of the project.

Configuration management ensures that all aspects of a product or system are properly identified, documented, and controlled, which is essential for maintaining the integrity of the system as it evolves. It provides a systematic approach to managing changes, helping teams understand what is implemented, what exists, and how various components interact, ensuring consistency and traceability.

In contrast, quality assurance primarily revolves around ensuring that the processes and outputs meet defined quality standards. Change management is focused on managing the change process itself, ensuring that all changes are assessed, approved, and documented accordingly. Version control, while related to tracking changes in documents and software, does not encompass the broader technical and administrative direction required to document functional characteristics of configuration items. Thus, configuration management is the most fitting choice for the practice described.