What is defined as an authoritative statement of responsibilities for which practitioners are accountable?

The correct choice identifies "Professional Standards" as the authoritative statement of responsibilities for which practitioners are accountable. Professional standards provide the framework within which professionals should practice. They outline the expected behaviors, values, and responsibilities that practitioners are accountable for in their respective fields. These standards serve as benchmarks for evaluating performance and ensuring quality in service delivery.

In contrast, guidelines are recommendations that offer direction but do not have the same authoritative weight as professional standards. Individual standards may refer to personal benchmarks set by a practitioner, while performance metrics are quantitative measures used to assess how well an individual or organization is performing, focused more on the outcome rather than outlining responsibilities.