Translating the problem statement into a series of sequential steps describing what the program must do is known as

Software development begins with a problem statement, but that statement must first be broken down into a precise sequence of logical steps before any programming language is used.

The activity of translating a problem statement into an ordered series of steps describing exactly what the program must do is known as creating the algorithm. An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem, often expressed in plain language, pseudocode, or a flowchart, and it forms the logical blueprint that guides everything that comes afterward.

The other options describe later or unrelated stages. Coding is the subsequent step where the algorithm is translated into actual instructions in a specific programming language. Debugging happens after code has been written, when errors in that code are located and fixed. Writing documentation involves recording how the finished system works for future reference, which happens throughout or after development, not at the initial planning stage.

When a question describes converting a problem into "sequential steps" before any code is written, that description points to algorithm creation, since coding only begins once the algorithm already exists.