Managing Project Compliance — PMP Study Guide

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Included in this chapter:

Run compliance as a loop you operate
Confirm which requirements apply, and with whom
Classify obligations and set their priority
Address the gap: threats, consequences, and action
Measure conformance and demonstrate it
Exam-pattern recognition

Classifying compliance obligations by how binding they are

Attribute	Mandatory (statutory / regulatory)	Internal policy	Discretionary standard
Source	Law, regulation, or binding external standard	The organization's own governance and process rules	Industry best practice the project opts into
Is it negotiable?	No, non-negotiable	Adjustable through the organization's own change process	Yes, adopted by choice
Priority when they compete	Highest, satisfied first	Middle, after the mandatory ones	Lowest, yields to the others
Consequence of a breach	Fines, legal action, license loss, safety or reputational harm	Internal audit findings, policy sanction	Missed best practice, no legal penalty
Example	Data-protection law, workplace safety regulation	A mandatory internal information-security policy	A voluntary quality or maturity framework

Decision tree

Cheat sheet

Cheat sheet

Confirm compliance requirements through the experts closest to the work
Compliance requirements span security, safety, sustainability, and regulation
An incoming project manager reviews the existing compliance strategy first
Classifying compliance items by category focuses management effort
Mandatory obligations outrank discretionary standards
Potential threats to compliance are identified proactively
Analyzing the consequences of noncompliance drives prioritization
Audits, inspections, and checklists are methods that support compliance
Determine the necessary approach and actions to address compliance needs
Compliance is measured against defined metrics and reported
Documented evidence demonstrates compliance to auditors
Sustainability and ESG obligations are managed as compliance requirements
In a heavily regulated context a risk or compliance body provides oversight

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References