May 18, 2025 5:28 AM
Replying to Thomas Walenta
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Local laws and regulations are part of the external environmental factors influencing a project, and project managers must become knowledgeable about them. These laws are more relevant to those of wider jurisdictions like the EU or the UN, which also may apply to your project. Stakeholders representing laws are law enforcement in the short term and courts in the long term.
Any law is subject to interpretation, especially constitutions that include abstract concepts to make them suitable for many situations and stable for years and decades. In doubt, PMs should get an assessment from lawyers.
Did you know that possession of drugs, even Marihuana, can result in the death penalty in Singapore and other countries? You don't want your team to be decimated.
Other external environmental factors include standards to be followed, contractual terms and conditions, workplace, and financial procedures. Other factors like the weather, infrastructure, political situation, and influential groups must also be considered.
Those are partly contradictory. Any PM must balance requirements and try to establish a stable environment for the project and the team. Breaking the law could be considered a project risk.
To answer the question directly:
It is not up to the PM to interpret a constitution regarding the relevance for the project.
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