What is Agile Project Portfolio Management?

Agility is one the most widely used and misunderstood terms in today's environment. Therefore it is important to define the meaning of agility before launching into a discussion of Agile Project Portfolio Management. Agility can mean many different things depending upon the context of the discussion. Let's examine a few definitions:

In the context of people, agility is the ability to quickly change the body's position in response to stimuli, and requires a combination of balance, coordination, speed, reflexes, and strength.

In business, agility is the ability for an organization to sense and quickly respond to business opportunities in order to stay innovative and competitive in a constantly changing business environment. An agile organization has the capabilities and processes to respond to unexpected business changes, while remaining under control. The word control here is important. Can you be agile without being under control?

Imagine a Tennis player who responds to his opponent's shot by quickly changing direction but then loses control and trips over his own feet, returning the ball into the net. Would you call this an agile player? Like an an agile Tennis player, an Agile organization requires a combination of balance, coordination, speed, reflexes and strength. It must gracefully respond to changes in direction without faultering and throwing itself into chaos.

Next we will briefly discuss the meaning of Project Portfolio Management and then we can begin to explore the exciting new world of Agile Project Portfolio Management.