Managing Multiple Projects is Called Program Management

Some recent posting speak about the difficulties of managing multiple projects at the same time. And how this is not a very good idea. How confusion results and how it turns into a bigger problem.

This of course is not a real issue in the sense of a problem without a solution. Managing multiple projects is called Program Management.

 

The table above is from the PMI Portfolio Management Guide.

While these differences are not exactly what some of the posters are speaking about, it's a good starting point for the issue of "managing multiple projects."

• If the project management is not fulltime at her job, what percent of time "should" be dedicated? This should not be more than any other multiplexing job. At some point the context switch time overwhelms the productive work.
• Why, in the 1^st place, are there multiple projects assigned to the project manager? Are the project is such low importance that multiplexing is seen as useful?
• Finally, why are there multiple, independent projects and not enough project managers to go around?