Concurrent projects : how many can you handle?

Abstract

The number of projects a person can handle simultaneously is a relevant factor in strategic planning and in project portfolio management. Internationally the de facto standard seems to be that a person should not work on more than two or three projects simultaneously; but several factors could influence this figure. Empirical evidence indicates that, in some South African sectors, people tend to work on many more than two or three projects simultaneously. In this paper, factors that influence the number of projects a person can work on are identified so that they can be investigated in further studies. Some ideas about using key resources optimally are also presented.Die aantal projekte wat ’n persoon gelyktydig kan hanteer is relevant in strategiese beplanning en in projek portefeuljebestuur. Internasionaal is die de facto standaard blykbaar dat mens nie gelyktydig op meer as twee of drie projekte behoort te werk nie; maar daar is verskeie faktore wat hierdie syfer kan beïnvloed. Empiriese data vanuit sommige Suid-Afrikaanse sektore toon dat mense tipies gelyktydig op veel meer as twee of drie projekte werk. In hierdie artikel is faktore wat die aantal projekte waarop ’n persoon gelyktydig kan werk geïdentifiseer, sodat dit in verdere studies ondersoek kan word. Idees vir die optimale aanwending van sleutelhulpbronne word ook voorgestel.