Comparison of project portfolio management practices in the public and private sectors in Brazil

Abstract

Purpose Project portfolio management (PPM) is a managerial technique used to seek the strategic goals of organizations improving their performance. The public sector has some characteristics that differ from the private sector, since their management approaches are different. The purpose of this paper is to compare the PPM’s practices and techniques in the public and private sectors. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses the study case methodology through eight case studies that were undertaken in Brazil: four in public and four in private sectors. The field research used semi-structured interviews that were analyzed using the NVivo software. Findings In both sectors, strategic alignment is the goal of PPM, and the same tools are employed. The public sector displays better process documentation and lower risk awareness than the private sector, showing an improvement point for the public sector. The selection and prioritization criteria differ from each sector, showing the difference in the strategic goals of public and private sectors. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this paper are related to the number of organizations studied; however, the case studies represent organizations from different sectors and industries maximizing heterogeneity, but focusing on Brazil. Social implications The prioritization and effective allocation of projects spending in the Brazilian public sector could be improved with the comparison of their current practices with the ones used in private sector, increasing its transparency and cost allocation. Originality/value This study broadens the understanding of PPM in the public sector, which is a gap in the academic literature, comparing its practices with those used in the private sector.