In the Pulse of the Profession 2024 report, PMI clearly shows that organizations are no longer moving toward a single, universal project management methodology. Instead, they increasingly combine different approaches, adapting delivery methods to the type of project, level of uncertainty, and expected business value. In this context, Hybrid Portfolio Management is gaining importance - an approach that enables managing a portfolio of projects where predictive, agile, and hybrid initiatives coexist.

PMI does not suggest that one methodology should replace all others. The conclusions are more nuanced: organizations achieve the best results when they can select the right approach for each project and then manage the entire portfolio within a unified governance framework. This means that the real challenge is no longer hybrid project delivery itself, but creating an environment where all projects are visible in terms of goals, priorities, risks, milestones, and strategic impact.

Hybrid is no longer the exception

PMI highlights the growing role of hybrid approaches

The PMI report indicates that the use of hybrid approaches increased by 57% over three years - from 20% in 2020 to 31.5% in 2023. At the same time, predictive approaches declined from 58% to 43.9%, while agile increased slightly from 23% to 24.6%. This clearly shows that organizations are moving away from a “one-size-fits-all” model.

This shift is especially visible in organizations delivering digital products, running business transformations, or managing a mix of IT, operational, and investment initiatives. In such environments, enforcing a single delivery model is often unrealistic. Some projects require predictability and strict control, while others need flexibility and rapid adaptation. Hybrid Portfolio Management is the response to this reality.

It’s not about methodology - it’s about fit

One of the most important insights from PMI is that teams achieve comparable performance regardless of whether they use predictive, hybrid, or agile approaches. The average project performance reported was 73.8%, with no significant differences between methods.

This reinforces a critical point: methodology alone is not a competitive advantage. What matters is the ability to align the delivery approach with the nature of the project and its business context. This is where Hybrid Portfolio Management becomes essential - from a maturity perspective, organizations must move beyond debating methodologies and focus on managing diversity at the portfolio level.

What PMI tells us about the future of portfolio management?

Organizations will increasingly operate in mixed environments

PMI also outlines future trends. 73% of respondents expect increased use of hybrid approaches over the next five years, while 76% anticipate greater use of agile methods. At the same time, 34% expect a decline in predictive approaches.

This does not mean traditional planning will disappear. Instead, organizations aim to become more flexible while maintaining control over execution and outcomes. From a portfolio perspective, this leads to increased complexity: agile product initiatives, long-term investment projects, and transformation programs must all coexist.

Without a unified portfolio layer, organizations quickly lose visibility - making it difficult to prioritize initiatives, manage resources, track risks, and report progress effectively.

Industry differences reinforce the need for portfolio thinking

The report also highlights significant variation across industries. Predictive approaches still dominate in construction, while hybrid and agile approaches are more common in IT, financial services, and healthcare.

This reinforces a key idea: maturity today does not mean standardizing everything. It means being able to manage different types of projects in a structured and consistent way. Hybrid Portfolio Management enables exactly that.

Hybrid Portfolio Management in practice

Agile delivery can stay in Jira - but the business needs a portfolio view

In many organizations, Agile projects are managed in tools like Jira. These tools are excellent for sprint planning, backlog management, and team-level execution.

However, they do not provide a complete business perspective. A backlog does not show strategic alignment, milestones, budget control, or portfolio-level risks. This is where Hybrid Portfolio Management comes into play - not as a replacement for Agile tools, but as an additional layer that connects delivery with business oversight.

Organizations need a central place where all projects - regardless of delivery method - are visible within one management framework.

FlexiProject connects Agile delivery with portfolio governance

FlexiProject supports this model by integrating with Jira. Agile projects can continue to be executed in Jira, while their progress is reflected at the portfolio level.

The system allows importing epics, stories, and tasks from Jira, preserving their structure, ownership, and status. This means development teams can work in their preferred environment, while PMOs and executives gain full visibility into the portfolio.

This is a key aspect of Hybrid Portfolio Management - not replacing tools, but connecting them.

Giving Agile projects business context with FlexiProject

Project charters bring clarity and alignment

One of the common challenges with Agile initiatives is that they are well-managed operationally but less structured from a business perspective.

FlexiProject addresses this by enabling the creation of documents such as project charters, where business goals, scope, responsibilities, and key assumptions are clearly defined. This ensures that even Agile initiatives are aligned with organizational strategy and governance expectations.

Baselines and milestones enable control without limiting agility

Agile does not mean a lack of control. FlexiProject allows defining a baseline plan covering schedule, budget, and project scope, and then tracking deviations over time.

It also supports defining milestones, which provide key checkpoints to evaluate whether a project is progressing in line with business expectations. This is especially important when Agile projects need to be reported at executive or portfolio level.

Risk management strengthens portfolio-level decision making

In hybrid environments, risks often extend beyond individual teams and impact the broader portfolio - affecting dependencies, timelines, and resources.

FlexiProject enables structured risk management, including identification, ownership, impact assessment, and mitigation planning. At the portfolio level, this creates a shared view of risks, enabling better decision-making and governance.

Why Hybrid Portfolio Management will continue to grow

PMI clearly shows that organizations are entering an era of increased flexibility. Hybrid approaches are growing, but so is the need for structure, visibility, and strategic alignment.

This is why Hybrid Portfolio Management is becoming a key direction in project management maturity. It is no longer about choosing one methodology - it is about managing diversity in a controlled and transparent way.

FlexiProject supports this shift by allowing Agile delivery to remain in tools like Jira, while providing a unified PPM layer where business goals, project charters, baselines, milestones, risks, and portfolio status are all visible in one place.

Organizations no longer have to choose between flexibility and control. With the right approach to Hybrid Portfolio Management, they can achieve both.