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The effects of COVID-19 have left many program and portfolio management (PPM) leaders juggling a backlog of postponed investments and a slew of new requests — all within finite budgets. To evolve the strategy, PPM leaders must challenge current portfolio prioritization. A zero-based approach provides the most transparent and defensible approach to reprioritize project portfolios in today’s disrupted environment, especially as organizations shift or accelerate strategies, such as digital transformation. Download eBook: Top Priorities for PPM Leaders in 2021 Recent research by Gartner Director Analyst Mbula Schoen and Managing Vice President Lee Weldon explains the challenges and opportunities of zero-based prioritization. This article recaps the key points, edited for clarity and length. Why zero-base portfolio prioritization? Zero-based prioritization puts all initiatives — projects, programs, products or services — on hold and brings spending conceptually down to zero. This creates a fundamental change in mindset. Executives no longer need to justify why they’re stopping an activity. Instead, with the portfolio now empty, they must justify why an activity should be allowed back into the portfolio. Zero-based prioritization requires a heavy commitment of management time and attention, so use it as a one-off opportunity to reset your portfolio. Continue to use more