A network element (20), such as a PDSN or home agent, upon determining (11) a need to effect a call management operation, then determines (12) whether to constrain the facilitation of that call management operation. When determining that the call management operation should be constrained, the network element can facilitate (14) that call management operation while imposing an artificial facilitation constraint. For example, the rate at which the call management operation is executed with respect to a plurality of existing calls can be specified.