Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, detecting a triggering event based on a monitoring of utilization of a target cell within a cellular network system. A configuration policy including a handover configuration parameter set is determined, responsive to the triggering event. A target cell of a plurality of neighboring cells of the source cell is identified and a handover procedure of a user equipment from the source cell to the target cell is configured based on the handover configuration parameter set. The source cell provides the handover configuration parameter set to the user equipment connected to the source cell. The user equipment, while connected to the source cell, performs handover measurements from the source cell to the target cell based on the handover configuration parameter set, and a handover of the user equipment from the source cell to the target cell is based on the handover measurements. Other embodiments are disclosed.