Do we need a PMO in Agile?

The typical answer is no, there's no PMO in an Agile organization. In a nutshell, the argument follows this pattern: Projects are temporary endeavors undertaken to perform some sort of change (new product, service, or result). Agile organizations view change as constant, with no defined end. Therefore, there are no "projects" for anyone to manage, so there is no need for a PMO.

Having said that, there are plenty of Agile organizations that keep project managers. I've witnessed plenty of examples. In contrast to the traditional construction or aerospace PMs that we like to show in full control, an agile PM might be an assistant to a product owner or help coordinate organizational change. I like Kiron's answer here, that a PMO can exist so long as it offers value to the organization (and that should be true regardless of whether the organization is agile or not).

PMI has been working hard to adapt as more and more organizations shift to an agile culture. Frankly, there are a lot of things we still get wrong and we have a lot of catching up to do. For example, you're right that a lot of people advocate for moving PMs into scrum master positions, but this is a common mistake. The two positions are not related, and while an individual PM might be able to make the transition, it really is a type of career change away from project management.

I'm happy that project managers are making the effort to adapt to Agile, but I hope that we don't lose sight of the things we already do well because we're chasing after something else.

Do you need a PMO with Lean? Do you need a PMO with Six Sigma? Do you need a PMO with any enterprise strategy approach you decide to take? The same for Agile. Is not a matter of strategy.

Stelian,

What is the role of the PMO?

In most case, you would want a PMO to cover all type of project management methods.

When transitioning from traditional waterfall to Agile, I recommend creation of an Agile Center of Excellence (ACoE). This becomes the command post for governance, training, and Agile maturity within your organization.

Thank you Sergio. Excellent question, I will use in my next webinar about the role of the PMO in the Agile Enterprise (with credits).
If Lean Six Sigma, focused on eliminating waste, didn't recommend the removal of the PMO, if the computerisation didn't eliminate the need for a PMO, why Agile won't need a PMO.
I worked in (small) software companies, implemented XP and Scrum and delivered without any formal project management framework. But..
When the company grew we had to define a strategy, we had to plan, we had to introduce governance.
In mid 80's, when I probably worked in the most Agile environment, we had to obtain funding for our research. There was no PMO, but a body that made sure that whatever we do with the money has a justification. Unlike in a commercial environment, sometimes all we proved was that an idea it's not feasible, although it looked good and smart.
I don't see the need of governance disappearing in Agile, nor the need for support. I've seen many new names for the PMO but it seems that everybody agrees that there is a need for something beyond the Scrum or Project Team.