Who's the sponsor of the Agile practice in your organization?

Agile sponsorship doesn't have to come from IT but seems to follow the trend that most PMOs, methodology, and tool uses tend to start in IT. Since Agile is more focused on the team-level, it also makes sense to start out lower in the organization. Companies that already have a product-centric org structure may find an easier time getting started as a Product Mgr can become a Product Owner, etc.

First of all we need to understand that Agile is not software or IT related only, Agile is not a process or method, Agile did not start with the Manifesto. I am working with Agile from the "genesis" and I am leading my seventh intiative to implement Agile. Second, as any other thing you do inside the organization, it is a matter to solve an organization problem which arrives when needs of change arrives. Must be a strategical reason to introduce a new way to do things because all the organization will be impacted. Then, the sponsor must be a person or business group that have been assigned with the responsability to lead the solution that will allow the organization to achive a strategical objective. Believe me, when organizations do not understand that then they fail into each type of initiative they try to implement. Time ago I wrote an article that was published by the PMI and the IIBA as best practices regarding a practical way to do this things. BUt what matters is: do not forget that the whole organization will be impacted for each thing you do (systemic thinking) then must be a strategical reason for each thing you do.

Larry:
It depends; it may be a C-suite executive with IT, business or administrative experience. It could also be an assigned sponsor like the CIO or CTO in the enterprise IT organization.

Thank you. Given your known IT / Computer Science initiatives, is it more likely to be a technology sponsor than an upper management or C level person sponsor. From your experience ?

If you want something like Agile to work enterprise wise, it need near C-Suite. Same goes for risk. If Agile is just IT then close to the head of IT.

Usually the responsability to achieve stategic objectives is giving to C-level management. But this is my personal experience and not a rule. My best adavaice based on my personal experience and my interest about to hear about more and more people to be successful with Agile (that will be good for me and for others)) is to take into account that must be an strategical reason to start this journey because if not then you will fail. Agile is something that needs of all organization units involved. The person who will be the sponsor must save you for all political issues. In our case, is the CEO.