Does the "Project Manager" Still Exist in Agile Software Development Projects?

The project manager has been a ubiquitous feature of traditional software development projects. However, agile software development (ASD) methods which emphasize selforganizing teams and rapid response to change have done away with the project manager’s title. New job titles such as the scrum master and product owner have been introduced instead. It is unclear as to what extent the “project manager” is still encountered in the agile software industry. An online survey was posted out to agile special interest groups on popular social media platforms to discover the frequency of the job title “project manager” in agile projects. Analysis of the 97 responses from 31 countries around the world revealed that: a) the title of project manager is still widely used (67%); b) there is a correlation between the team size and presence of project manager such that there is a higher probability the project manager will be present in teams of 5-10 members and those over 25 members; and c) there is an inverse correlation between the co-location of a team and presence of project manager. Further research is needed to better understand why the project manager continues to be present on ASD projects and how their role may have changed. Keywords—agile project management; project manager; agile software development; software project management