Agile IT Governance

Let’s face it—technology isn’t slowing down. We’re surrounded by AI, cloud-native platforms, microservices, and yes, even those stubborn legacy systems that just won’t go away. It’s exciting but also overwhelming. And if you’re like me, you’ve probably asked yourself:

How do we keep things under control without becoming the bottleneck to innovation?

That’s the question I keep coming back to. And after years of working with both public and private organizations, I’ve come to believe that the answer lies in something many overlooks, strategic IT governance that works together with agile delivery.

Why Governance Still Matters (Even in Agile Teams)
Here’s the thing, most organizations aren’t tech companies. But they’re still deeply dependent on tech. In Sweden alone, we have over 360 public agencies juggling standardized systems, custom solutions, and sensitive data that needs to move securely across domains.

And yet, I often see a false dichotomy, “We’re agile, so we don’t need governance.” That’s a myth.

Agile doesn’t mean chaos. And governance doesn’t mean bureaucracy. In fact, the more agile you become, the more you need a solid governance foundation to keep things from spiraling.

So, What Is IT Governance Really?
I like to think of governance not as control, but as creating the right conditions for value to emerge.

At its core, IT governance is about aligning your tech efforts with your business goals. It helps you:

• Prioritize the right things
• Define who’s responsible for what
• Stay compliant
• And most importantly, deliver real value

Especially in regulated sectors like banking or MedTech, governance isn’t optional. It’s the safety net that lets you move fast without falling flat.

My Go-To Framework − Pm³
One model I’ve seen work well, especially in the public sector, is Pm³. It’s a Swedish governance framework that’s surprisingly adaptable, even in agile environments.

Here’s a quick breakdown of its four cornerstones:

1. What to Govern

Pm³ doesn’t organize around departments, it organizes around “objects”. These are logical groupings of systems, data, and services that support a specific business capability. It’s about what you do, not how you’re structured.

2. What to Achieve

This is where goals come in. Not tasks. Not activities. Strategic goals that guide decision-making and keep everyone focused on value—not just shiny tech.

3. Who’s Responsible

Two key roles here: the Business Relationship Manager (BRM) and the IT Relationship Manager (ITRM). These folks are the glue between business and IT. Sometimes they overlap with agile roles like Product Owners, sometimes they don’t. But either way, nothing moves forward without governance awareness.

4. How to Govern

Pm³ isn’t a delivery method, it’s a governance layer. It plays nicely with Agile, DevOps, ITIL, COBIT, you name it. It gives you structure, while your agile teams handle execution.

My 9 Principles for Agile Governance
Over the years, I’ve found that governance thrives in agile settings when you strike the right balance between structure and flexibility. Here’s how I break it down:

Strategic Alignment

• Clear vision and direction
• Measurable goals and KPIs

Team Empowerment

• Cross-functional teams
• Trust and communication
• Iterative follow-ups
• Coaching and support

Operational Flexibility

• Flexible budgets
• Agile-anchored culture
• Fit-for-purpose digital tools

Agile teams are great at shipping features. But who’s thinking about long-term platform needs? Legacy integration? System offboarding? That’s governance. And that’s where the BRM role becomes critical.

Final Thoughts: Start With Your Needs
If you’re thinking about implementing IT governance, my advice is simple: start with your actual needs.What do you want to achieve?Do you need better KPIs?Do you need to align different frameworks?

Start with the Pm³ model and adapt it to your culture. But whatever you do—make sure someone owns the model. I’ve seen too many initiatives fail because no one was responsible for maintaining and evolving the governance framework.

I’d love to hear how your organization is approaching governance in agile settings. Are you using Pm³ or something else? What’s working (or not working) for you?

Let’s keep the conversation going and feel free to reach out to me.