Why Proxy Product Owner is Relevant?

We all are aware that the Proxy Product Owner(PPO) is an anti-pattern. 

There is no such role called proxy product owner.

but we notice this role still survive and continue to remain!!

Should we eliminate this role?
Should we deliberately create this role?
Does this role not add any value at all?
Does this role create a Chinese whisper syndrome?

Couple of teams I have observed there is a legitimate demand for this role. After tried several attempts to establish real product owner, but failed in the attempt due to the circumstance. And circumstance is so powerful , we are not able to change, but the system continues to run with PPO as efficient as possible!

Most of the time, we obtain a terrible point to persuade business to provide PO. We are ready with coaching and training for the business communities for on-boarding a new role called PO. But we do not get. In Traditional IT organization BA used to accomplish all this activity. Now Agile way of working, Business is not ready as fast as demanded. so some PPO gets created to do someway to do Agile. We call this role as Powerless PO( PPO)!!

I have a feature team, where we have full stack team members. The feature team supports business for Hongkong, Singapur and Malaysia business. Business from each location does not eager to identify one person as a PO for this job, as requirement is very limited. From IT side one person playing the Proxy PO role and enabling all the business stakeholders to fulfill the regular demands and delivery requirements. It works fine and business is happy with this setup.Powerless PO( PPO)!! works.

One more typical scenario, one product line named as Costarica, where Business has identified one person as a PO, But she is managing many other products and an extremely knowledgeable individual. She does not have so much time, she is spending 10% of her effort for the Feature team named Costarica product. And Feature team has one senior BA who is supporting all the requirement engineering side and communicating with PO for all the expected support required. PO decides but BA who is Powerless PO( PPO) enables all to be on the same page.Powerless PO( PPO) works.

One more typical scenario, I have one Feature team where business is in Germany, most of the users are in Germany. A feature team members are in India. None of the team members knowGerman! One of the Sr. BA we have hired who has domain expertise and knows German. It has become a gift for the team members to interface with business and users. We established that BA as a PPO will interface with the business and PO. Though the PO knows English and is in Germany, PPO enables the team to perform better.Powerless PO( PPO) works.

We were once become very strict and determined that we should eliminate PPO from the system, but once we realize many such typical scenarios; we started asking, does this PPO role not add any value? causing inconvenience to the agile team? Maybe yes, maybe no.

Though we are not some time finding an excuse not to look systemic and figure out the tremendous obstacle we are having by not eliminate PPO. 

PPO does not exist in scrum role, but it can be traceable in the Agile system!!!!