Introducing agile practices in a subproject only? [closed]

Question

Imagine you work as a contractor in a large project involving multiple systems, and you are creating one of them. The whole project uses a traditional process, but there are smells that tell you that an agile process would be much better.

Now the question. Does it make sense to introduce an agile software development process in your own group only? There is no chance to change the whole project, but you might perhaps change the process in your own group.

What would be the major benefits and pitfalls of such a local process change? Are there specific agile processes that would work good in such a case?

Answer 1

Here's a great diary of how a guy changed his whole company towards Agile over a period of a couple of years - yes, starting with his own subproject, i.e. "bottom-up". But he does go into the pros and cons of trying a "top-down" change.

http://jamesshore.com/Change-Diary/

Very entertaining and intruiging stuff.