Question 47 - PSPO-I discussion

One of the possible indicators that a Product Owner needs to work more with the Scrum Team is when the Increment presented at the Sprint Review does not reflect what she thought she had asked for. This means that there is a gap or a misunderstanding between the Product Owner and the Developers regarding the Product Backlog items, the acceptance criteria, the Definition of Done, or the product vision and goals.

The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. The Product Owner is responsible for managing and refining the Product Backlog, collaborating with the stakeholders and the Developers, and ordering the items in a way that best achieves goals and missions. The Product Owner represents the interests of everyone with a stake in the product and ensures that the Scrum Team works on the right things at the right time.

The Developers are accountable for creating a "Done" Increment that meets the Definition of Done each Sprint. The Developers are responsible for planning and executing the Sprint Backlog, designing and building the product functionality, testing and improving the product quality, and delivering a potentially releasable Increment. The Developers work closely with the Product Owner to understand and clarify the Product Backlog items, provide feedback and estimates, and suggest improvements and innovations.

The Sprint Review is an event that occurs at the end of each Sprint, where the Scrum Team and the stakeholders inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog if needed. The Sprint Review is an opportunity for the Product Owner to validate that the Increment meets her expectations and delivers value to the customers and users. The Sprint Review is also an opportunity for the Developers to demonstrate their work and receive feedback from the Product Owner and the stakeholders.

If the Increment presented at the Sprint Review does not reflect what the Product Owner thought she had asked for, it may indicate that there was insufficient or ineffective communication, collaboration, or alignment between the Product Owner and the Developers during the Sprint. This may result in wasted effort, rework, delays, or dissatisfaction for both parties. To avoid or resolve this situation, the Product Owner needs to work more with the Scrum Team by doing some of the following actions:

Engage in frequent and regular interactions with the Developers throughout the Sprint to clarify, refine, and review the Product Backlog items and their acceptance criteria.

Provide clear and concise descriptions of what is needed and why it is valuable for each Product Backlog item.

Involve key stakeholders in defining and prioritizing the Product Backlog items and their acceptance criteria.

Empower and trust the Developers to make technical decisions and trade-offs that best meet the product goals and quality standards.

Solicit and incorporate feedback from the Developers on how to improve or simplify the Product Backlog items or their acceptance criteria.

Inspect and adapt based on empirical evidence from testing, data, or customer feedback.

Scrum Guide: https://www.scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html

Sprint Review: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-sprint-review

Product Owner: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-product-owner

Developers: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-developer-in-scrum