THE Scrum Product Owner ROLE The Scrum Product Owner is a central role within the Scrum Framework. That role unifies product and project management tasks, and it's also firmly integrated with software development and delivery. The product owner's role is far broader than traditional project management, program management, or product management roles. He or she represents the end customers and/or other stakeholders and is responsible for maximizing the value of the product by ensuring that the Scrum Team delivers the right work at the right time. The Scrum Product Owner decides the software requirements provided for a specific software version, and when the software will be released. She represents functional and nonfunctional demands from end-users. That means that the Scrum Product Owner has to work very closely with the Scrum Team and coordinates their activities over the entire
lifecycle of the project. No one else is allowed to impose the Scrum Team to work for a different set of priorities. Essential tasks of a Scrum Product owner are: • To manage and clarify project requirements, • To guide releases and to ensure return on investment (ROI), • To closely work with the Scrum Team and enable it to deliver the correct work on time, • To manage stakeholders and their expectations, • To manage the Scrum Product Backlog. The Scrum Product Owner can delegate certain activities (like physically maintaining the Scrum Product Backlog). However, he or she still owns the accountability of his or her tasks.
Managing the Product Backlog The Scrum Product Owner is the only person allowed to own the contents of the Scrum Product Backlog. That means he or she needs to:
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