Managing Products with Agility · Topic 2 of 3
Product Backlog Management
Product Backlog management for PSM I: the Product Owner's accountabilities, ordering, refinement, sizing by Developers, one Product Backlog per product.
- 3 min
- The Product Backlog is ordered, emergent and the single source of work.
- The Product Owner develops the Product Goal, creates and orders items, and keeps the backlog transparent.
- The Product Owner can delegate but remains accountable.
What it is
The Product Backlog is an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product. It is the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team. Product Backlog management is the Product Owner's accountability: keeping the backlog clear, ordered and transparent so the team works on what matters most.
How it works
The Product Owner's accountabilities
Effective Product Backlog management includes:
- Developing and explicitly communicating the Product Goal.
- Creating and clearly communicating Product Backlog items.
- Ordering Product Backlog items.
- Ensuring that the Product Backlog is transparent, visible and understood.
The Product Owner may do this work or delegate it to others, but remains accountable.
One product, one Product Backlog
- Each product has one Product Backlog and one Product Owner, however many Scrum Teams work on it.
- Multiple Scrum Teams on the same product share the same Product Goal and Product Backlog.
Refinement
- Product Backlog refinement is the act of breaking down and further defining items into smaller, more precise items. It is an ongoing activity that adds details such as a description, order and size. Attributes often vary with the domain of work.
- The Developers who will be doing the work are responsible for the sizing. The Product Owner may influence them by helping them understand and select trade-offs.
- Items that can be Done within one Sprint are deemed ready for selection in Sprint Planning; they usually reach this state through refinement.
- Refinement is not a formal Scrum event and has no fixed timebox in the Scrum Guide.
What the Scrum Guide does not prescribe
The Scrum Guide does not require user stories, story points, a particular estimation technique or a particular ordering method. Teams may use these, but options claiming Scrum requires them are wrong.
The old term "grooming" is now Product Backlog refinement. Exam options that use 2017 or other non-Scrum Guide terms are usually distractors.
How the exam asks about this
- "Who is accountable for ordering the Product Backlog?" The Product Owner.
- "Who is responsible for sizing Product Backlog items?" The Developers who will do the work.
- "Three Scrum Teams work on one product. How many Product Backlogs?" One.
What to remember for the exam
- The Product Backlog is ordered, emergent and the single source of work.
- The Product Owner develops the Product Goal, creates and orders items, and keeps the backlog transparent.
- The Product Owner can delegate but remains accountable.
- Refinement is ongoing; Developers size items.
- One product has one Product Backlog and one Product Owner.
A Product Owner who lets each stakeholder keep a private priority list breaks transparency. There is one ordered Product Backlog.
Common mistakes
Letting the Scrum Master order the backlog. The Product Owner does.
Requiring story points. The Scrum Guide does not prescribe a technique.
Giving each team its own backlog for one product. Teams share one Product Backlog.
Check yourself
What is the Product Backlog?
An emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product and the single source of work for the Scrum Team.
Can the Product Owner delegate Product Backlog management?
Yes, but the Product Owner remains accountable.
When is a Product Backlog item ready for selection at Sprint Planning?
When it can be Done by the Scrum Team within one Sprint.
Topic 2 of 3 in Managing Products with Agility
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