Agile & Scrum Practice Question 2: Mid Sprint Stakeholder Request
Agile & Scrum · Test 1 · question 2 of 10
Mid-sprint, a senior stakeholder walks up to Priya, one of the Developers, and asks her to "just slip in" a small new feature that is not in the Sprint Backlog. According to the Scrum Guide, how should this request be handled?
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Answer:
The Product Owner is accountable for Product Backlog management, including creating and ordering Product Backlog items. The Scrum Guide is direct: "Those wanting to change the Product Backlog can do so by trying to convince the Product Owner." A new feature is new Product Backlog content, so the stakeholder's request goes through the Product Owner, who weighs it against everything else.
- A is wrong: the Sprint Backlog is a plan by and for the Developers, but it is made of Product Backlog items selected in Sprint Planning. Adding a new feature on a stakeholder's word bypasses the Product Owner's ordering, and the Guide says no changes should be made during the Sprint that would endanger the Sprint Goal. - B is wrong: the Scrum Master is not a scope gatekeeper. Their job here would be to help the stakeholder understand how to work with the Product Owner. - C is wrong: invisible side work destroys transparency, one of Scrum's three pillars, and still skips the person accountable for the product's value.
Reference: The 2020 Scrum Guide - Product Owner