A representative of the customer has asked the Development Team to add a very important item to an ongoing Sprint. What should they do?

In Scrum, the Product Owner is solely responsible for managing the Product Backlog, which includes defining and prioritizing all work items. The Development Team focuses on delivering the work committed to in the Sprint Backlog. When a stakeholder, such as a customer representative, wants to add a new item, they must go through the Product Owner. This ensures that all requests are properly evaluated for business value and prioritized against other work. The Development Team should not accept work directly from stakeholders, as this bypasses the established process, undermines the Product Owner's authority, and disrupts the Sprint's focus. The correct action is to direct the representative to the Product Owner for discussion.

A. The Scrum Master facilitates the process and removes impediments but does not own the Product Backlog or its priorities.

B. Accepting work directly from a stakeholder, regardless of formality, bypasses the Product Owner's essential role in managing product value.

D. A flat refusal is not the correct procedure; the team should guide the stakeholder to the proper channel, which is the Product Owner.

1. A Guide to the Scrum Body of Knowledge (SBOK® Guide)

3rd Edition.

Section 3.3.1

Page 43: "The Product Owner is the person responsible for maximizing the business value of the project... The Product Owner represents the Voice of the Customer." This establishes the Product Owner as the primary interface for customer requirements.

Section 8.6

Page 185: "During the Sprint

the Product Owner is the primary point of contact for the Scrum Team for any queries or clarifications... Any changes to the requirements must be routed through the Product Owner." This explicitly states that all requirement changes must go through the Product Owner.

2. Sutherland

J.

& Schwaber

K. (2020). The Scrum Guide.

Page 6

"Product Owner": "The Product Owner is also accountable for effective Product Backlog management... For Product Owners to succeed

the entire organization must respect their decisions. These decisions are visible in the content and ordering of the Product Backlog... No one else is allowed to tell the Development Team to work from a different set of requirements." This reinforces the Product Owner's sole authority over the backlog content.