Which of the following best describes the role of the product owner in scrum?

• A. They guard agile practices and remove impediments for the developers
• B. They are responsible for delivering a usable piece of software in regular increments
• C. They are responsible for defining and prioritizing the work that the developers will perform
• D. They manage the project budget and schedule

Answer: (C)

In Scrum, the product owner is responsible for defining and prioritizing the work the developers will perform. This means they own the product backlog, keeping items well defined and ordered to maximize value. They continuously refine the backlog with input from stakeholders, set clear acceptance criteria, and decide what the team should work on next during sprint planning. The focus is on delivering the right things in the right order to achieve the greatest business value, not on how to implement or manage the entire project.

The other roles described don’t fit as cleanly with this concept. Guarding agile practices and removing impediments is the Scrum Master’s area, not the product owner. Delivering a usable piece of software in regular increments is the development team’s responsibility. Managing the project budget and schedule aligns more with traditional project management outside of Scrum.