Who is accountable for ensuring that the project is delivering value?

The Product Owner is accountable for ensuring that the project is delivering value. This role is specifically designed to maximize the value of the product resulting from the work of the Development Team. The Product Owner represents the stakeholders and serves as the key point of contact for understanding their needs and priorities.

By managing the product backlog and prioritizing the items based on value and stakeholder feedback, the Product Owner ensures that the team is focused on delivering features that will provide the most benefit to the users and the organization. This role is pivotal in defining what “value” means for the project and making decisions that align the output of the team with business goals and customer satisfaction.

In the Scrum framework, the responsibilities of the Scrum Master and Development Team complement those of the Product Owner, but they do not carry the same accountability for value delivery. Stakeholders may provide input and feedback, but they do not have the same role in ensuring that value is continuously delivered throughout the project lifecycle.