The Scrum Master of the building-permits portal reorders Product Backlog items to “balance department fairness.” What should the Product Owner do?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Fairness-by-shuffle is not a product strategy, and it is not the Scrum Master’s backlog. The Product Owner owns order; the Scrum Master helps the team and organization use Scrum. Put the permit items back in value order and keep facilitation in its lane.
Full Explanation
Only the Product Owner is accountable for Product Backlog content and order, including on a multi-department permits product. The Scrum Master may coach and facilitate, but reordering for political fairness usurps that accountability. Department-split backlogs and fiscal freezes similarly replace value ordering with governance theater. The Product Owner should restore a single ordered Product Backlog and keep the Scrum Master in a facilitation stance.