In adaptive projects, who should approve the prioritization of the backlog?

The product owner owns and manages the product backlog, deciding the order in which items are addressed based on business value, stakeholder priorities, and strategic objectives. This authority is a defining characteristic of the product owner role in Scrum and other adaptive frameworks.

The project manager facilitates the adaptive process and removes impediments but does not have authority to approve backlog prioritization.

The business analyst may help refine and write user stories but does not hold final decision-making authority over backlog ordering.

The project sponsor provides strategic direction and funding but delegates backlog prioritization decisions to the product owner.