PMP · Question #1266
In a product development project, the project manager is constantly receiving complaints from stakeholders about functionalities being delivered, but not required by the business departments. The…
The correct answer is C. Encourage the product owner to meet with the stakeholders and create a product backlog based. To prevent delivering non-value-adding functionalities in a product development project, the project manager should ensure the product owner actively engages with stakeholders to build and prioritize a value-driven product backlog.
Question
In a product development project, the project manager is constantly receiving complaints from stakeholders about functionalities being delivered, but not required by the business departments. The project sponsor wants to know if the project resources are being used effectively. What should the project manager have done to avoid delivering work that is not adding value to the business?
Options
- AAsk the stakeholders to document their complaints in change requests.
- BDefine a product scope and ask the stakeholders to not deviate from it.
- CEncourage the product owner to meet with the stakeholders and create a product backlog based
- DDocument the stakeholders' needs, review them during the retrospective, and create
How the community answered
(52 responses)- A6% (3)
- B13% (7)
- C77% (40)
- D4% (2)
Why each option
To prevent delivering non-value-adding functionalities in a product development project, the project manager should ensure the product owner actively engages with stakeholders to build and prioritize a value-driven product backlog.
Asking stakeholders to document complaints in change requests is a reactive measure for managing deviations from an existing plan, not a proactive strategy to prevent delivering unwanted functionalities in the first place.
Defining a rigid product scope and asking stakeholders not to deviate may lead to delivering features that become irrelevant as business needs evolve, rather than ensuring continuous delivery of value.
In product development, particularly in agile contexts, the Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and managing the product backlog. By encouraging the Product Owner to continuously meet with stakeholders, true business needs can be captured, prioritized, and converted into a backlog, ensuring only value-adding functionalities are delivered.
While documenting needs and reviewing during retrospectives are useful, the core issue is the ongoing prioritization and refinement of those needs into a backlog focused on business value, which is the Product Owner's primary responsibility.
Concept tested: Product Owner role and backlog management for value delivery
Source: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-product-owner
Topics
Community Discussion
5
Zlatan X.Jul 2, 2026C is correct because value realization happens when the product owner owns the backlog and continuously aligns deliverables with business needs through stakeholder engagement. That ongoing governance loop prevents the team from burning resources on functionalities nobody asked for.
Bao N.Jun 8, 2026Leaned toward B first but the product owner + backlog combo is the agile giveaway.
Samuel O.Jun 9, 2026Spot on, and in practice the backlog is where the real fighting happens anyway, so if you see product owner without backlog mentioned you should still lean that direction.
Samuel O.Jun 15, 2026C is it. Saw this on my exam last month, the backlog clue gave it away.
Bao N.Jun 17, 2026C is right but the backlog clue alone is risky, the sizing estimate in the stem is what actually narrows it down since people confuse backlog items with committed sprint work.