The correct answer is A — Communicate the importance of the business need to the team and refine the product backlog.
One of Agile’s core strengths is responding to change. The product owner owns the product backlog and should adjust it when external factors shift priorities. Transparent communication about the business need ensures that the development team understands the context and can support the new direction.
PMI Agile Practice Guide states:
“The product owner is responsible for maintaining and adjusting the product backlog to reflect new information and changes in business needs. Agile welcomes changing requirements, even late in development, to provide competitive advantage.”
(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 2.2 — Agile Manifesto Principles)
Mike Griffiths supports this:
“When market or customer needs change, the product owner refines the backlog and communicates the business context to the team so priorities are adjusted accordingly.”
(PMI-ACP Exam Prep, Chapter 5 — Adaptive Planning)
Other options:
B and C shift product owner responsibilities elsewhere.
D involves the team but omits the critical first step — communicating business rationale and refining the backlog accordingly.
Answer: A
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