What should the agile project manager do?

Agile roles are clearly defined to avoid overlap and confusion. According to the PMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 3.3 Agile Roles), the Product Owner is responsible for backlog prioritization and stakeholder communication, not managing team tasks. Task management is the domain of the self-organizing team and facilitated by the Scrum Master or Agile Project Manager.

Mike Griffiths in the PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 4: Stakeholder Engagement) reinforces that resolving role confusion through discussion helps realign expectations and improve team performance.

Option C is correct: by clarifying roles and responsibilities, the agile project manager helps prevent overreach and ensures smoother collaboration.

Option A addresses the issue too late and in the wrong forum.

Option B misrepresents agile dynamics (self-organizing teams).

Option D risks team morale and doesn’t address the root cause.