Inform the Product Owner so he/she can work with the vice president as they evaluate the request's urgency, determine if it warrants Sprint cancellation, decide on appropriate prioritization, and protect the team's focus while addressing business needs, and thus maintain the proper Scrum process and chain of communication.
Continuous Collaboration Between Developers and Product Owners
In Agile development, learning and adaptation are constant. When new information emerges:
- Mandatory Negotiation Process
- Developers must proactively communicate proposed changes.
- Product Owners maintain final decision authority.
- Both parties collaborate to assess the impact on: business value, timeline, and resource allocation.
- Developer Responsibilities
The development team should:
- Surface concerns as soon as they're identified.
- Provide data-driven rationale for changes.
- Suggest alternative solutions.
- Estimate impact on current Sprint commitments.
- Product Owner Engagement
Effective POs will:
- Remain available for timely discussions.
- Consider technical feedback seriously.
- Make informed decisions balancing customer needs, business objectives, and technical feasibility.
Key Principle: Changes aren't made unilaterally — they're negotiated through transparent dialogue while respecting each role's expertise and responsibilities.