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What Tool Do Agile Teams Use to Manage and Prioritize Changing Requirements Each Sprint?
Learn how Agile controls scope without fixing it upfront by using a product backlog to prioritize evolving requirements, guide sprint planning, and keep delivery aligned with the product vision.
Question
During an agile project, the team is preparing for the next sprint. A stakeholder asks how they ensure that the project scope is controlled and aligned with the product vision. As the project manager, how would you explain the tool or approach used to manage scope in agile projects?
A. By using a product backlog to prioritize and manage evolving requirements
B. By finalizing a fixed scope at the beginning of the project
C. By implementing a strict change control board for all scope changes
Answer
A. By using a product backlog to prioritize and manage evolving requirements
Explanation
In Agile, scope is managed through the product backlog, which serves as the single, continuously updated list of desired features, fixes, and improvements, ordered by value and alignment to the product vision. The team controls scope by refining backlog items (clarifying acceptance criteria), selecting a limited set into the sprint backlog during sprint planning, and using reviews/feedback to re-prioritize what comes next—so change is handled by re-ordering and re-planning, not by locking a fixed scope upfront or routing every change through a formal change control board.