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Description

Scrum Product Owner: Building the Backlog, Prioritising and Validating Your Skills

Turning conflicting requests into a prioritised backlog the team can deliver sprint after sprint

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

The Product Owner receives requests from every direction and stacks them into a backlog that has become unreadable. User stories are vague, acceptance criteria are missing, and prioritisation is driven by whoever speaks loudest. The team then delivers features that serve no one.

These two days give the Product Owner the tools to hold the role: articulating the product vision, breaking down needs, writing backlog items and arbitrating value. The programme alternates between input sessions and hands-on work on a single running product case, then prepares participants for the certification examination taken at the end of the session.

Learning objectives

  • Position the Product Owner role among the accountabilities of the Scrum framework
  • Articulate a product vision and measurable objectives
  • Write backlog items with clear acceptance criteria
  • Break down a large feature into deliverable increments
  • Prioritise the backlog according to value and risk
  • Prepare for the Product Owner certification examination

What makes this programme different

A single running product case supports the complete construction of a prioritised backlog
Stories written by participants are tested by a group acting as the development team
Examination practice sessions punctuate every half-day

Programme

1The Product Owner role within Scrum

One accountability and one voice

  • Roles, events and artefacts of the Scrum framework
  • The Product Owner's scope of decision-making
  • Relationships with stakeholders and the development team
  • Pitfalls of the committee-run or absent Product Owner

2Product vision and user needs

Knowing for whom and why you deliver

  • Articulating the product vision and objectives
  • Identifying users and their usage patterns
  • Mapping the user journey and spotting pain points
  • Building a coarse-grained product roadmap

3Building and refining the backlog

From a vague need to a ready item

  • Writing backlog items and acceptance criteria
  • Splitting a large feature into increments
  • Relative estimation with the team
  • Continuous refinement and the definition of ready
  • Managing technical debt and technical requests

4Prioritising, arbitrating and measuring

Deciding what will not be done

  • Value, risk and effort criteria
  • Techniques for arbitrating between competing requests
  • Preparing sprint planning and the sprint review
  • Measuring delivered value and adjusting the roadmap
  • Final review in preparation for the examination

Who is it for

Future Product Owners, product managers, business owners, business analysts and representatives of the user departments of a digital product.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.