Let’s take a look at what Product Owners do . .
Continuing my series of looking at the key roles within product delivery teams, having already written about the roles of Business Analysts and Delivery Managers, it would have been remis of me to omit the crucial role of Product Owner!
As part of our partnership with some fantastic teams within central government technology programmes, Entasis Partners have been recruiting some fantastic Product Owners to drive product innovation and delivery.
Here are some of the key skillsets that each of them possesses:
Defining the product vision and strategy
A Product Owner is responsible for defining a compelling product/service strategy and vision.
This involves understanding and representing user needs, interpreting user research, and distinguishing between user needs and wants. The Product Owner collaborates with senior stakeholders, developers, and user researchers to develop a product vision and roadmap.
Aligning with strategic objectives
Ensuring that individual product/service strategies align with the overall strategic objectives of the agency is another critical responsibility.
This means that the Product Owner must be well-versed in the agency's goals and work to integrate these into the product development process.
Prioritising and managing the product backlog
The Product Owner is tasked with creating product and service roadmaps, assigning priorities, and making informed decisions based on product descriptions and iterative delivery plans. This involves balancing competing demands to ensure the delivery team is always working on the highest value activities.
Collaboration and communication
Collaboration is key in this role. The Product Owner brings together views and input from a wide range of contributors and fosters a collaborative approach to solution delivery. Effective communication is also essential, both internally and externally, to ensure that all stakeholders are aligned and informed.
Lifecycle management and continuous improvement
The Product Owner is responsible for the entire product/service lifecycle, from conception to post-launch.
This includes continuous improvement through the analysis of qualitative and quantitative user data. The Product Owner must keep abreast of user habits, preferences, and behaviours, and stay updated with the latest technology trends.
User-centric approach
Acting as the voice of the user, the Product Owner ensures that digital services are designed and delivered with the user in mind.
This involves interpreting user research and data to make informed product decisions and ensuring that user journeys between products and services are optimised.
Promoting digital principles
The Product Owner promotes the team’s digital principles and engages with stakeholder and user communities to advocate for best practices and methodologies.
This includes sharing insights about the digital marketplace, costs, suppliers, and skills with internal and external stakeholders.
Here are some recent standout UK government projects where Product Owners have played significant roles:
GOV.UK:
This is the central hub for UK government services and information.
Product Owners have been instrumental in organising content using supervised machine learning to ensure it is readable by future technologies. This project aims to provide a seamless user experience for citizens accessing various government services.
NHS App:
The NHS App is one of the most widely used apps in the UK.
Product Owners have worked on delivering digital services that allow users to order repeat prescriptions, book appointments, and access their medical records. This project has been crucial in improving healthcare accessibility and efficiency.
Universal Credit:
This project involves the development of digital services to help people apply for Universal Credit. Product Owners have been responsible for ensuring that the application process is user-friendly and efficient, helping millions of people access financial support.
Register to Vote:
Product Owners have also been involved in creating digital services that allow citizens to register to vote online.
This project aims to make the voting process more accessible and convenient for everyone.
Flood Warning System:
The UK government has developed a digital service to provide real-time flood warnings to citizens. Product Owners have played a key role in ensuring that the system is reliable and provides timely information to help people prepare for potential flooding.
By defining the product vision, aligning with strategic objectives, managing the product backlog, fostering collaboration, and ensuring continuous improvement, the Product Owner plays a vital role in delivering user-centric digital services that meet the needs of users, and in the case of our central government partners…the needs of UK citizens!
