A project manager joins an agile project with an aggressive timeline and a fixed budget. Most items remain in the backlog and only a few are in progress or complete. What should the project manager do?

In an agile project with an aggressive timeline and fixed budget, the project manager's primary focus should be on delivering the most value within those constraints. Prioritizing backlog activities ensures that the team works on the highest-value items first, aligning with the project's goals and stakeholder expectations. Working on backlog activities with fewer story points might seem efficient but doesn't guarantee the highest value delivery. Some high-value items might have more story points. Asking for more resources is often not feasible with a fixed budget and doesn't address the core issue of an unmanaged backlog. Assigning owners and tracking progress is a good practice but comes after prioritization; without clear priorities, the team might still be working on less critical items.