What ensures the progress can be measured in relation to the Product Backlog?

The Product Goal is a key component that provides direction and focus for the Scrum Team. It defines what the team is aiming to achieve through their work on the Product Backlog. By establishing a specific and measurable goal, it helps ensure that progress can be quantitatively assessed.

As the team progresses through the iteration of work, they can measure the completion of backlog items against the Product Goal. This ensures that work is not just about completing tasks for the sake of productivity, but rather about moving the product towards a desired outcome that aligns with customer needs and business objectives.

In contrast, while the Sprint Backlog is crucial for managing the current sprint's tasks, it operates at a more granular level and is focused on short-term goals. The Definition of Done represents the criteria that must be met for a product increment to be considered complete, which helps ensure quality but does not directly measure progress towards the overall Product Goal. The Sprint Review is a vital inspection point but serves to assess the work completed within a sprint rather than relate directly to the overarching progress aligned with the Product Backlog. Thus, the Product Goal provides the fundamental measure of progress in relation to the broader scope of the product development effort.