PI & Sprint Planning

Difference between PI and Sprint Planning:

1. Timeframe: PI Planning occurs at the beginning of each Program Increment (typically 8-12 weeks) in Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and involves multiple Agile teams. Sprint Planning, on the other hand, occurs at the beginning of each Sprint (typically 1-4 weeks) in Scrum and involves a single Scrum team.
2. Scope: PI Planning focuses on the broader picture of the Program Increment, aligning multiple teams, defining objectives, and creating a shared plan for the upcoming PI. Sprint Planning focuses on the specific Sprint, where the Development Team selects the backlog items to work on and plans how to achieve the Sprint Goal.
3. Participants: PI Planning involves multiple teams, including Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and team members from different Agile teams. Sprint Planning involves the Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Development Team members of a single Scrum team.
4. Level of detail: PI Planning is more high-level and strategic, focusing on the overall objectives, dependencies, and risks for the Program Increment. Sprint Planning is more detailed and tactical, addressing the specific backlog items, estimating effort, and planning tasks for the Sprint.

Similarities between PI Planning and Sprint Planning:

1. Planning Purpose: Both PI Planning and Sprint Planning are planning events within Agile frameworks (SAFe and Scrum, respectively) to set the direction and goals for a defined period of work.
2. Collaboration: Both events emphasize collaboration and involvement of relevant stakeholders. They provide an opportunity for team members to come together, discuss priorities, align on goals, and plan the work.

When to use PI and Sprint Planning:

1. PI Planning: PI Planning is used in organizations adopting the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), where multiple Agile teams need to align their work, define objectives, and create a shared plan for the upcoming Program Increment. It is suitable for large-scale projects or products that require coordination across multiple teams.
2. Sprint Planning: Sprint Planning is used in Scrum teams for every Sprint. It is suitable for any Agile project or product development where a single team is responsible for delivering a specific set of features within a defined time frame.

Blockers for PI and Sprint Planning:

PI Planning blockers can include:

• Lack of alignment and coordination among multiple teams
• Insufficient time or resources for planning at the program level
• Unclear or changing business objectives or priorities
• Communication gaps between teams and stakeholders

Sprint Planning blockers can include:

• Lack of clarity or incomplete product backlog items
• Inadequate understanding of Sprint Goal or product requirements
• Team members not fully engaged or prepared for the planning meeting
• Poor time management leading to inefficient planning

Sample use case for PI and Sprint Planning:

1. PI Planning: A large e-commerce organization is launching a new online marketplace platform. They have several Agile teams working on different aspects of the platform, including frontend, backend, payment integration, and user experience. PI Planning is conducted to align the teams, define the overall objectives for the next Program Increment, plan for cross-team dependencies, and create a shared roadmap for the next three months.
2. Sprint Planning: In a Scrum team developing a mobile banking application, the team gathers for Sprint Planning at the beginning of a two-week Sprint. The Product Owner presents the prioritized user stories from the product backlog, and the Development Team discusses the implementation details, estimates effort, and plans their tasks for the Sprint. The team ensures that the selected backlog items are feasible to complete within the Sprint and align with the Sprint Goal.

Itinerary for PI Planning

PI (Program Increment) Planning is a collaborative event in the SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) methodology where teams come together to plan and align their work for a Program Increment.

The following is a sample itinerary for a PI Planning session:

Day 1:

Welcome and Introduction:

• Set the context for PI Planning.
• Introduce the purpose and goals of the session.
• Review the agenda and expected outcomes.

Business Context and Vision:

• Present the business context and overall vision.
• Share any changes or updates in the market or industry landscape.

Product Vision and Roadmap:

• Present the product vision and high-level roadmap.
• Explain the strategic themes and objectives for the PI.

Keynote Address:

• Invite a guest speaker or executive to address the teams and provide strategic guidance.
• Emphasize the importance of the upcoming PI and the organization's goals.

Overview of Features and Enablers:

• Present the list of features and enablers that are candidates for the upcoming PI.
• Explain the priority and rationale behind each item.
• Provide any necessary clarifications or answer questions from the teams.

Team Breakout Sessions:

• Divide the teams into breakout sessions based on their respective Agile Release Trains (ARTs).
• Each team discusses and plans their work for the upcoming PI.
• Identify dependencies, risks, and potential impediments.

Drafting Team PI Objectives:

• Each team formulates their Program Increment objectives.
• Ensure the objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
• Encourage alignment with the overall business and product vision.

Day 2:

Dependencies and Risks:

• Conduct a dependencies and risks workshop.
• Identify and address any cross-team dependencies or risks.
• Collaborate on mitigating strategies and contingency plans.

Management Review:

• Invite management and stakeholders to review the team PI objectives and plans.
• Address any concerns, provide guidance, and gain alignment.

Finalize PI Objectives and Plans:

• Refine and finalize the Program Increment objectives and plans based on feedback and discussions.
• Update the team boards, backlogs, and tracking systems accordingly.

Inspect and Adapt:

• Conduct a retrospective session to reflect on the PI Planning event.
• Discuss what went well, areas for improvement, and actionable steps for the next PI Planning.

Closing Remarks:

• Summarize the outcomes of the PI Planning session.
• Thank the teams for their active participation and collaboration.
• Reiterate the importance of working together to achieve the shared goals.

Roles & Responsibilities during PI Planning

During PI (Program Increment) Planning in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), various roles have specific responsibilities to ensure a successful planning event. Here are the key roles and their responsibilities during PI Planning in SAFe:

Release Train Engineer (RTE):

• Facilitates the PI Planning event and ensures all necessary preparations are made.
• Guides the teams and stakeholders through the planning process.
• Ensures that the planning objectives and agenda are met.
• Manages time and helps resolve any issues or conflicts that may arise.

Product Management:

• Presents the vision, roadmap, and program backlog to the teams.
• Defines the business context and priorities for the upcoming PI.
• Collaborates with stakeholders to understand their needs and expectations.
• Works with the Agile teams to clarify requirements and refine the backlog items.

Product Owners (POs):

• Participate in the PI Planning event and represent the teams they support.
• Collaborate with the Product Management to understand and refine the program backlog items.
• Provide clarifications and insights on user stories and acceptance criteria.
• Work with the teams to estimate and commit to the PI objectives and iteration goals.

Agile Teams:

• Attend the PI Planning event and actively participate in the planning activities.
• Collaborate with other teams to identify dependencies and potential risks.
• Break down the program backlog items into team backlog items.
• Estimate the effort required for each backlog item and commit to the iteration goals.

System Architects/Engineering:

• Collaborate with the Agile teams to understand the system architecture requirements.
• Provide guidance and support in architectural decision-making.
• Identify and address any technical challenges or risks during the planning process.
• Ensure alignment of technical solutions across teams.

Scrum Masters:

• Support the teams and ensure that Agile practices and principles are followed during the planning.
• Facilitate discussions, remove impediments, and promote effective collaboration.
• Help the teams estimate their work and plan realistic iterations.
• Coordinate with other Scrum Masters to address cross-team dependencies.

Management and Stakeholders:

• Attend the PI Planning event to provide input, guidance, and support.
• Share organizational objectives and constraints.
• Provide clarifications on business needs and priorities.
• Support decision-making and remove any organizational roadblocks.

Note:- It is important for each role to fulfill their responsibilities effectively to ensure alignment, collaboration, and successful planning during the PI event in SAFe.

Agenda for PI Planning with Timings

Day 1:

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM: Registration and Welcome

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM: Introduction and Icebreaker Activity

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM: Business Context and Vision Presentation

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM: Product Vision and Roadmap Overview

10:30 AM - 10:45 AM: Tea Break

10:45 AM - 11:15 AM: Keynote Address

11:15 AM - 12:00 PM: Overview of Features and Enablers

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch Break

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Team Breakout Sessions (Part 1)

3:00 PM - 3:15 PM: Tea Break

3:15 PM - 5:00 PM: Team Breakout Sessions (Part 2)

Day 2:

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM: Recap of Day 1 and Agenda for Day 2

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Dependencies and Risks Workshop

10:00 AM - 10:15 AM: Tea Break

10:15 AM - 11:00 AM: Management Review

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Finalize PI Objectives and Plans

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch Break

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM: Inspect and Adapt - Retrospective Session

2:30 PM - 2:45 PM: Tea Break

2:45 PM - 3:30 PM: Closing Remarks and Next Steps

Input & Output of PI Planning

The inputs and outputs of PI Planning can vary slightly depending on the specific context and organization, but here are some common examples:

Inputs for PI Planning:

Business context , Roadmap?and vision, Highest priority Features?of the?ART Backlog

1. Vision and Strategy: The overarching vision and strategic objectives for the program or project.
2. Prioritized Features and User Stories: A backlog of prioritized features and user stories, representing the desired outcomes to be achieved during the PI.
3. Team and Resource Capacity: Information on the availability, skills, and capacity of the teams and resources involved in the program.
4. Dependencies: Identification of any dependencies or external factors that could impact the planning and execution of the PI.
5. Historical Data: Information from previous PIs, such as velocity, performance metrics, and lessons learned, which can inform the planning process.
6. Stakeholder Feedback: Feedback and insights from stakeholders, customers, or users that can guide the planning process.

Outputs of PI Planning:

1. PI Objectives: A set of clear and measurable objectives for the Program Increment, aligned with the program's vision and strategy.
2. Program Board: A visual representation of the planned work, including features, user stories, dependencies, and milestones, to provide transparency and alignment.
3. Team Backlogs: Updated team backlogs containing the prioritized features and user stories that the teams commit to delivering during the PI.
4. PI Schedule: A high-level timeline or schedule outlining the key milestones, iterations, and events for the Program Increment.
5. Risk and Dependency Management Plan: Identification and mitigation plans for any risks, dependencies, or challenges that could impact the successful execution of the PI.
6. Updated Roadmap: A revised roadmap or release plan, reflecting the outcomes and deliverables planned for the Program Increment.