During the PI Planning event, when are planning adjustments agreed upon?

A. During the draft plan review

B. During Scrum of scrums

C. During the management review and problem-solving

D. During breakout sessions

The Correct Answer is

C. During the management review and problem-solving

Explanation

During the PI (Program Increment) Planning event in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), planning adjustments are typically agreed upon during the management review and problem-solving session. This part of the PI Planning process is crucial for finalizing plans that will guide the work of Agile Release Trains (ARTs) over the next Program Increment.

How It Works

• Draft Plan Review: Initially, teams present their draft plans, including objectives and potential risks. This phase is more about sharing initial thoughts and receiving feedback from other teams and stakeholders.


• Breakout Sessions: Teams work in breakout sessions to refine their plans based on the feedback received during the draft plan review. These sessions are iterative, allowing teams to adjust their strategies, dependencies, and objectives in smaller groups.


• Management Review and Problem-Solving: After teams have refined their plans during breakout sessions, there is a management review. During this stage, key stakeholders, including product management, system architects, and Agile Release Train Engineers (RTEs), review the plans. This is a critical phase where impediments and risks are discussed, and adjustments to the plans are made to resolve issues. The goal is to ensure that the plans are realistic, achievable, and aligned with the broader organizational goals.


• Scrum of Scrums: While Scrum of Scrums is a part of the coordination process in SAFe, especially useful for addressing and resolving dependencies and impediments across teams, it is not the primary session for agreeing on planning adjustments. It’s more about coordination and problem-solving among teams.

The management review and problem-solving stage is designed to finalize the plans by making necessary adjustments that consider the input from various stakeholders and the realities of the organization’s capabilities and constraints. This ensures that all teams aligned with the ART are ready to commit to their objectives for the upcoming Program Increment, with a clear understanding of how to address any identified issues or risks.

The Management Review and Problem-Solving session during the Program Increment (PI) Planning event in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is a pivotal point where significant adjustments are made to the plans before final commitment. This session is designed to ensure that the Agile Release Train (ART) is set on a path toward achieving its objectives efficiently and effectively. Let’s delve into the deep details of this session, its objectives, participants, and the process.

Objectives of the Management Review and Problem-Solving Session

1. Resolve Impediments: Identify and propose solutions for any impediments that could hinder the teams’ ability to meet their PI objectives.


2. Adjust Plans: Make necessary adjustments to the draft plans based on feedback, insights, and the resolution of identified impediments.


3. Resource Allocation: Ensure that resources are adequately allocated to address the priorities and risks identified during the planning process.


4. Risk Mitigation: Discuss and strategize on mitigating identified risks, ensuring that plans are resilient and flexible.


5. Alignment: Confirm that all teams’ plans are aligned with the ART’s overall objectives and the organization’s strategic goals.

Participants

The session involves key stakeholders from various levels of the organization:

• Business Owners and Executives: Provide insight into business priorities and strategic alignment.


• Product Management: Ensures that the plans align with customer needs and product strategy.


• System and Solution Architects/Engineering: Offer technical guidance to ensure that the plans are technically feasible and aligned with the system’s architectural vision.


• Agile Release Train Engineer (RTE): Facilitates the session, ensuring that discussions are productive and focused on solving problems.


• Team Representatives: Present the teams’ perspectives, challenges, and needs, ensuring that the solutions are workable at the team level.

Process

1. Review: The session begins with a review of the draft plans created by the teams during the breakout sessions. This includes going over the objectives, dependencies, and identified risks.


2. Identification of Issues: The group identifies any critical impediments, risks, or issues not yet resolved that could impact the ART’s ability to meet its PI objectives.


3. Problem-Solving: Through collaborative discussion, the group works on problem-solving, proposing solutions, and making decisions on how to address the identified issues. This may involve reallocating resources, adjusting scope, or developing mitigation strategies for risks.


4. Adjustments: Plans are adjusted based on the solutions and decisions made during the problem-solving discussions. This might mean redefining some of the team’s objectives or changing the approach to handling certain features or capabilities.


5. Finalization: Once adjustments are made, and solutions are agreed upon, the plans are finalized. This sets the stage for the teams to commit to their PI objectives with a clearer understanding of the path forward and the support mechanisms in place.


6. Communication: The outcomes of the session, including any significant plan adjustments and the strategies for addressing key issues, are communicated back to the entire ART. This ensures transparency and alignment as the ART moves into the commitment phase of the PI Planning.

The Management Review and Problem-Solving session is critical not just for the practical aspects of planning and risk management but also for fostering a culture of collaboration, transparency, and shared commitment to success across the ART. It embodies the Lean-Agile principles of decentralized decision-making and cross-functional collaboration, ensuring that the plans are robust, achievable, and aligned with the strategic goals of the organization.

Other Leading SAFe 6.0 Question – At the end of PI Planning, after dependencies are resolved and risks are addressed, a confidence vote is taken. What is the default method used to vote?