Safe Pi Planning: A Comprehensive Step-by-Step Guide

Safe Pi Planning is a collaborative planning technique used in software development to plan iterations or sprints in a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) environment. It is designed to help teams align on priorities, estimate effort, and mitigate risks. This guide will provide a detailed overview of Safe Pi Planning, including its benefits, key principles, step-by-step instructions, and best practices.

Safe Pi Planning offers numerous benefits for Agile teams, including:

• Improved Planning Accuracy: By involving the entire team in the planning process, Pi Planning helps to ensure that estimates are realistic and that the team is committed to the plan.
• Increased Transparency: Pi Planning creates a transparent planning process that allows all stakeholders to see the team's priorities and progress.
• Enhanced Collaboration: Pi Planning fosters collaboration and communication among team members, leading to better decision-making and a stronger team culture.
• Reduced Waste: By identifying and mitigating risks early on, Pi Planning helps to reduce waste and improve the team's productivity.
• Increased Stakeholder Satisfaction: Pi Planning helps to ensure that the team is working on the most important features and that stakeholders are satisfied with the progress.

Safe Pi Planning is based on the following key principles:

SAFe PI Planning: A Step-By-Step Guide

by Florian Dedov

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• Iteration-Based Planning: Pi Planning is used to plan iterations or sprints, which are fixed-length time periods during which the team delivers a set of features.
• Collaborative Planning: The entire team participates in Pi Planning, including developers, testers, product owners, and stakeholders.
• Risk-Based Planning: Pi Planning emphasizes identifying and mitigating risks that could impact the plan.
• Value-Driven Planning: Pi Planning focuses on delivering the most valuable features to the customer.
• Cadence: Pi Planning is conducted on a regular cadence, typically every 8 to 12 weeks.

Safe Pi Planning typically follows a set of steps:

1. Preparation

• Define the scope of the planning session and invite the appropriate stakeholders.
• Gather necessary information, such as user stories, epics, and backlog items.
• Create a planning space with enough room for all participants.

2. Kick-Off

• Begin the session by introducing the purpose and agenda.
• Review the key principles of Pi Planning.
• Set the ground rules for the session.

3. Breakout Sessions

• Divide the team into smaller breakout groups.
• Assign each group a specific set of user stories or backlog items to work on.
• Instruct the groups to prioritize the items, estimate effort, and identify risks.

4. Refinement

• Bring the breakout groups together to share their work.
• Discuss the priorities, estimates, and risks identified by each group.
• Refine the plan and make adjustments as needed.

5. Commitment

• Once the plan is refined, ask the team members to commit to it.
• Explain the consequences of not meeting the commitments.
• Get buy-in from all stakeholders.

6. Follow-Up

• Schedule regular follow-up meetings to track progress and identify any issues or roadblocks.
• Make adjustments to the plan as needed.

To ensure the success of your Safe Pi Planning sessions, consider the following best practices:

• Involve the Right People: Ensure that all necessary stakeholders are involved in the planning process.
• Prepare in Advance: Gather the necessary information and materials before the session.
• Create a Positive Environment: Establish a collaborative and respectful atmosphere during the session.
• Use Visual Aids: Use whiteboards, charts, and other visual aids to facilitate discussion and decision-making.
• Break Down Large Tasks: Divide large or complex user stories into smaller, more manageable chunks.
• Estimate Effort Realistically: Use techniques like story pointing or timeboxing to estimate the effort required for each item.
• Identify and Mitigate Risks: Discuss potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate them.
• Set Clear Commitments: Ensure that all team members understand their roles and responsibilities.
• Follow Up Regularly: Track progress and make adjustments to the plan as needed.

Safe Pi Planning is a powerful technique for planning Agile iterations or sprints. By following the steps and best practices outlined in this guide, teams can improve their planning accuracy, increase transparency, enhance collaboration, reduce waste, and increase stakeholder satisfaction. Adopting Safe Pi Planning can help Agile teams to deliver valuable software products and solutions that meet customer needs.

SAFe PI Planning: A Step-By-Step Guide

by Florian Dedov

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2771 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	138 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE