Timeline for preparation of PI Planning at the Portfolio Management Level

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The Pre-requisites

Preparation for the upcoming Program Increment (PI) Planning at the Portfolio Management level is a process that initiates with the execution of the current PI at the team level. This crucial phase begins during the first and second sprints, where the Portfolio Management team, tasked with overseeing the Portfolio epic backlog, engages in collaborative efforts with the Product Manager. Their primary objective during this time is to ensure alignment on the Portfolio epics, which are essential for guiding the direction of the project.

As the timeline progresses into the third and fourth sprints, the responsibilities shift slightly. The Product Manager, who is accountable for managing the Jira Epics/Feature Backlog, begins to coordinate efforts with the Product Owners from the various teams that are part of the Agile Release Train. This collaboration is vital as it ensures that all teams are on the same page and that their individual contributions are aligned with the overarching goals of the PI.

As the dates for PI planning draw closer, particularly during the last sprint, which is often referred to as the Innovation and Planning Sprint, the Product Owners intensify their collaboration. They work closely alongside Business Analysts, Subject Matter Experts, and Technical Leads from their respective teams. This teamwork is instrumental in prioritizing a comprehensive list of features that will be essential for the upcoming PI. Once this list is established, it can then be further refined into actionable user stories during the PI, ensuring that the teams are well-prepared to tackle the tasks ahead.

The Artifacts

The Portfolio Management Team gets engaged in preparations for the upcoming Program Increment (PI). This involves a collaborative effort with the Product Manager to ensure that all necessary elements are in place for a successful increment. To facilitate this process, they make use of the Portfolio Kanban board, which serves as a vital tool in refining, prioritizing, and estimating the various Portfolio Epics that will be addressed during the PI.

Once the team has established a prioritized list of these Portfolio Epics, the Product Manager shifts focus to the Agile Release Train (ART) / Program Kanban board. This board is instrumental in further refining, prioritizing, and estimating the corresponding Jira Epics/Features. This step is crucial as it aligns the work with the Product Owners, ensuring that everyone is on the same page regarding the upcoming tasks.

As the days leading up to the PI planning approach, the Product Owner takes the initiative to coordinate efforts with both Technical and Business Leads. This collaboration aims to finalize a prioritized list of Jira Epics and Features, which is essential for the effective execution of the PI.

Pro-tip: It might appear that the alignment of the prioritized list of Jira Epics/Features should occur during the PI planning sessions, where Agile Release Train teams would refine these items into User Stories for subsequent sprint planning. However, it is of utmost importance to achieve this alignment prior to the actual PI planning days. By doing so, several benefits can be realized, including:

1. The ability to identify the technical user stories that could significantly contribute to the overall work estimate, providing a clearer picture of the workload involved.

2. The recognition of dependencies among tasks, which ensures that the appropriate stakeholders are engaged and involved in the commitments made during the PI planning.

Moreover, if the Agile Release Train is new to the PI planning process, it becomes essential to agree upon and communicate the duration of the PI planning sessions well in advance. This includes identifying individuals who will take on the responsibility for overseeing the Portfolio Epics and the associated Jira Epics, ensuring that all roles and responsibilities are clearly defined to facilitate a smooth planning process.

Now that we have successfully established the various roles, work items, artifacts, and the platform that are necessary for effectively preparing the inputs for PI planning, it is time to delve deeper into how these critical elements interconnect within a structured timeline view. This exploration will provide clarity on the sequence of actions and the relationships between different components leading up to the PI planning event.

9 Weeks Prior to PI Planning:
At this initial stage, the Portfolio Management Team embarks on the important task of refining the Portfolio Epics. This process follows the established Portfolio Epic Intake process, which can be effectively represented as a Lean Business Use Case. As the Portfolio progresses through its lifecycle, it transitions from the Funnel stage to the Ready state on the Portfolio Kanban Board. Once it reaches this point, it then moves into the Portfolio backlog, where it is meticulously prepared for the subsequent steps of prioritization and estimation. This foundational work is crucial as it sets the stage for the upcoming planning phases.

6 Weeks Prior to PI Planning:
As we move closer to the PI planning event, the ART leadership takes the initiative to kick off the ART-level refinement process. This involves breaking down the previously identified epics into more manageable components known as Jira Epics, which are often referred to as Features. Throughout this refinement lifecycle, the ART utilizes the Program Kanban Board to track progress. Once the epics have been adequately refined and are deemed ready, they transition to the Program backlog, where they await prioritization and estimation. This systematic approach ensures that all elements are thoroughly vetted and ready for the next stages of planning.

3 Weeks Prior to PI Planning:
In the lead-up to the actual PI planning, the Product Owners engage in critical discussions with Technical and Business Leads to align on the prioritized list of Jira Epics (Features) that have been received from the Product Managers. This alignment is essential to ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding priorities. During the PI planning sessions, these Jira Epics (Features) are further dissected into smaller, more actionable stories. These stories are then meticulously organized into sprints for the PI cycle, with the ART teams working within their respective backlogs to facilitate a smooth and efficient planning process. This collaborative effort is vital for the successful execution of the PI planning and ultimately contributes to the overall effectiveness of the ART.