Is there a maximum number of Additional Programs I can add to an Epic card?

Jackie_miranda
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November 21, 2024

 

Is there a maximum number of Additional Programs I can add to an Epic card?

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Steve Sauser
Atlassian Team
Atlassian Team members are employees working across the company in a wide variety of roles.
November 21, 2024

@Jackie_miranda Thanks for the question!  

Technical limitations are going to be a little different than what kind of guidance we might provide.  

Technically I believe the limit is 999, then the UI begins to behave in odd methods and you will struggle with adding/removing, etc...

Our guidance would be more in the realm of assessing the size of a given Epic (especially if you are talking about Features (Jira Epics)).  

  • Features should be completed inside 1 PI/QI which is typically from 6 to 7 Sprints.  A single Feature being worked on by 999 Programs is highly unlikely to be able to be completed in that time frame.  
    • Additionally, none of those Programs can actually work on their own work.  Think about how a Team works on Stories, these do not cross-cut multiple teams because then a Team could never accomplish Done.  They would always be waiting on other teams to complete the sprint.  
  • Epics/Initiatives/Portfolio Epics should be completed typically within 12-18 months, anything longer is not really a Epic/Initiative/Portfolio Epic, it is likely many of these work items.  
    • If 999 Programs are working on the same Epic for 12-18 months the massive need of coordination is virtually impossible. 
    • Consider Dunbars Number (150 relationships a human can effectively manage). 
      • Team is 8-10 people 
      • Program is 10-20 Teams
      • Portfolio is 20 or so Programs
      • The 150 relationships has been well overcome long before having getting close to 999 Programs working on a single Epic.  

I hope this answers your question from both a technical and ways of working perspective.  

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