SAFe® Program board template
Kick off your PI planning session with confidence
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About the PI board template
Gain alignment on what needs to be accomplished during the next program increment (PI). Capture key inputs — including your PI objectives, program backlog, and milestones — on this interactive program board. It gives you a single view to share with the agile release train (ART) — so everyone has the the context needed to scope out the work and create a delivery plan.
Start by reviewing the features and enablers in the program backlog. Update the board to show which team will own each one and when it needs to be completed. Visualize dependencies between work items to drive cross-team discussion about the best way to handle them. Teams can then use the program board as the main point of reference as they break out into groups for sprint planning.
Update the board as PI planning progresses — adjusting the details as new learnings about the work emerge. At the end of your planning event, conduct a confidence vote to ensure everyone feels good about what needs to get done. The PI board is one component of the SAFe PI planning template series, which includes a ROAM board, team sprint planning, and retrospective template. Leverage these templates separately or together to guide your planning.
How to use the SAFe® Program board template
Align on team goals, foster collaboration, and boost productivity. Use this template to facilitate your PI planning meeting and coordinate the delivery of your upcoming increment.
Prepare for PI planning List out your objectives at the top of the board. Add milestones to yellow stickies and note significant dependencies in red. Visualize the features and enablers you want to deliver by adding each on a blue sticky note in the program backlog section.
Share your PI board Give all members of the ART access to the PI board at the beginning of the planning event. Review the objectives as a group to set context and discuss key features that must be delivered.
Create a high-level plan Decide which features each team will work on and move them into appropriate sprints. Identify any dependencies between them to ensure that work is sequenced correctly across teams.
Finalize the details Once you have planned out the features in more detail, make final adjustments to the overall plan. Then cast confidence votes using the emoji stamp.
