Program Increment (PI) Planning is a structured, cadence-based planning event for large-scale Agile development. This synchronization mechanism brings together all teams and stakeholders to align on a shared mission and vision for the work ahead. It is a defining practice for organizations operating at scale, ensuring multiple teams are synchronized to deliver value toward common business objectives. The event fosters a real-time, collaborative environment where alignment is established and dependencies are made transparent.
The Agile Context: What is an Agile Release Train?
PI Planning operates exclusively within the context of the Agile Release Train (ART), a virtual organization designed for large-scale delivery. The ART is a long-lived team of Agile teams, typically comprising 50 to 125 individuals, who continuously develop, deliver, and operate solutions. This collective is cross-functional, containing all the capabilities needed to realize value for the end-user without relying on external handoffs.
The train operates on a fixed schedule, known as the Program Increment (PI) cadence, which usually lasts 8 to 12 weeks. This rhythm provides predictability and a shared timeline for all teams within the ART. PI Planning is the formal event that sets the direction for each new increment, making it the foundational ceremony for the execution cycle.
Defining Program Increment Planning
Program Increment Planning is a formal, usually two-day event held at the beginning of every PI. It synchronizes the entire Agile Release Train (ART) to a shared vision and mission for the upcoming increment. The primary goals are to create alignment, define the features to be delivered, and identify cross-team dependencies that could impede progress.
The cadence is fixed, typically occurring once per quarter, providing a predictable rhythm for planning and execution. Bringing the full ART together facilitates face-to-face communication, which aids in making fast decisions and building collaboration. The resulting plan establishes a shared commitment among teams and stakeholders for the next increment.
Essential Pre-Work for Successful Planning
A successful planning event depends heavily on thorough preparation, categorized into three areas:
Organizational Readiness
Senior leadership must align on the business context and vision, providing a clear executive briefing to the ART. This ensures all participants understand the current state of the business, strategic goals, and the market landscape.
Content Readiness
The Program Backlog must be sufficiently refined, with the highest-priority features clearly defined and ready for team planning. Product Management prioritizes the features that will provide the most value in the upcoming increment.
Logistical Readiness
This involves securing the venue, ensuring all necessary tools and technology are available, and confirming the attendance of all required participants and Business Owners. Poor preparation can lead to significant rework and misalignment during the event.
The PI Planning Event: Structure and Execution
The planning event typically follows a structured, two-day agenda moving from high-level vision to detailed team commitment.
Day one begins with a presentation of the Business Context, followed by the Product and Solution Vision outlining the top features in the Program Backlog. Teams then enter their first Team Breakout session, where they estimate capacity, break down features into user stories, and draft iteration plans.
In the afternoon, teams present their draft plans during a Review, highlighting preliminary objectives, potential dependencies, and initial risks. This is followed by the Management Review and Problem Solving session, where leaders collaborate to resolve significant issues, scope conflicts, and resource constraints surfaced by the teams.
Day two starts with adjustments based on management feedback, leading into a second Team Breakout to finalize the plans. The event culminates in the Final Plan Review, the ROAMing of risks, and the team commitment ceremony.
Key Roles and Collaborative Responsibilities
The success of PI Planning relies on the specialized roles within the Agile Release Train:
Release Train Engineer (RTE)
The RTE acts as a servant leader, facilitating the entire event, managing the timebox, and guiding participants through the structured agenda. The RTE also works to remove impediments and manage the flow of the planning process.
Product Management
Product Management, including Product Owners and Product Managers, presents the vision for the upcoming Program Increment. They articulate customer needs and prioritize features in the Program Backlog. Product Owners clarify requirements and negotiate scope during breakout sessions.
Scrum Masters
Scrum Masters guide their individual teams through detailed planning. They help teams assess capacity, challenge over-commitment, and facilitate the identification of dependencies and risks.
Outputs and Final Commitments
The planning event yields several tangible artifacts that guide the ART’s execution for the next Program Increment:
Program Increment (PI) Objectives: A summary of the business and technical goals each team commits to achieving. Business Owners assign a business value score to these objectives to prioritize outcomes based on strategic importance.
Committed and Uncommitted Objectives: PI Objectives are categorized into Committed Objectives (goals the team is confident they can deliver) and Uncommitted Objectives (goals included for flexibility but not guaranteed due to risk or uncertainty).
Program Board: A large visual display that maps out the features to be delivered, highlights cross-team dependencies, and marks important milestones.
ROAMed Risks: Teams formally address program risks through the ROAMing process. Each identified risk is classified as Resolved, Owned by a specific person, Accepted, or Mitigated with a plan.
Measuring Success and Next Steps After Planning
The final formal step is the Confidence Vote, where every ART member anonymously votes on their belief in the collective plan, often using a “fist of five” scale. If the confidence score is low, teams rework the plan until a sufficient level of commitment is reached. This vote signifies a shared commitment and marks the transition to execution.
After the plan is finalized, the PI Objectives drive the work for the entire increment, and progress is continuously tracked. The effectiveness of planning is measured by the PI Predictability metric, which compares the business value achieved against the value originally committed. At the end of the Program Increment, the ART holds an Inspect and Adapt (I&A) workshop to review results, identify improvements, and feed those lessons into the next planning cycle.