Planning Interval (PI) planning is a foundational event for the Scaled Agile Framework^® (SAFe^®); it requires regular collaborative alignment between teams and stakeholders. PM-Partners Agile Learning Consultant and Facilitator Quinn Dodsworth explains what to expect and how to prepare for your first PI planning event, whether you’re an agile team member, release train engineer or product manager.

Planning Interval (PI) planning is an essential event in the practice of the Scaled Agile Framework^® (SAFe^®). Slated to last two days every interval – a period generally between 8-12 weeks – a PI planning event is a chance for a range of direct stakeholders to interact and collaborate with one another to ensure there’s alignment for the iteration’s next outputs and outcomes.

By the end of a PI planning event, stakeholders should be able to:

• Define a shared vision and mission – One of the primary objectives of PI Planning is to create a unified understanding of the vision and mission among all teams involved. This shared vision serves as a guiding star for the upcoming interval, aligning the efforts of different teams toward common goals.
• Produce planning interval objectives – These summarise the business and technical goals that the teams intend to achieve in the upcoming PI and are typically framed in terms of measurable outcomes. By setting specific, achievable objectives, teams can focus their efforts and track their progress throughout the interval. 
• Produce an agile release train (ART) planning board – A  tool for visualising dependencies and identifying key milestones, the board should illustrate important deliverables, and the relationships between different work items. By mapping out dependencies, teams can understand how their work interacts with that of others, enabling them to coordinate efforts effectively. This process is not just a planning aid but a reference point throughout the interval, helping teams stay aligned and focused on their goals.
• Identify dependencies among teams – Recognising these interdependencies early on allows teams to plan accordingly, allocate resources effectively, and mitigate potential bottlenecks. By discussing dependencies openly, teams can collaboratively address potential challenges and ensure that they are prepared to support one another throughout the interval.
• Identify risks and contingencies for the forthcoming planning interval – Teams should engage in discussions to surface potential challenges that could impede progress, whether they are technical, resource-related, or external factors. By acknowledging these risks upfront, teams can develop contingency plans to mitigate their impact and ensure that they are prepared to adapt as needed. This proactive approach enhances the overall resilience of the teams and increases the likelihood of successfully achieving the objectives set for the interval. 

What happens at a PI planning event?

The PI planning event is an opportunity for different teams to meet, build rapport and collaborate with other teams and stakeholders. It’s as much a part of the social foundation of scaled agile as it is a functional meeting to produce common goals for the upcoming iterations based on the shared vision and mission.

In general, it’s helpful to understand the SAFe mindset that seeks to align everyone – team members and stakeholders – at scale. Therefore, participants should expect a large representation of teams at the event and be prepared to hear suggestions and feedback from a spectrum of expertise in the room to identify the ideal value for the customer or business.

SAFe^® PI planning best practices

SAFe PI Planning, or Scaled Agile Framework Planning Interval planning, is a significant event designed to enhance collaboration and alignment among multiple agile teams working toward shared objectives within an organisation.  

Most commonly structured as a two-day event occurring every 8 to 12 weeks, these sessions  serve as a cornerstone for aligning the efforts of various teams under a common vision. During SAFe PI Planning, teams gather to discuss their goals, prioritise features, and identify dependencies, risks, and resources needed for the upcoming planning intervals. This collective effort enables teams to understand how their work contributes to broader organisational objectives, fostering a sense of shared purpose and accountability. 

To ensure that you are following SAFe PI planning best practices, follow these tips.  

• It is essential to prepare adequately before the event. This includes ensuring that the product backlog is well-defined and prioritised, as well as identifying key stakeholders who will participate in the planning process.  
• Establishing a clear agenda for the PI Planning session can help keep discussions focused and organised. Teams should allocate time for presentations, breakout sessions, and discussions, allowing for ample opportunity to address concerns and clarify objectives.
• Fostering an open and collaborative environment during the planning session is crucial for encouraging participation and idea-sharing among team members. Ensure that team members understand this is a collaborative process, and their input is necessary to make progress.
• Utilising visual aids such as white boards or digital tools can facilitate communication and make dependencies and risks more apparent. Having clear graphics, color-coded status reports, and charts can all add to your discussion.  

Another important concept is emphasising the importance of cross-team collaboration. Encouraging teams to work together during breakout sessions can help identify interdependencies and resource constraints early in the planning process. Additionally, having representatives from different teams share their plans and objectives fosters transparency and ensures everyone understands how their work fits into the larger picture.  

Lastly, it is vital to conduct a review and retrospective at the end of the PI Planning event. This allows teams to discuss what went well, what challenges were encountered, and how they can improve in future planning sessions. By incorporating these practices, organisations can maximise the effectiveness of SAFe PI planning, ultimately leading to more successful outcomes and a higher level of alignment across agile teams. 

Who attends a PI planning event?

According to SAFe, “the people who do the work plan the work”; in other words, every direct stakeholder involved should attend the PI planning event.

This includes:

• Release train engineer (RTE)
• The business owner/s
• Product management
• Agile teams (team leaders may represent other members)
• System and solution architect/s
• System team and senior development managers
• UX/UI and other shared services

This list is not all-encompassing. Any other key stakeholders involved in the interval should also be present. Make sure to give plenty of notice of the planning event in advance so that all of the necessary team members can attend, or at least send updates and necessary documentation.  

Effective PI planning event agenda

The SAFe authors have set out an example agenda of the two days; you can also read our beginner’s guide to PI planning for an overview.

To prepare for a PI planning event, each team should stage its own pre-PI planning session to develop the business and solution context for the main event and establish input objectives and milestones in accordance with the team’s expertise and capabilities. Team leaders representing the members should also evaluate the team’s capacity in order to offer realistic estimates for work going forward. 

When the two-day PI planning event begins, expect three main parts:

1. Establishment of the business context, product context and team context.
2. Creation of draft plans, including outputs and team capacity.
3. Review of plans, risks and interdependencies – adjustment of plans if required.

One critical aspect of this event is also the development of the organisation’s understanding and practice of scaled agile – recommended levels of learning and understanding are outlined on the SAFe® Implementation Roadmap.

At the end of the event, teams should also undergo a post-PI planning session, to integrate the outputs into the wider vision and roadmap for the value stream. Teams may also commit to planning interval objectives to be demonstrated at the forthcoming solution demo. This allows the RTE to build a unified plan for the next planning interval.

The PI planning venue

The PI planning event is considered so crucial to the practice of SAFe that all parties are expected to attend, ideally in person, even if they are not usually co-located – perhaps especially if they are not usually co-located – in order to strengthen social connections.

PI planning can take place in any sufficiently large meeting space that is conducive to collaborative work and will allow for smaller team breakouts. With advancements in video-conferencing and better management of remote teams, it’s possible to hold the PI planning event online or in a hybrid manner, though SAFe authors advocate in-person events to encourage social cohesion.

In order to choose the best venue for meeting your needs, consider the following factors:  

• Capacity and layout – The venue should comfortably accommodate all participants, taking into account the number of teams involved. It should provide enough space for group activities, breakout sessions, and collaborative discussions. An open layout with flexible seating arrangements can facilitate interaction and communication among teams.
• Technology and equipment access –  Ensure the venue is equipped with the necessary technology, such as projectors, screens, whiteboards, and reliable Wi-Fi. Access to video conferencing capabilities is also important if remote team members will participate. Are there adequate power sources for laptops and other devices?  
• Potential breakout spaces – If smaller sessions are planned, you want spaces that allow for privacy while still being easily accessible to the main meeting area. Having multiple breakout rooms can facilitate simultaneous discussions on different topics.
• Accessibility – How easily can your team members get to and utilise the space? This includes ease of access to public transportation, parking availability, and accommodations for individuals with disabilities. 

Finally, consider general amenities and the comfort of your attendees. Is there adequate lighting and temperature control? How about enough restrooms? What will everyone do for food and beverage breaks? Remember that the overall atmosphere of a venue can impact productivity and engagement. Look for spaces that are more conducive to collaboration and creativity, while reducing noise levels and outside distractions.  

By considering these factors, organisations can choose a venue that lends to teamwork and productivity during the PI Planning event, ultimately leading to more successful outcomes. 

PI planning preparation

Different stakeholders play different roles at a PI planning event. Here’s a guide to how they should prepare.

RTE or lead Scrum master

Before: Set the objectives of the event; review the product backlog; identify potential issues to be discussed.

During: Ensure all stakeholders are actively engaged in the planning process; identify stakeholder needs and priorities; ensure all parties are across risk identification, resolution and mitigation, and ownership.

After: Review the PI plan; establish understanding and commitment from stakeholders; monitor progress; prepare for next planning interval.

The Business owner/s

Before: Prepare overview of business context including status report on business, portfolio and customer needs.

During: Present on current state of the business and portfolio vision; provide a planned value evaluation of current solutions.

After: Review the PI plan and elements to be evaluated for the next PI planning event.

Product management or lead product owner

Before: Prepare overview of current vision; create status report of changes incurred and milestones reached since last interval (ignore, if this is the first event). Have a prioritised product backlog ready for teams to deliver the highest value features in the next interval.

During: Present overview; share status report.

After: Review the PI plan; monitor changes and milestones.

Agile teams

Before: Identify backlog (feature/stories) items to be broken down to realise solution features (ignore if this is the first event); evaluate team velocity and capacity.

During: Estimate capacity for the next interval; draft plan for next series of iterations.

After: Review the PI plan; schedule activities as relevant.

System and solution architect/s

Before: Prepare technical and architecture vision; identify any potential changes to development practices to improve uptake of scaled agile and incorporate these into the architectural runway.

During: Present technical and architecture vision; share and discuss potential changes to SAFe development practices; field stakeholder issues and feedback with regard to SAFe development.

After: Review the PI plan; identify opportunities to improve development practices; develop actionable steps towards improvement and incorporate further enablement into the architectural runway.

PI planning event challenges

As with any collaborative effort, the biggest challenges are often interpersonal. If your teams don’t know each other well, it’s a good idea to schedule some time prior to the two days for them to meet and develop rapport in a more social setting and neutralise any potential conflict.

The RTE should also consider extra training as a facilitator to foster inter-team cohesion and create a psychologically safe space for participants to share, challenge and engage in ideas. This role starts prior to the PI planning event with good communication about expectations, from the information each party needs to prepare, to the participation levels and engagement expected on the day.

If your PI planning day is remote or hybrid, it is a good idea to create more structure around presentations, sharing, discussions and breakouts to ensure each participant has a chance to be heard without overwhelming the platform. Also seek to capture discussion in side channels (e.g. chat) and feed them back into the mainstream discussion to ensure everyone is across the entire conversation. Consider that sessions may take longer and interactions may be less fluid, so schedule extra time for each segment, plus add extra breaks.

When done well, a PI planning event sets the tone for the rest of the interval. A collaborative effort to create a shared vision and mission goes a long way to motivate teams and develops a sense of ownership among stakeholders. With the right preparation and a solid understanding of what’s expected from each party, your PI planning events should run smoothly and continue to improve each interval.

Take your PI planning to the next level with PM-Partners’ SAFe Agile courses or seek guidance with our SAFe consultation services. Contact us online to find out if scaled agile is right for your organisation or learn how to adopt it, or call 1300 70 13 14 today.

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This article was last updated in October 2024.