PI Planning Template

About the PI Planning template

What is PI planning?

PI planning or “program increment planning” is a method for strategizing toward a shared vision among teams. In a PI planning event, teams, stakeholders, and project owners are assembled to review a program backlog and determine what direction the business will take next. Typically, organizations carry out PI planning every 8 to 12 weeks.

PI stands for “program increment” and it’s part of Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). It’s a process of breaking down features, identifying risks and dependencies, and deciding what stories to develop. 

Benefits of PI planning

PI planning can be useful in a number of ways. It…

• establishes face-to-face communication among all team members and stakeholders.

• aligns development with business goals regarding the business context, vision, and team and program PI objectives.

• identifies dependencies. 

• fosters cross-team and cross-Agile Release Team (ART) collaboration.

• helps companies be more productive.  

• empowers teams to stay aligned, focused, and on track.

When to use PI planning

PI planning is part of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), which is designed to help development teams overcome the challenge of coordinating among teams, processes, and programs. In the SAFe model, teams are assembled into Agile Release Trains (ARTs), each of which works on a specific part of a broader goal.

To engage in PI planning, the Agile Release trains are brought together every 8 to 12 weeks. A PI planning event is an opportunity to step back and ensure everyone is still working toward the same business goals and is satisfied with the overall vision. 

Create your own PI plan

Miro’s whiteboard tool is the perfect canvas to create and share your PI plan. Get started by selecting this PI Planning template.

Step 1: Bring everyone together—stakeholders, teammates, and project owners. If you’re working with remote teams, you might choose to use video conferencing tools, which are widely used now.

Step 2: Survey the business context. An executive describes the context in which the business is operating, including the competitive landscape, customers, and potential customers. Check in to address any questions.

Step 3: Articulate the vision for the product or solution. How are you filling customer needs? How have market changes impacted your ability to do so?

Step 4: Allow time for team breakouts. Once everyone is aligned on the overall vision, teams should have the opportunity to get together for focused discussions. Specifically, teams should make sure they are all working toward the company’s shared vision. Brainstorm what you can do better or differently.

Step 5: Draft a plan. Bring all these components together in a document for management and teams to review.