In the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), the Scrum Master is a key role that is responsible for helping the Agile Team to follow the Scrum framework and improve their practices. In the context of PI Planning, the Scrum Master plays a number of important roles that are designed to support the Agile Team and ensure that the PI Planning process is successful.
One of the primary responsibilities of the Scrum Master during PI Planning is to facilitate the PI Planning event. This involves helping the Agile Team to understand the purpose and goals of the PI Planning process, and ensuring that the team is prepared to participate in the event. The Scrum Master may also help to organise and facilitate the various activities and discussions that take place during the PI Planning event, such as the vision and roadmap presentation, the feature planning session, and the team commitment session.
In addition to facilitating the PI Planning event, the Scrum Master is also responsible for helping the Agile Team to understand and follow the Scrum framework. This includes coaching the team on how to use Scrum practices such as planning, estimation, review and retrospection, as well as helping the team to identify and remove any obstacles or impediments that may be preventing them from delivering value to the customer.
Another important role of the Scrum Master during PI Planning is to help the team to identify and prioritise the work that needs to be done in order to deliver the desired increment of value. This may involve working with the team to understand the customer needs and business objectives, and helping the team to develop a roadmap and plan that aligns with these goals. The Scrum Master may also work with the team to identify and refine the user stories that will be used to guide the team’s work during the PI.
Finally, the Scrum Master is responsible for helping the team to communicate effectively with other stakeholders during the PI Planning process. This may involve facilitating communication with other teams or departments, helping the team to present their plans and progress to management or other stakeholders, or working with the team to identify and address any issues or concerns that may arise during the PI Planning process.
Overall, the Scrum Master plays a crucial role in the success of the PI Planning process by helping the Agile Team to understand and follow the Scrum framework, facilitating the PI Planning event, and helping the team to communicate effectively with other stakeholders. By supporting the team in these ways, the Scrum Master helps the team to deliver value to the customer on a regular basis and improve their practices over time.
To learn more about the Scrum Master role in PI Planning and in SAFe in general, the SAFe Scrum Master (SSM) course is the best starting point. To see our other SAFe training courses, click here.
