Scaled Agile SAFe-Agilist - SAFe 6 Agilist - Leading SAFe (SA) (6.0)

A SAFe portfolio is a collection of development value streams. A development value stream is a long-lived series of steps that an enterprise uses to continuously deliver value to a customer or stakeholder. A development value stream typically consists of one or more ARTs and Solution Trains that build and deliver solutions. A SAFe portfolio aligns and governs one or more development value streams that share a common business mission, vision, strategy, and funding. A SAFe portfolio helps enterprises achieve Lean Portfolio Management, which is one of the core competencies of business agility in SAFe. References: SAFe Portfolio, Development Value Streams

Conducting a PI planning event is an example of applying cadence and synchronization in SAFe. Cadence is a regular and predictable pattern of events that provides a rhythm for development. Synchronization is the alignment of multiple perspectives and activities within a cadence. PI planning is a two-day event that occurs at the beginning of every Program Increment (PI), which is typically an 8-12 week timebox. PI planning brings together all the teams in an ART to align on a common vision, identify dependencies, plan features, establish objectives, and commit to a plan for the next PI. References: Develop on Cadence; Release on Demand, PI Planning

Planning adjustments are agreed upon during the management review and problem-solving meeting in the PI planning event. The management review and problem-solving meeting is a session that occurs at the end of day one of the PI planning event. In this session, the management team reviews the draft plans of all the teams in the ART, identifies any issues or risks that need to be resolved, and proposes any changes or adjustments that are necessary to achieve the program objectives. The management team then communicates their feedback and recommendations to the teams on day two of the PI planning event. References: PI Planning, Management Review and Problem-Solving

The SAFe workbook defines "Leading by Example" as a foundational behavior of Lean-Agile leaders. They do this through:

Insatiable learning

Authenticity

Emotional competence

Courage

Growing others

Decentralized decision-making

The workbook explicitly states:

“Leaders model desired professional and ethical behaviors… and apply SAFe's Lean-Agile Mindset, values, principles, and practices.”

SAFe follows Kotter's 8-step change model. The workbook notes:

"Culture change comes last, not first. It is the outcome, not the precondition, of a successful transformation. Culture changes only after you have successfully demonstrated that the new way is superior to the old."

This confirms thatculture change follows behavioral change.

Source:SAFe Workbook, Section on Leading Change

This is one way to describe a cross-functional Agile team. A cross-functional Agile team is a group of 5-11 individuals who have the skills and authority to define, build, test, and deploy some element of solution value—all within a short iteration timebox. A cross-functional Agile team is optimized for communication and delivery of value by having clear roles and responsibilities, shared goals and commitments, frequent feedback and collaboration, high trust and accountability, and continuous improvement. References: Cross-functional Agile Teams

From the workbook's role definitions:

"Scrum Master/Team Coach Responsibilities: Supporting Iteration Execution, Improving ART Performance, Facilitating PI Planning, Building High-Performing Teams."

This makes "supporting iteration execution" a primary responsibility.

Source:Workbook, Lesson 3.1, Page 3-7

From the “Leading by Example” section:

“Leaders model desired professional and ethical behaviors… They live SAFe’s Lean-Agile Mindset, values, principles, and practices.”

Attributes include insatiable learning, courage, and emotional competence.

The "Relentless Improvement" pillar in the House of Lean supports:

“Let facts guide improvements” and encourages a culture of learning and innovation where “hypotheses are tested and changes are embraced without mercy or guilt.”

SAFe describes Continuous Deployment as:

“An aspect of the Continuous Delivery Pipeline that enables faster delivery of new functionality to customers.”

By automating the pipeline and decoupling deployment from release, enterprises can release value more frequently and responsively.