how_do_we_write_good_pi_objectives
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how_do_we_write_good_pi_objectives [2022/03/07 17:18] – created hans | how_do_we_write_good_pi_objectives [2025/07/29 12:37] (current) – [Want to Know More?] hans | ||
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Program Increment (PI) Objectives are an output of the PI Planning event. PI Objectives summarize in business terms what each Team intends to deliver in the upcoming PI. They are therefore used to: | Program Increment (PI) Objectives are an output of the PI Planning event. PI Objectives summarize in business terms what each Team intends to deliver in the upcoming PI. They are therefore used to: | ||
- | * Validate understanding of intent | + | * Validate understanding of intent: PI Objectives provides a quick validation of both the Business Owner’s ability to articulate desired |
- | * Focus on outcomes | + | |
- | * Summarize data into steerable information | + | |
- | ===== Validate Understanding | + | > Can you deliver the essence |
- | PI Objectives provides a quick validation of both the Business Owner’s ability to articulate desired outcomes and the Teams’ grasp of those desired outcomes. | + | |
- | + | | |
- | **Can you deliver the essence of the value sought by implementing this set of features?** | + | |
- | + | ||
- | If a Team cannot do this in a clear way by the end of planning, are we comfortable investing to pursue these goals over the Program Increment? | + | |
- | + | ||
- | ===== Focus on Outcomes Rather | + | |
- | + | ||
- | PI Objectives help the Team shift focus off the Feature language and onto the desired business outcomes. | + | |
- | + | ||
- | Is our goal to complete the listed Features, or is our goal to provide the outcomes desired by those Features? In other words, if we could provide the same value with half the amount of work, and without building all of the Features, would this be acceptable? | + | |
- | + | ||
- | ===== Summarize | + | |
- | + | ||
- | We expect teams will fully and transparently share the Features they intend to complete, and their progress against them. However given that no large group will reliably read every item in a list if that list exceeds 3-7 items it is also valuable to summarize the 3-7 key Objectives per Team (and the ART) and report on progress against those. | + | |
====== What are the Characteristics of Good PI Objectives? ====== | ====== What are the Characteristics of Good PI Objectives? ====== | ||
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* Are the between 3 and 7 PI Objectives for the Team? In particular, more than 7 is too long a list to keep in your head. | * Are the between 3 and 7 PI Objectives for the Team? In particular, more than 7 is too long a list to keep in your head. | ||
* Do PI Objectives have with verbs which helps to clearly articulate what’s being done? | * Do PI Objectives have with verbs which helps to clearly articulate what’s being done? | ||
- | * Are there PI Objectives related to base, production support, or other work that is remedial rather than adding new value? Most of the time we want PI Objectives aimed at items that new value. | + | * Are there PI Objectives related to base, production support, or other work that is remedial rather than adding new value? Most of the time we want PI Objectives aimed at items that add new value rather than simply documenting business-as-usual. |
* Are there PI Objectives related to the architectural runway, or to reduce technical debt? Again, in most cases these will help in delivering better faster, and cheaper, which is of interest to the business. | * Are there PI Objectives related to the architectural runway, or to reduce technical debt? Again, in most cases these will help in delivering better faster, and cheaper, which is of interest to the business. | ||
* Are the objectives SMART? | * Are the objectives SMART? | ||
* Specific: The PI Objective should be clear about the outcome. | * Specific: The PI Objective should be clear about the outcome. | ||
* Measurable: how do we know whether the PI Objective as done or not done. The PI Objective should | * Measurable: how do we know whether the PI Objective as done or not done. The PI Objective should | ||
- | * Achievable (if much is outside of the team’s control, make it a stretch | + | * Achievable (if much is outside of the team’s control, make it a uncommitted |
* Realistic (avoid only thinking about the happy path) | * Realistic (avoid only thinking about the happy path) | ||
* Time-based (will be done within the PI) | * Time-based (will be done within the PI) | ||
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====== What Tips and Tricks Do You Have for Writing Great PI Objectives? ====== | ====== What Tips and Tricks Do You Have for Writing Great PI Objectives? ====== | ||
- | ===== Remember Your Audience | + | * Remember Your Audience: The audience for PI Objectives is the Business Owners of the ART in the first instance and then all other stakeholders the the ART. This means we cannot assume that the audience will understand the technology or technical jargon. PI Objective are written in the language of the business. |
- | + | | |
- | The audience for PI Objectives is the Business Owners of the ART in the first instance and then all other stakeholders the the ART. This means we cannot assume that the audience will understand the technology or technical jargon. PI Objective are written in the language of the business. | + | |
- | + | ||
- | In particular, be clear about intent; what will the usable outcome be? What will the organization will be able to do (or not do) as a result of the work within the PI? | + | |
- | + | ||
- | ===== Relationship to Features | + | |
- | + | ||
- | There is no a 1:1 relationship between Features and PI Objectives although often teams will write Objectives so they are reflected as a Feature. | + | |
- | + | ||
- | A single PI Objective could refer to a single Feature, or multiple Features. | + | |
- | + | ||
- | Some Features may not be covered by a PI Objective at all (e.g. KTLO type Features). | + | |
- | + | ||
- | And some PI Objectives may not be the result of a Feature (e.g. a really significant improvement item identified as a result of the retrospective.) | + | |
===== Perhaps Start with a Template ===== | ===== Perhaps Start with a Template ===== | ||
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To help teams develop great PI Objectives it sometimes is useful to use a template to think through the parts: | To help teams develop great PI Objectives it sometimes is useful to use a template to think through the parts: | ||
- | BY <the timeframe, e.g. the end of PI 5> | + | > BY <the timeframe, e.g. the end of PI 5> |
- | WE WILL <do something, start the statement with a verb (“enable”, | + | > WE WILL <do something, start the statement with a verb (“enable”, |
- | SO THAT < | + | > SO THAT < |
- | AS MEASURED BY <how we will know> | + | > AS MEASURED BY <how we will know> |
====== Want to Know More? ====== | ====== Want to Know More? ====== | ||
+ | * [[how_do_we_improve_how_we_write_requirements_and_goals|How Do We Improve How We Write Requirements and Goals?]] | ||
* [[https:// | * [[https:// | ||
+ | * [[what_is_the_mapping_between_features_and_pi_objectives|What is the Mapping Between Features and PI Objectives? | ||
+ | * [[how_do_we_assign_business_value_to_pi_objectives|How Do We Assign Business Value to PI Objectives? | ||
+ | * [[how_do_we_determine_if_an_pi_objective_is_committed_or_uncommitted|How do we determine if an PI Objective is Committed or Uncommitted? | ||
{{tag> | {{tag> |
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