Synopsis
"The program backlog is the single, definitive repository for all the upcoming work anticipated to advance the Agile
Release Train solution. The backlog consists primarily of features intended to address user needs and deliver business
benefits; it also includes the enabler features necessary to build the architectural runway."
Details 
Product management regularly refines the Program Backlog to ensure that an up-to-date ranked list on which to base
Release Planning.
See Meetings and Engineering Workflow Management.
|
Step
|
Tool guidance
|
|
1. Update feature definition and acceptance criteria
Add detail to features (espcially those with the highest WSJF ratings).
|
On the dashboard, click Plan > All Plans > Program Backlog to
open the program backlog.
Set View As to WSJF Ranked List.
Click the WSJF column so that the unassigned features are grouped.
Hover over each of the features and review the description. If it needs more detail, click
on the feature and make edits.
|
|
2. Split available Features
Analyze ways to split features into smaller chunks of incremental value.
|
To break down a Feature into smaller Features, set View As to
Roadmap, then click to the left of the work item to be decomposed and click
Create Child Work Item.
|
|
4. Determine Enabler Features and establish their capacity allocation
|
Display enablers, sum the total points, and propose how much capacity to allocate to the
upcoming increment. Having decided that capacity, take the highest value enablers within the
capacity and propose them for the upcoming increment.
|
|
5. Backlog prioritization
|
For each unassigned feature, click on the feature entry and assign WSJF values.
-
Job Size
-
User/Business Value
-
Time Criticality
-
RR/OE
Rank features as "high," "medium," or "low" priority. For each unassigned feature, click
on Priority entry and assign a value.
-
Assign the category of "high" to the top 10 features (to be considered in the release planning
session) ,and "low" to the rest.
-
If you have "stretch goal" features, you could set these as "medium".
Rank the high and medium categories to match the WSJF order.
Click Plans > Quick Planner > Backlog
In Quick Planner, to modify rank, click and drag the work item up or down, or type a new number in the
"rank" column.
|
|
After populating and refining the Program Backlog, the program dashboard will show the WSJF ranked
list by Feature.
Click Project Dashboards > [Project name] >
Program Details tab
|
|