Scaling Agile Requirements Competency

Why
Learning
Applying
Mastering
Example
Next Steps

Business Problem 


We struggle to create clearly defined Agile requirements that connect strategy and execution, resulting in rework and delays.

Business Outcomes

  • Creation of a robust scaled Agile requirements model, providing alignment and transparency.
  • Clear connection of requirements from strategy through execution
  • Reduced rework and waste due to a clear and shared understanding of requirements.
  • Enhanced ability to respond to changing customer needs and market demands.

Why is the Scaling Agile Requirements Competency important?


The traditional approach to defining requirements often relies on lengthy, fixed, and up-front documentation, which is frequently based on unvalidated assumptions. This leads to ambiguity, misinterpretation, and significant rework as business needs and technical realities evolve. This rigidity hinders an organization's ability to adapt quickly to dynamic market changes, resulting in wasted effort defining the wrong thing and ultimately leading to delays, increased costs, and frustrated teams. To address these challenges, requirements should evolve in tandem with the system's development as learning occurs and knowledge increases.

SAFe is built around Lean-Agile product development flow with a focus on delivering business value. Effective requirements provide the foundation for this by:

  • Aligning Work to Value: They ensure that all development efforts are focused on work that provides the highest value to the customer and the business.
  • Facilitating Flow: They enable Lean practices by managing a scaled work hierarchy (epics, features, user stories). Additionally, they enable the organization to control work in process (WIP), which is crucial for predictable flow and a fast time-to-market.

Mastering this competency shifts the focus from writing perfect, static documents to fostering a continuous, collaborative process for creating, refining, and validating requirements. This competency will cover:

  • The key types of requirements in SAFe, their importance, and how to start writing them. 
  • How to utilize a scaled requirements model to establish connections between strategy and execution.
  • Common techniques for creating requirements that enhance quality and collaboration across technical and business roles.

Which roles would benefit from mastering this competency?

This competency is designed for individuals responsible for creating, prioritizing, and utilizing requirements to develop products or solutions. This includes Product Owners and Product Managers, Agile Team members, Scrum Masters/Team Coaches, System and Solution Architects, Release Train Engineers (RTEs), Portfolio Leadership, Epic Owners, and Business Owners.