When planning for a distributed Program Increment (PI) Planning event with a large dif-ference in...

When planning for a distributed Program Increment (PI) Planning event with a significant difference in time zones, a Release Train Engineer (RTE) should focus on adjusting the PI agenda to accommodate overlapping hours and ensuring robust audio and video connectivity across all locations.

Adjusting the PI agenda to 2.5 – 3 days allows for overlapping hours where all participants can engage synchronously, which is crucial for collaboration and alignment1. This adjustment ensures that teams across different time zones can contribute effectively without being excluded due to their local time.

Ensuring that presentation audio and video connectivity is arranged and tested in all locations is essential for a distributed PI Planning event1. This preparation is vital to avoid technical issues that could disrupt the communication and collaboration necessary for successful PI Planning. It’s important to have reliable technology and infrastructure that supports the different planning activities, including tooling to facilitate remote interaction1.

These focus areas are critical for the RTE to prepare and facilitate a distributed PI Planning event effectively, ensuring that all teams, regardless of their location, can participate fully and contribute to the planning process.