How is team performance calculated in SAFe?

A. The ratio of tasks planned to tasks completed

B. Team member utilization as a percentage of total capacity

C. The ratio of Story points completed to Story points planned in the PI

D. The ratio of business value achieved to business value planned for the PI

The correct answer is

D. The ratio of business value achieved to business value planned for the PI

Explanation

In the context of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), team performance is primarily measured by the ratio of Story points completed to Story points planned in the PI (Program Increment). This measurement reflects how effectively a team or Agile Release Train (ART) has delivered against its commitments throughout a PI.

Let’s briefly examine why this option is correct and why the others are less aligned with SAFe’s principles:

• The ratio of tasks planned to tasks completed: While tracking tasks can offer insights into day-to-day productivity, SAFe emphasizes value delivery over task completion. The framework prefers more outcome-based measures, such as the delivery of Story points or business value, rather than the sheer number of tasks completed. This approach ensures that the focus remains on delivering value and outcomes that matter to customers and stakeholders.


• Team member utilization as a percentage of total capacity: Utilization rates focus on how much of a team member’s time is being used for work, but high utilization doesn’t necessarily equate to effective or valuable output. SAFe encourages a sustainable pace and prioritizes delivering the most critical features and capabilities with the highest quality, rather than maximizing individual utilization.


• The ratio of Story points completed to Story points planned in the PI: This is the correct measure within SAFe for evaluating team performance. It assesses the team’s ability to forecast and deliver work within a PI, focusing on the completion of work items estimated in Story points. This measure helps teams and stakeholders understand how effectively the team is delivering on its commitments and can guide continuous improvement.


• The ratio of business value achieved to business value planned for the PI: While this is a valuable measure and SAFe certainly emphasizes the delivery of business value, the specific performance of teams is more commonly and directly assessed through Story points. Business value is often more subjective and can be influenced by factors outside the team’s control, making the direct ratio of Story points a more practical and frequently used metric for team performance within the framework.

Therefore, the ratio of Story points completed to Story points planned in the PI is the most accurate reflection of team performance in SAFe, focusing on the completion of work and value delivery over merely being busy or completing a high number of tasks.

Other SAFe Scrum Master Question – Lee is a developer on the team. At every daily stand-up Lee reports, “Yesterday, I worked on indexing. Today, I will work on indexing. No impediments.”