SAFe-POPM

The Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®) Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM) exam focuses on the principles, practices, and responsibilities of a SAFe POPM in a large-scale Agile environment. Here are the main points covered in the exam:

I. SAFe Overview and Principles:

• Understanding SAFe: Define the SAFe framework, its layers, and its core values.
• Lean-Agile Principles: Understand the principles of Lean and Agile, and their impact on SAFe.
• SAFe Implementation: Identify the different phases of SAFe implementation, including planning, execution, and continuous improvement.
• SAFe for Lean Portfolio Management: Understand how SAFe supports Lean Portfolio Management, including strategy alignment, investment funding, and portfolio execution.

II. Product Management in SAFe:

• Product Vision and Strategy: Define and articulate the product vision, strategy, roadmap, and backlog.
• Epic Ownership: Understand the role of a POPM in defining and managing Epics, including decomposition and refinement.
• Customer Collaboration: Describe how POPMs collaborate with customers, stakeholders, and other parties to gather and prioritize requirements.
• Value Stream and Feature Alignment: Explain how product management aligns with value streams and features within SAFe.

III. Product Ownership in SAFe:

• Backlog Management: Describe techniques for managing the product backlog, including prioritization, refinement, and backlog grooming.
• Story Writing and Acceptance Criteria: Explain the best practices for writing user stories and defining acceptance criteria.
• Team Collaboration: Understand how POPMs collaborate with Agile teams, including sprint planning, daily stand-up meetings, and sprint reviews.
• User Stories and Feature Prioritization: Describe techniques for prioritizing user stories and features based on value and risk.

IV. SAFe Roles and Responsibilities:

• POPM Responsibilities: Define the key responsibilities of a POPM within a SAFe environment.
• Collaboration with Other Roles: Understand how POPMs interact with other SAFe roles, including Product Managers, Scrum Masters, and Release Train Engineers.
• Stakeholder Management: Explain how POPMs manage stakeholders' expectations and communicate effectively.

V. SAFe Practices and Tools:

• SAFe Events and Artifacts: Describe the major events and artifacts used in SAFe, including PI Planning, System Demo, and Inspect & Adapt.
• Agile Estimation and Planning: Understand Agile estimation techniques, including story points and planning poker.
• Kanban and Flow: Describe the use of Kanban within SAFe, including value stream mapping, work-in-progress limits, and flow efficiency.
• SAFe Tooling: Identify and describe popular tools used in SAFe, including Jira, VersionOne, and Trello.

VI. Continuous Improvement and Lean Thinking:

• Continuous Improvement: Understand the importance of continuous improvement within SAFe, including Kaizen and retrospectives.
• Lean Principles: Apply Lean thinking to product management activities within SAFe, including waste reduction and flow optimization.
• Metrics and Reporting: Define and use metrics to measure the effectiveness of SAFe implementation and continuous improvement.

Exam Preparation Tips:

• SAFe Training: Complete a SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM) training course.
• SAFe Website: Refer to the SAFe website and documentation for detailed information.
• SAFe Community: Engage with the SAFe community and participate in online forums.
• Practice Questions: Practice with sample exam questions to test your understanding.
• Review the Glossary: Familiarize yourself with key SAFe terms and definitions.

Remember, the exam is designed to assess your understanding of SAFe principles and practices, and your ability to apply them in a real-world context.