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Initiate phase

The Initiate phase establishes the project's foundation by performing early startup work, including these processes: Create Project Vision, Identify Scrum Master and Business Stakeholder(s), Form Scrum Team, Develop Epic(s), Create Prioritized Product Backlog, and Conduct Release Planning.

Key Points

  • Sets a clear vision and aligns key stakeholders on objectives and high-level scope.
  • Defines roles and forms the Scrum Team, establishing basic governance and ways of working.
  • Captures high-level requirements as epics and orders them into a prioritized product backlog.
  • Creates a high-level release plan that frames timelines, milestones, and initial delivery strategy.

Example

A company kicks off a new mobile app project. The Product Owner documents the vision, a Scrum Master is chosen, business stakeholders are identified, a cross-functional Scrum Team is formed, epics like user registration and payment are drafted, the Product Backlog is prioritized, and a high-level release plan outlines the first two releases.

PMP Example Question

Which deliverable is most likely created during the Initiate phase of an Agile project?

  1. A prioritized Product Backlog and a high-level release plan
  2. A sprint burndown chart
  3. A completed potentially shippable increment
  4. A detailed task breakdown for the first sprint

Correct Answer: A — Prioritized Product Backlog and release plan

Explanation: The Initiate phase focuses on vision, team setup, epics, backlog prioritization, and release planning; the other options are outputs of sprint execution or tracking.

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