release planning

The activity of shaping an overall, high-level approach for when and how a product, deliverable, or value increment will be released or handed over.

Key Points

  • Outlines the broad schedule, scope, and sequence of releases or transitions.
  • Aligns the product roadmap, backlog priorities, dependencies, and team capacity to target release windows.
  • Forecasts are iterative and refined as new information emerges and value is delivered.
  • Establishes readiness and completion criteria, risk and compliance checks, and stakeholder communication plans for each release.

Example

A product team maps a quarterly release: they select top-priority features from the backlog, confirm dependencies with the platform team, assess capacity across two iterations, define a pilot rollout followed by general availability, and set entry/exit criteria, communications, and training for customer support.

PMP Example Question

Which activity creates a high-level forecast of when increments will be delivered and what they will include, aligning the roadmap, dependencies, and capacity?

  1. Sprint planning
  2. Release planning
  3. Daily standup
  4. Retrospective

Correct Answer: B — Creating a high-level plan for product releases

Explanation: Release planning focuses on the overarching timing and scope of releases, while sprint planning, standups, and retrospectives operate at the iteration or team level.

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