Lead Agile Release Trains as a SAFe® RTE

Key Topics:

Definition of the Release Train Engineer and role in SAFe

RTE as “chief Scrum Master” for the ART and how it differs from PM/SM

Core responsibilities – facilitating ART processes, PI execution, impediment & risk management

RTE competencies – servant leadership at scale, SAFe mastery, large‑group facilitation, coaching

Key Topics:

ART fundamentals – long‑lived team of Agile teams, size, structure and value stream alignment

ART roles – RTE, Product Management, System Architect, Business Owners, SMs, POs

ART cadence and events – PI Planning, Iterations, ART Sync, System Demo, Inspect & Adapt, IP Iteration

Virtual and distributed ART considerations

Key Topics:

PI Planning readiness assessment – teams, backlogs, stakeholders and tools

Content preparation – business context, product & solution vision, architecture vision, feature readiness

Logistics – physical, virtual and hybrid PI Planning setup, program board and expectations

Key Topics:

Facilitation principles for RTEs – large group dynamics, neutrality, safety, energy

Timeboxing, agenda control, conflict navigation and de‑escalation

Virtual facilitation mastery – tools, breakouts, digital voting and engagement in remote PI Planning

Key Topics:

Opening PI Planning – welcome, objectives, working agreements

Facilitating business context, product & solution vision and architecture presentations

Team breakout planning – capacity, story selection, dependencies, risks

Draft plan review – draft objectives, visualization and feedback

Key Topics:

Management review and problem solving – dependencies, constraints, scope and resourcing

Communicating decisions and facilitating re‑planning

Key Topics:

Final plan review – team presentations, completed program board and final PI Objectives

Risk management – ROAM, owners and mitigation

PI confidence vote – facilitation and addressing concerns

PI Planning retrospective – improvements for the next PI event

Key Topics:

ART Sync facilitation – progress, risks, impediments and actions

System Demo – coordinating integrated demos and stakeholder feedback

Tracking and communicating progress – program board, PI Objectives, predictability and dashboards

Key Topics:

Dependency management – identification, visualization, resolution and escalation patterns

Risk management throughout the PI – ROAM board maintenance and mitigation tracking

Key Topics:

Flow metrics for ARTs – distribution, velocity, time, load, efficiency, predictability

Improving flow – bottleneck analysis, WIP limits, reducing waits and improving integration

Key Topics:

Inspect & Adapt structure – System Demo, quantitative & qualitative review, problem‑solving workshop

Facilitating problem solving – root cause analysis, solutioning and improvement backlog creation

Using metrics to guide improvement and track outcomes

Key Topics:

Coaching the Scrum Master community – communities of practice and developing future RTEs

Working with Product Management, Architecture, Business Owners and stakeholders

Key Topics:

RTE exam overview – format, passing criteria and open‑book strategy

Key content focus areas and knowledge reinforcement

Career and growth path as an RTE – applying learning, communities and continuous development