The Lean Portfolio Management team is reviewing new work moving through the Portfolio Kanban. Request 1 is incremental innovation and can likely be done by one ART in one PI. Request 2 is a major opportunity impacting multiple stages of the Value Stream, likely requiring the participation of two ARTs over multiple PIs. Which backlog should each request be added?

In SAFe, work items are sized and managed in different backlogs based on their scope and impact. Request 1 is a small, incremental innovation for a single Agile Release Train (ART) within one Program Increment (PI). This scope is characteristic of a Feature, which is managed in the ART Backlog. Request 2 is a major initiative that impacts multiple ARTs over several PIs. This fits the definition of a Portfolio Epic, a significant enterprise initiative that requires analysis and approval through the Portfolio Kanban and is managed in the Portfolio Backlog.

A. Request 2 is a Portfolio Epic, which is too large and cross-cutting to be managed in a single ART Backlog.
B. Request 1 is a Feature, which is too small and localized to be managed in the Portfolio Backlog.
C. This option incorrectly reverses the placement of the two requests based on their described scale and impact.

1. Scaled Agile, Inc. (2023). Epic. Scaled Agile Framework. Retrieved from https://www.scaledagileframework.com/epic/. (Defines Epics as significant initiatives managed at the Portfolio level).

2. Scaled Agile, Inc. (2023). Feature. Scaled Agile Framework. Retrieved from https://www.scaledagileframework.com/features-and-capabilities/. (Defines Features as services that fulfill a stakeholder need, sized to be delivered by an ART in one PI).

3. Scaled Agile, Inc. (2023). Portfolio Backlog. Scaled Agile Framework. Retrieved from https://www.scaledagileframework.com/portfolio-backlog/. (Describes the Portfolio Backlog as the highest-level backlog, containing approved Epics).

4. Scaled Agile, Inc. (2023). ART Backlog. Scaled Agile Framework. Retrieved from https://www.scaledagileframework.com/art-backlog/. (Describes the ART backlog as the holding area for upcoming Features).