How are Changes incorporated in Portfolios and Programs?
Any change that arises in either the programs or portfolios may have a cascading effect on all
dependent projects and Sprints. Therefore, within the Scrum framework, it is advisable to minimize
changes at these higher levels.
In a Scrum Portfolio:
1. It is not recommended to make changes in between two Portfolio Backlog Meetings.
2. If the change is minor, the Portfolio Product Owner should secure approval from the
relevant stakeholders (e.g., sponsor, customer, and end user) and then add the requirements to the
Portfolio Backlog. Product Owners of the program and project will consider those requirements for
inclusion in future Sprints.
3. If the change is major, the portfolio efforts along with associated programs, projects, and
Sprints need to stop, and a Portfolio Backlog Meeting should be conducted to determine next steps.
4. Portfolio Prioritized Product Backlog Meetings (also referred to as Portfolio Backlog
Meetings), should be conducted at 4- to 12-month intervals. The frequency and impact of changes to
a portfolio largely determine the time duration between two Portfolio Backlog Meetings. If there are
several expected changes in portfolio, it is preferable to conduct Portfolio Backlog Meetings at more
regular intervals (e.g., 4–6 months); but if there are fewer expected changes and if requirements are
stable, the duration between two Portfolio Backlog Meetings could be increased (e.g., 9–12
months).
In a Scrum Program
1. It is not recommended to make changes in between two Program Backlog Meetings.
2. If the change is minor, the Program Product Owner should secure approval from the
relevant stakeholders (e.g., sponsor, customer, and end user) and the Portfolio Product Owner and
then add the requirements to the Program Backlog. Product Owners for the project will consider
those requirements for inclusion in future Sprints.
3. If the change is major, the program efforts along with associated projects and Sprints need
to stop, and a Prioritized Product Backlog Meeting should be conducted to determine next steps.
4. Program Prioritized Product Backlog Meetings (also referred to as Program Backlog
Meetings), should preferably be conducted at 2- to 6-month intervals. The frequency and impact of
changes to a program largely determine the time duration between two Program Backlog Meetings.
If there are several expected changes in program, it is preferable to conduct Program Backlog
Meetings at more regular intervals (e.g., 2–3 months); but if there are fewer expected changes and if
requirements are stable, the duration between two Program Backlog Meetings could be increased
(e.g., 5–6 months).
