When should Agile Teams make time for innovation?

According to the SAFe framework, Agile Teams should allocate time for innovation continuously throughout the Program Increment. This is facilitated through the Innovation and Planning (IP) Iteration, which is a dedicated iteration that occurs every Program Increment (PI). It provides an estimating buffer for meeting PI Objectives and dedicated time for innovation, continuing education, PI Planning, and Inspect and Adapt (I&A) events1.

The IP Iteration serves as a regular, cadence-based opportunity for teams to engage in innovation and learning activities that are difficult to fit into a continuous, incremental value delivery pattern. This iteration allows for activities such as hackathons, where individuals can work on innovative ideas outside the usual constraints of their regular backlog and team construct. The outcomes from these hackathons often make their way into the ART Backlogs, driving innovations that benefit the business1.

Furthermore, dedicating time to PI events during the IP Iteration ensures that the velocity of regular iterations is not reduced. This approach also enhances the predictability of PI performance and provides a buffer for meeting PI objectives1.