Understanding SAFe® Roles in Safedevops.app

Overview of Program-Level Roles
These roles are assigned to users at the organization level and typically have a broad scope, often spanning multiple teams or the entire Agile Release Train (ART). They are focused on program-level execution, strategy, and governance.

• Release Train Engineer (RTE): A servant leader and coach for the ART. The RTE's major responsibilities are to facilitate the ART events and processes and assist the teams in delivering value. RTEs receive notifications for Epic creation, PI Objective updates, Feature assignments, and cross-team dependency management.
• Product Manager (PM): Responsible for defining and prioritizing the Program Backlog. They work with Product Owners to decompose Features into Stories and are responsible for the overall vision and roadmap of the solution. PMs receive notifications for Epic creation, Feature assignments, and strategic work item updates.
• SAFe Program Consultant (SPC): A certified change agent who combines their technical knowledge of SAFe with an intrinsic motivation to improve the company's software and systems development processes. SPCs receive organization-wide notifications for major milestones and system changes.
• Other: A general-purpose role for stakeholders or members who participate at the program level but do not fit into the other defined roles.

Team-Level Role Definitions
These roles are assigned to members within a specific Agile Team. They are focused on the hands-on development, delivery, and quality of the solution increments.

• Scrum Master (SM): A servant leader for the Agile Team, responsible for facilitating team events, removing impediments, and fostering an environment for high performance. SMs receive notifications for team-level work item assignments, comments mentioning them, and sprint-related updates.
• Product Owner (PO): Responsible for the Team Backlog. The PO defines Stories, prioritizes the backlog, and is the single point of contact for the team regarding product requirements. POs receive notifications for Feature assignments, User Story creation, and backlog changes.
• Developer (Dev): A member of the Agile Team responsible for designing, building, and testing the solution increments. The term 'Developer' encompasses all team members involved in the creation of value. Developers receive notifications for work item assignments, comments, and status updates.
• Quality Analyst (QA): Focuses on the quality aspects of the product, including defining test strategies, creating test cases, and performing automated and manual testing. QAs receive notifications for testing-related work items and quality gate updates.
• Business Analyst (BA): Helps the team understand business requirements, often working closely with the Product Owner to refine user stories and acceptance criteria. BAs receive notifications for requirement changes and story refinements.
• UX Designer: Focuses on the user experience and interface design, ensuring the solution is intuitive, accessible, and meets user needs. UX Designers receive notifications for design-related work items and user feedback.
• Architect: A System or Solution Architect who provides architectural guidance and technical enablement to the Agile Team, ensuring alignment with the broader technology vision. Can operate at both team and ART levels. Architects receive notifications for technical dependencies and architectural decisions.
• System Engineer (SysEng): Provides technical guidance on the system's infrastructure, deployment environments, and operational aspects. System Engineers receive notifications for infrastructure-related work items and deployment updates.
• Other: A flexible role for team members who do not fit into the predefined categories.

Role-Based Notification Framework
Safedevops.app's notification system is tightly integrated with SAFe roles to ensure relevant stakeholders receive timely updates:

• Work Item Notifications: Epic, Feature, and User Story creation and updates are automatically sent to relevant role-based recipients
• Assignment Notifications: When work items are assigned to specific users, they receive immediate email notifications
• Comment Notifications: Team members receive notifications when comments are added to their work items, with special handling for @mentions
• PI Planning Notifications: PI Objective creation and updates are sent to program-level roles (RTE, PM, SM, PO)
• Dependency Notifications: Cross-team dependencies trigger notifications to affected teams and their stakeholders
• Status Change Notifications: Important status changes (e.g., PI Objectives at risk, work items completed) are communicated to relevant roles

Best Practices for Role Assignment
Assigning the correct roles ensures that team members have the appropriate context, permissions, and notification preferences to perform their duties effectively within the Safedevops.app platform. Consider each user's responsibilities and the level of access they need when assigning roles.