Every Agile/Scrum/SAFe term and acronym used across this suite, defined in plain language. A
companion glossary for PMBOK/waterfall terminology (as used in the Enrollment & Claims PM Suite) is linked
from that suite's homepage.
AgileA set of values and principles (the Agile Manifesto) favoring iterative delivery, working software, and responding to change over rigid up-front planning. An umbrella philosophy, not a single method.
ScrumThe specific Agile framework used on this program — fixed-length Sprints, defined roles (Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team), and a set cadence of ceremonies.
KanbanAn alternative Agile framework focused on visualizing flow and limiting work-in-progress rather than fixed-length sprints. The board style used in this suite borrows Kanban's column visualization even though the program runs on Scrum's sprint cadence.
SprintA fixed-length iteration (2 weeks on this program) during which a Scrum team delivers a potentially shippable increment.
Product Owner POOwns the product backlog and prioritization; the single voice of "what to build next." C. Tyrrell's role on this program.
Scrum Master SMFacilitates ceremonies, removes impediments, and protects the team's process — not a manager of the people on the team.
Scrum-of-Scrums SoSA lightweight coordination ceremony between multiple Scrum teams — used here to sync Falcon and Anchor on cross-team dependencies, without the overhead of a full SAFe Agile Release Train.
Product BacklogThe single, prioritized list of everything that could be built — Epics, Features, and Stories — owned by the Product Owner.
Sprint BacklogThe subset of the Product Backlog a team commits to for one specific Sprint.
EpicA large body of work too big for one Sprint, broken down into Features and Stories (e.g., "Provider Console" in this program).
User StoryA small, independently deliverable piece of functionality, written from the user's perspective ("As a patient, I want…").
Acceptance CriteriaThe specific, testable conditions a story must meet to be considered complete.
Definition of Ready DoRThe checklist a story must pass before it can enter a Sprint.
Definition of Done DoDThe checklist a story must pass before it can be called complete.
Sprint PlanningThe ceremony at the start of a Sprint where the team commits to a Sprint Backlog and Sprint Goal.
Daily StandupA short (15-min) daily sync where each team member shares yesterday's work, today's plan, and any blockers.
Backlog RefinementAn ongoing ceremony where the team clarifies, estimates, and splits upcoming backlog items so they're ready for future Sprints. Also called "grooming."
Sprint ReviewThe ceremony at the end of a Sprint where completed work is demonstrated to stakeholders for feedback.
Sprint RetrospectiveA team-only ceremony after Sprint Review focused on how the team can improve its own process.
Sprint GoalA short statement of what the Sprint is meant to achieve, giving the team's individual stories a shared purpose.
Work in Progress WIPThe number of items actively being worked on at once; WIP limits (used in this program's Team Charter) cap this to encourage finishing work over starting new work.
SpikeA time-boxed research or investigation task used to reduce uncertainty before committing to a story estimate (e.g., the screen-share entitlement spike in Sprint 3).
Technical DebtShortcuts or deferred work taken on to move faster now, at the cost of future rework.
INVESTA quality checklist for user stories: Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable.
Story PointsA relative, unitless measure of effort/complexity/uncertainty for a story — not hours. Used throughout this program's backlog.
Fibonacci EstimationUsing a Fibonacci-like scale (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13…) for story points, so estimates get intentionally less precise as size grows — reflecting real uncertainty.
Planning PokerA group estimation technique where team members privately choose a story-point estimate, then reveal simultaneously to surface and discuss differences.
T-Shirt SizingA coarser alternative to story points (S/M/L/XL), often used for very early, high-level Epic estimation before detailed refinement.
MoSCoWA prioritization technique: Must have, Should have, Could have, Won't have (this time). Used on this program's Product Backlog.
SAFeScaled Agile Framework — a layer added on top of Agile/Scrum for coordinating many teams at once. This program deliberately used only light SAFe-flavored elements (see Team Charter) rather than full SAFe, since two teams didn't warrant the heavier structure.
Agile Release Train ARTIn full SAFe, a long-lived team of teams (typically 5-12 teams) that plan and deliver together. Not used on this program — Scrum-of-Scrums served the same coordination purpose at a smaller scale.
Release Train Engineer RTEIn full SAFe, the person who facilitates ART-level ceremonies — a scaled-up equivalent of a Scrum Master. This program didn't have a dedicated RTE; C. Tyrrell's Delivery Lead role absorbed the equivalent coordination.
Program Increment PIIn full SAFe, a longer planning horizon (typically 8-12 weeks / multiple Sprints) with its own planning event. This program's Vision & Roadmap and Release 1/Release 2 structure served an equivalent purpose without formally adopting PI Planning.
Iterative DevelopmentThe broad umbrella term for any development approach that builds in repeated cycles with feedback, rather than one linear pass. Agile and SAFe are both iterative; not all iterative approaches are Agile.
PHIProtected Health Information — patient data subject to HIPAA protection; drives several Definition of Done and compliance-review requirements on this program.
HIPAAHealth Insurance Portability and Accountability Act — the U.S. federal law governing patient data privacy and security.
BAABusiness Associate Agreement — a contract required under HIPAA between a healthcare organization and any vendor that may handle PHI (e.g., ACME Health's BAA with PulseConnect).
MVPMinimum Viable Product — the smallest release that delivers real value; Release 1 on this program.
RAIDDRisks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies, Decisions — a single log tracking all five, used identically in structure to the Enrollment & Claims PM Suite's RAIDD Log, adapted here to Agile-specific entries.
RACIResponsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed — a responsibility-assignment matrix, adapted in this suite to cover ceremony ownership rather than only deliverable sign-off.
SLAService Level Agreement — a vendor's committed performance standard (e.g., PulseConnect's 4-hour P1 response time).
SOWStatement of Work — a contract document defining a vendor engagement's scope, deliverables, and terms.