Why can only one Agile phase be placed in a Project?

[Uncle Rob]

Is there a particular reason why only one Agile phase can be placed in a project?  

Further, is there a reason why only one Team can execute it?   (also, if anyone has any insight, please see my thread on "teams vs work groups")

[arun_vydianatha]

We had developed this feature for IT Project Teams. From our experiences within SNOW and design partners we found IT projects are short duration 2-3 months max and executed by one team.

Project has a backlog. Backlog is filled with stories.

You have phases for the project - Requirements -> Design -> Execution(Agile) -> Test -> Release

During execution phase you create Sprints - then do Sprint Planning where team picks Stories from Project Backlog and move it to Sprint Backlog.

Suppose we start creating multiple Agile phases - some one has to do a Phase planning where Stories are moved from Project Backlog to Phase Backlog. And then from Phase Backlog it moves to Sprint Backlog. It is clear who moves Stories to Sprint backlog - it is going to be the Scrum Team. Who does the Phase Planning (if I can call it like that?)?

And for short projects it is very unlikely to have multiple Agile phases.

If you have two teams working from the same backlog - who decides which story goes to which team. Who co-ordinates that meeting? In Scrum world there is no methodology specified where Teams work in same backlog.

Having multiple teams and multiple agile phases are valid use-cases - but our suggestion is to execute them as multiple small projects.

[LaniStover]

this can be configured to allow 1:N agile phases:

Project -> Workbench Config -> Select Agile phase and de-select the limit to one phase checkbox.     I'm testing this now and it seems to be working.

I've also made the changes to the Test Phase and it doesn't seem to be working, but i'll continue testing and if needed file the appropriate HI ticket.

[anna_scheib]

Hi Lani. Single Test and Agile phase per project is currently a known limitation. So even though it looks like you've done the configuration change, you will not be able to add more than one Agile phase. I believe we are addressing this limitation in the very near future.

[arun_vydianatha]

Hi Lani - As Anna pointed out this is a current limitation.

This config will help only enable adding in multiple agile phases in Workbench UI. But the new phase won't get saved.

Even if you tinker with our BRs and allow addition of multiple agile phases, it is not expected to work properly.