How are program backlog features prioritized in SAFe?

• A. By alphabetical order
• B. Using WSJF
• C. By seniority
• D. By customer vote

Answer: (B)

SAFe uses Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) to prioritize program backlog features. This method helps you order work by economic value, balancing how valuable delivering something soon is against how much effort it takes.

To apply WSJF, estimate the Cost of Delay for each feature, which captures three aspects: User/Business Value, Time Criticality, and Risk Reduction/Opportunity Enablement. Then divide that Cost of Delay by the size or effort required to implement the feature. The resulting WSJF score shows value per unit of work; higher scores indicate higher priority because they promise the greatest economic return for the effort involved.

This approach keeps the program backlog focused on delivering what matters economically, rather than on non-value factors like alphabetical order, seniority, or crowd voting. For example, a feature with a high value and urgency but a relatively small size will typically have a higher WSJF and be scheduled earlier than a larger, less urgent feature with a similar or lower total value.