PMO-04.03.09 Phase 04: Planning

RELEASE PLAN

خطة الإصدار
tasleemat asset PMO-04.03.09 template --lang en

Deliverable Summary & Governance Boundaries

Lifecycle Phase Alignment

Phase 04: Planning

Sizing Tier Requirements

Validation Contract

This deliverable conforms to a strict companion Draft 2020-12 JSON Schema for automated structural and semantic validation.

tasleemat validate PMO-04.03.09 ./completed_data.json

Template Markdown (Bilingual)

<!--  LLM INSTRUCTIONS: Fill in the [ Add details... ] placeholders based on project context.

The release plan is similar to a roadmap. It functions as a high-level schedule that indicates which release each requirement or user story will be assigned to. The elements in a particular release can be updated based on the relative priority of the requirements in the backlog and the availability of resources needed to work on the specific requirements.

The release plan can be further elaborated into sprints. Each release may have multiple sprints. Once a sprint starts, the requirements or user stories in the sprint cannot be changed.

A high-level release plan may be developed after the product vision and backlog are started; however, it will remain somewhat dynamic throughout the project as priorities shift and new requirements are identified. The sequence and priorities of requirements or user stories may be updated after each sprint to reflect changing needs based on performance feedback or customer needs.

Alignment: the release plan should be aligned and consistent with the following documents: Product vision, Roadmap, Product backlog.

Writing guidance:

*   This is a forecast, not a commitment, until a sprint starts. Write it so a reader can tell the two apart, because a plan that reads as fixed when it is not will be used to make promises.

*   Reference each user story by its backlog identifier rather than restating it, so the plan and the backlog cannot drift apart.

*   Give each release a goal in one sentence. A release without a goal becomes whatever happened to fit.

*   Review the plan after every sprint and move what has not started. A plan that is never re-sequenced is a plan written once and never true.

*   Record resource constraints where they bite. An item that keeps sliding because one person is unavailable is telling you something the schedule alone does not show.

Tailoring Notes:

*   As information in the release plan gets more concrete you may want to assign requirements or user stories to specific sprints in the release.

*   You can arrange the release plan in swim lanes, with each lane assigned to a specific team or work stream.

*   If you show the release plan with a timeline you can show the relationships between various user stories or features. This blends the information about the content of each release with the schedule information.

Column guidance, by column:
- **Release:** The release identifier and name, for example R1 or Release 1. A release is the unit the customer receives, not an internal milestone, so name it the way the customer would recognise it.
- **Start Date:** When the release starts. For a high-level plan a month or a quarter is honest; a day-level date implies a precision the plan does not have.
- **End Date:** When the release finishes. Give the duration as well as the end date, since the two together are what show whether the release is gaining or losing ground.
- **User Stories:** The requirements or user stories from the backlog assigned to this release, referenced by their backlog identifier rather than restated, so the plan and the backlog cannot drift apart.
- **Release Goal:** What this release is for, in one sentence. A release without a goal turns into a list of everything that happened to fit, which is how releases acquire unrelated work.
- **Status:** Not started, in progress, or released. This is the column that makes the plan honest: once a sprint has started its contents cannot change, so anything still marked in progress is committed, and anything not started can still move.
- **Sprint:** The sprint identifier and the release it belongs to, so the plan can be read per release rather than as one long list.
- **Dates:** When the sprint starts and ends. A sprint with no dates cannot be told apart from one that is still open to negotiation, and once it has started its contents are fixed.
- **Sprint Goal:** What this sprint is for, in one sentence. Several sprints toward one release goal is the normal case; a sprint goal that contradicts the release goal is a sign the release is carrying two unrelated pieces of work.
- **Sprint User Stories:** The user stories committed to this sprint, by backlog identifier. Once the sprint has started this list is what was committed, and a change to it is a change to the commitment rather than to the plan.
- **Sprint Status:** Not started, in progress, or complete.
-->

<h3 dir="ltr" align="right">{{Company_Name}}</h3>
<h2 dir="ltr" align="right">{{Project_Name}} - {{Project_ID}}</h2>
<h1 dir="ltr" align="center">RELEASE PLAN</h1>

| **Date Prepared:** {{Current_Date}} | **Project Manager:** {{Project_Manager_Name}} | **Prepared By:** {{Prepared_By}} |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |  

---

## 1. Releases
<!-- One row per release. The release is the unit the customer receives, so name it the way the customer would recognise it. Reference the user stories by their backlog identifier rather than restating them. Until a sprint starts this table is a forecast, and a reader must be able to tell a forecast from a commitment. -->

| Release | Start Date | End Date | User Stories | Release Goal | Status |
| :---: | :---: | :---: | :--- | :--- | :---: |
| [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] |
| [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] |
| [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] |
| [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] |

---

## 2. Sprint Breakdown
<!-- One block per sprint. A release may have several sprints, and a sprint's contents are fixed once it starts, so a plan that shows a sprint without a date does not tell the reader whether it is already committed or still negotiable. List the user stories by backlog identifier. -->

| Sprint | Dates | Sprint Goal | Sprint User Stories | Sprint Status |
| :---: | :---: | :--- | :--- | :---: |
| **Sprint 1** | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] |
| **Sprint 2** | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] |
| **Sprint 3** | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] | [ Add details... ] |

<!-- A release may have several sprints; give each one a row and state which release it belongs to. -->

---

## 3. Sign-off and Approvals

| Role | Name | Signature | Date |
| :--- | :--- | :---: | :---: |
| **Product Owner** | {{Product_Owner_Name}} | _______________________ | [ .... - .... - .... ] |
| **Release / DevOps Lead** | {{Release_Lead_Name}} | _______________________ | [ .... - .... - .... ] |
| **Project Manager** | {{Project_Manager_Name}} | _______________________ | [ .... - .... - .... ] |
---

<div dir="ltr" align="right" style="margin-top: 20px; font-size: 12px; color: #7f8c8d;">
  <span>Electronic Audit Trail: Hash SHA256: {{Audit_Trail_SHA256_Hash}}</span> <br>
  <strong>Template:</strong> RELEASE PLAN | <strong>Ref:</strong> PMO-04.03.09 <br>
  <i>Generated on: {{Current_Timestamp}}, by <a href="https://github.com/fakhruldeen/Tasleemat/" style="color: #7f8c8d;">Tasleemat</a></i>
</div>

User Guide & Practitioner Instructions

Tasleemat Forms Guide

Project Artifact: Release Plan

Document Reference: PMO-04.03.09

This document provides a comprehensive, professional reference to understand the purpose and effective usage of the Release Plan in alignment with the Tasleemat framework.


1. What?

A formal Tasleemat-aligned project document known as the Release Plan, which is similar to a roadmap and functions as a high-level schedule showing which release each requirement or user story will be assigned to. The contents of a release can change according to the relative priority of the requirements in the backlog and the availability of the resources needed to work on them.

The plan can be elaborated into sprints, several to a release, and once a sprint starts its contents cannot change. It is therefore a forecast rather than a commitment, and stays dynamic throughout the project as priorities shift and new requirements are identified.

The form records a release table (release, dates, user stories, release goal, status) and a sprint breakdown (sprint, dates, goal, user stories, status).


2. Why?

To give the customer and the team a shared view of what is coming and when, and to keep the release sequence honest as priorities shift, so that what is promised is traceable to a backlog identifier rather than to recollection.


3. When?

This artifact is prepared at the PLANNING Process Group, under Schedule. A high-level plan may be developed once the product vision and the backlog have started, and it is re-sequenced after each sprint as priorities shift and new requirements are identified.


4. Who?

Responsibilities: Maintained by the Product Owner with the Project Manager, reviewed after every sprint, and agreed with the customer for committed releases. the ordering and for its accuracy. Estimated, reviewed, and updated by the team.


Tailoring Tips

  • As information in the release plan gets more concrete you may want to assign requirements or user stories to specific sprints in the release.
  • You can arrange the release plan in swim lanes, with each lane assigned to a specific team or work stream.
  • If you show the release plan with a timeline you can show the relationships between various user stories or features. This blends the information about the content of each release with the schedule information.

Alignment & Dependencies

1. Pre-requisites & Inputs (Upstream Dependencies)

  • Mandatory:
    • Work Breakdown Structure / WBS (PMO-04.02.06)
    • Scope Statement (PMO-04.02.05)
  • Optional / Contextual:
    • Resource Requirements (PMO-04.06.02)
    • Risk Register (PMO-04.08.02)

2. Downstream Dependents

  • Mandatory:
    • Project Schedule Baseline (PMO-04.03.08)
    • Earned Value Analysis / EVA (PMO-06.05)
  • Optional / Contextual:
    • Release Plan (PMO-04.03.09)
    • Lookahead Planning Log (PMO-04.03.10)

5. How?

To accurately and professionally complete the RELEASE PLAN, the responsible party must populate the following sections based on the project context (ensure parameters.md is referenced for global project variables):

  • Release: The release identifier and name, for example R1 or Release 1. A release is the unit the customer receives, not an internal milestone, so name it the way the customer would recognise it.
  • Start Date: When the release starts. For a high-level plan a month or a quarter is honest; a day-level date implies a precision the plan does not have.
  • End Date: When the release finishes. Give the duration as well as the end date, since the two together are what show whether the release is gaining or losing ground.
  • User Stories: The requirements or user stories from the backlog assigned to this release, referenced by their backlog identifier rather than restated, so the plan and the backlog cannot drift apart.
  • Release Goal: What this release is for, in one sentence. A release without a goal turns into a list of everything that happened to fit, which is how releases acquire unrelated work.
  • Status: Not started, in progress, or released. This is the column that makes the plan honest: once a sprint has started its contents cannot change, so anything still marked in progress is committed, and anything not started can still move.
  • Sprint: The sprint identifier and the release it belongs to, so the plan can be read per release rather than as one long list.
  • Dates: When the sprint starts and ends. A sprint with no dates cannot be told apart from one that is still open to negotiation, and once it has started its contents are fixed.
  • Sprint Goal: What this sprint is for, in one sentence. Several sprints toward one release goal is the normal case; a sprint goal that contradicts the release goal is a sign the release is carrying two unrelated pieces of work.
  • Sprint User Stories: The user stories committed to this sprint, by backlog identifier. Once the sprint has started this list is what was committed, and a change to it is a change to the commitment rather than to the plan.
  • Sprint Status: Not started, in progress, or complete.

📥 Associated Templates


6. Reference Example

A fully completed, gold-standard reference example illustrating this artifact in practice is available:

📖 Completed Example: 04_03_09_Release_Plan_Example.md

LLM Generation Prompt & Agent Instructions

RELEASE PLAN - LLM GENERATION GUIDE

System Prompt / Instructions: This document serves as the detailed instruction set for generating the RELEASE PLAN. When asked to populate this form, use the guidance provided for each section below to accurately generate the required content. Reference parameters.md for global project variables.

Context & Definition: The product vision provides the future view of the product being developed. It is aspirational, yet achievable and realistic, and is developed at the very beginning of a project, where it is often an input to the business case. On agile-based projects it is often used in place of a project charter, and it is developed once, at the beginning.

Alignment & Dependencies: * Pre-requisites (Inputs): * Mandatory: Work Breakdown Structure / WBS (PMO-04.02.06), Scope Statement (PMO-04.02.05) * Optional: Resource Requirements (PMO-04.06.02), Risk Register (PMO-04.08.02) * Downstream Dependents: * Mandatory: Project Schedule Baseline (PMO-04.03.08), Earned Value Analysis / EVA (PMO-06.05) * Optional: Release Plan (PMO-04.03.09), Lookahead Planning Log (PMO-04.03.10)


Releases

Release

Instruction: The release identifier and name, for example R1 or Release 1. A release is the unit the customer receives, not an internal milestone, so name it the way the customer would recognise it.

Generated value: [ Add details... ]


Start Date

Instruction: When the release starts. For a high-level plan a month or a quarter is honest; a day-level date implies a precision the plan does not have.

Generated value: [ Add details... ]


End Date

Instruction: When the release finishes. Give the duration as well as the end date, since the two together are what show whether the release is gaining or losing ground.

Generated value: [ Add details... ]


User Stories

Instruction: The requirements or user stories from the backlog assigned to this release, referenced by their backlog identifier rather than restated, so the plan and the backlog cannot drift apart.

Generated value: [ Add details... ]


Release Goal

Instruction: What this release is for, in one sentence. A release without a goal turns into a list of everything that happened to fit, which is how releases acquire unrelated work.

Generated value: [ Add details... ]


Status

Instruction: Not started, in progress, or released. This is the column that makes the plan honest: once a sprint has started its contents cannot change, so anything still marked in progress is committed, and anything not started can still move.

Generated value: [ Add details... ]


Sprint Breakdown

Sprint

Instruction: The sprint identifier and the release it belongs to, so the plan can be read per release rather than as one long list.

Generated value: [ Add details... ]


Dates

Instruction: When the sprint starts and ends. A sprint with no dates cannot be told apart from one that is still open to negotiation, and once it has started its contents are fixed.

Generated value: [ Add details... ]


Sprint Goal

Instruction: What this sprint is for, in one sentence. Several sprints toward one release goal is the normal case; a sprint goal that contradicts the release goal is a sign the release is carrying two unrelated pieces of work.

Generated value: [ Add details... ]


Sprint User Stories

Instruction: The user stories committed to this sprint, by backlog identifier. Once the sprint has started this list is what was committed, and a change to it is a change to the commitment rather than to the plan.

Generated value: [ Add details... ]


Sprint Status

Instruction: Not started, in progress, or complete.

Generated value: [ Add details... ]


PMO-04.03.09 Phase 04: Planning Realistic Case Study Benchmark
Date Prepared
2026-03-15
Project Manager
Faisal Al-Harbi, PMP
Prepared By
Faisal Al-Harbi, PMP (Senior Project Manager)

Release Plan (Reference Example)

🏆 Gold Standard Reference Example: This document illustrates a fully completed, production-grade artifact adhering to the Tasleemat PMO Framework (PMO-04.03). All company names, project references, and figures are realistic fictional simulations.


Apex Global Solutions

Apex Unified Cloud ERP & Supply Chain Modernization - PRJ-2026-ERP-01

RELEASE PLAN


1. Releases

Release Start Date End Date User Stories Release Goal Status
Approved and aligned with Apex Global Solutions governance baseline 2026-04-01 2026-06-30 Approved and aligned with Apex Global Solutions governance baseline Digital Transformation & Operational Agility In Progress
Approved and aligned with Apex Global Solutions governance baseline 2026-06-01 2026-09-30 Approved and aligned with Apex Global Solutions governance baseline Process Automation & 40% Cycle Time Reduction Completed
Approved and aligned with Apex Global Solutions governance baseline 2026-08-15 2026-11-30 Approved and aligned with Apex Global Solutions governance baseline Real-time Data-Driven Executive Decision Making Planned
Approved and aligned with Apex Global Solutions governance baseline 2026-10-01 2027-01-31 Approved and aligned with Apex Global Solutions governance baseline 100% Security & Regulatory Compliance Assurance Approved

2. Sprint Breakdown

Sprint Dates Sprint Goal Sprint User Stories Sprint Status
Sprint 1 2026-06-30 Digital Transformation & Operational Agility Approved and aligned with Apex Global Solutions governance baseline In Progress
Sprint 2 2026-09-30 Process Automation & 40% Cycle Time Reduction Approved and aligned with Apex Global Solutions governance baseline Completed
Sprint 3 2026-11-30 Real-time Data-Driven Executive Decision Making Approved and aligned with Apex Global Solutions governance baseline Planned

3. Sign-off and Approvals

Role Name Signature Date
Product Owner Mariam Al-Khatib (Principal Product Owner) [Electronically Signed] 2026-03-18
Release / DevOps Lead Eng. Walid Al-Hammad (Release Coordinator) [Electronically Signed] 2026-03-18
Project Manager Faisal Al-Harbi, PMP [Electronically Signed] 2026-03-18
---
Template: RELEASE PLAN | Ref: PMO-04.03.09
Generated on: 2026-03-15 10:00 UTC, by Tasleemat

Draft 2020-12 JSON Schema

Canonical machine-readable data contract for automated payload validation with tasleemat CLI.
{
  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
  "$id": "https://tasleemat.pmo/schemas/completed/PMO-04.03.09.schema.json",
  "title": "Completed RELEASE PLAN Data Contract",
  "description": "Additive structural schema validating completed RELEASE PLAN artifact data payloads (PMO-04.03.09).",
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "artifact_id": {
      "type": "string",
      "const": "PMO-04.03.09"
    },
    "metadata": {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "project_name": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1
        },
        "project_code": {
          "type": "string"
        },
        "date_prepared": {
          "type": "string",
          "format": "date"
        },
        "project_manager": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1
        },
        "prepared_by": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1
        },
        "version": {
          "type": "string"
        },
        "status": {
          "type": "string",
          "enum": [
            "draft",
            "baselined",
            "in_review",
            "approved"
          ]
        }
      },
      "required": [
        "project_name",
        "date_prepared",
        "project_manager",
        "prepared_by"
      ]
    },
    "releases": {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "release": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1,
          "description": "The release identifier and name, for example R1 or Release 1. A release is the unit the customer receives, not an internal milestone, so name it the way the customer would recognise it."
        },
        "start_date": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1,
          "description": "When the release starts. For a high-level plan a month or a quarter is honest; a day-level date implies a precision the plan does not have."
        },
        "end_date": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1,
          "description": "When the release finishes. Give the duration as well as the end date, since the two together are what show whether the release is gaining or losing ground."
        },
        "user_stories": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1,
          "description": "The requirements or user stories from the backlog assigned to this release, referenced by their backlog identifier rather than restated, so the plan and the backlog cannot drift apart."
        },
        "release_goal": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1,
          "description": "What this release is for, in one sentence. A release without a goal turns into a list of everything that happened to fit, which is how releases acquire unrelated work."
        },
        "status": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1,
          "description": "Not started, in progress, or released. This is the column that makes the plan honest: once a sprint has started its contents cannot change, so anything still marked in progress is committed, and anything not started can still move."
        }
      },
      "required": [
        "release",
        "start_date",
        "end_date",
        "user_stories",
        "release_goal",
        "status"
      ]
    },
    "sprint_breakdown": {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "sprint": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1,
          "description": "The sprint identifier and the release it belongs to, so the plan can be read per release rather than as one long list."
        },
        "dates": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1,
          "description": "When the sprint starts and ends. A sprint with no dates cannot be told apart from one that is still open to negotiation, and once it has started its contents are fixed."
        },
        "sprint_goal": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1,
          "description": "What this sprint is for, in one sentence. Several sprints toward one release goal is the normal case; a sprint goal that contradicts the release goal is a sign the release is carrying two unrelated pieces of work."
        },
        "sprint_user_stories": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1,
          "description": "The user stories committed to this sprint, by backlog identifier. Once the sprint has started this list is what was committed, and a change to it is a change to the commitment rather than to the plan."
        },
        "sprint_status": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1,
          "description": "Not started, in progress, or complete."
        }
      },
      "required": [
        "sprint",
        "dates",
        "sprint_goal",
        "sprint_user_stories",
        "sprint_status"
      ]
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "artifact_id",
    "metadata",
    "releases",
    "sprint_breakdown"
  ]
}
📋 Form Field Definitions Dictionary (Legacy Specification)
{
  "_llm_instructions": "Fill in the 'project_title' and 'date_prepared' properties, and the 'value' property of each field, based on the provided project context. Reference parameters.md for global project variables.",
  "form_name": "RELEASE PLAN",
  "document_reference": "PMO-04.03.09",
  "project_title": "",
  "date_prepared": "",
  "fields": {
    "f01_Release": {
      "section": "Releases",
      "label": "Release",
      "guidance": "The release identifier and name, for example R1 or Release 1. A release is the unit the customer receives, not an internal milestone, so name it the way the customer would recognise it.",
      "value": ""
    },
    "f02_Start_Date": {
      "section": "Releases",
      "label": "Start Date",
      "guidance": "When the release starts. For a high-level plan a month or a quarter is honest; a day-level date implies a precision the plan does not have.",
      "value": ""
    },
    "f03_End_Date": {
      "section": "Releases",
      "label": "End Date",
      "guidance": "When the release finishes. Give the duration as well as the end date, since the two together are what show whether the release is gaining or losing ground.",
      "value": ""
    },
    "f04_User_Stories": {
      "section": "Releases",
      "label": "User Stories",
      "guidance": "The requirements or user stories from the backlog assigned to this release, referenced by their backlog identifier rather than restated, so the plan and the backlog cannot drift apart.",
      "value": ""
    },
    "f05_Release_Goal": {
      "section": "Releases",
      "label": "Release Goal",
      "guidance": "What this release is for, in one sentence. A release without a goal turns into a list of everything that happened to fit, which is how releases acquire unrelated work.",
      "value": ""
    },
    "f06_Status": {
      "section": "Releases",
      "label": "Status",
      "guidance": "Not started, in progress, or released. This is the column that makes the plan honest: once a sprint has started its contents cannot change, so anything still marked in progress is committed, and anything not started can still move.",
      "value": ""
    },
    "f07_Sprint": {
      "section": "Sprint Breakdown",
      "label": "Sprint",
      "guidance": "The sprint identifier and the release it belongs to, so the plan can be read per release rather than as one long list.",
      "value": ""
    },
    "f08_Dates": {
      "section": "Sprint Breakdown",
      "label": "Dates",
      "guidance": "When the sprint starts and ends. A sprint with no dates cannot be told apart from one that is still open to negotiation, and once it has started its contents are fixed.",
      "value": ""
    },
    "f09_Sprint_Goal": {
      "section": "Sprint Breakdown",
      "label": "Sprint Goal",
      "guidance": "What this sprint is for, in one sentence. Several sprints toward one release goal is the normal case; a sprint goal that contradicts the release goal is a sign the release is carrying two unrelated pieces of work.",
      "value": ""
    },
    "f10_Sprint_User_Stories": {
      "section": "Sprint Breakdown",
      "label": "Sprint User Stories",
      "guidance": "The user stories committed to this sprint, by backlog identifier. Once the sprint has started this list is what was committed, and a change to it is a change to the commitment rather than to the plan.",
      "value": ""
    },
    "f11_Sprint_Status": {
      "section": "Sprint Breakdown",
      "label": "Sprint Status",
      "guidance": "Not started, in progress, or complete.",
      "value": ""
    }
  }
}