What is one of the core responsibilities of an architect in SAFe?

One of the core responsibilities of an architect in SAFe is to ensure the integration of architectural elements across teams. This role is critical because architects are responsible for maintaining a cohesive architectural vision and ensuring that various components developed by different teams work together effectively. In SAFe, architecture should support the overall business goals by fostering alignment between teams, ensuring that the solutions developed are scalable, maintainable, and strategically sound.

By focusing on integration, architects facilitate collaboration and communication across agile teams, helping to prevent silos and ensuring that everyone is aligned with the architectural vision. This aspect of the architect's role helps to mitigate risks associated with architectural dependencies and is essential for delivering a high-quality, integrated product.

The other responsibilities listed do not align with the primary focus of an architect in SAFe. For instance, managing portfolios is more of a product management function, leading daily standups pertains to Scrum Masters and team leads, and critiquing the work of team members dives into a potentially negative space that undermines the collaborative culture fostered within agile frameworks.