agile top banner
Back to blogs

SAFe Scrum Master Role - What Does Scrum Masters Do

Read it in 5 Mins

Last updated on
28th Apr, 2022
Published
28th Apr, 2022
Views
8,814
In this article
  1. Who is a SAFe Scrum Master?
  2. Key Roles at Different Levels (Team level, Program Level, Solution Level, Portfolio Level)
  3. How is the SAFe Scrum Master Role Different from Scrum?
  4. Scrum Master Responsibilities
View All
SAFe Scrum Master Role - What Does Scrum Masters Do

Modern project management is at once an empowering and challenging space. You find complex problems and have a range of efficient tools and methodologies to tackle them. Since its inception, Agile has paved the way for process-oriented management that helps organizations scale up in more efficient ways. Multiple Agile methodologies such as Scrum, Kanban, XP, and more continue to take the Agile agenda forward. But you can truly maximize your team’s potential when you start understanding Agile management principles.  

The Scrum Master in SAFe is more than just a Scrum Master. As described by SAFe, the Scrum Master plays the role of a servant-leader for the agile team, helping to educate the team on various tools and methodologies, including Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming, and SAFe, in order to ensure that the agreed-upon agile process is followed. Therefore, the SAFe Scrum Master Certification in SAFe would be required to have more tools in their toolbox than Scrum alone. 

Who is a SAFe Scrum Master?

SAFe® Scrum Masters (SSM) are SAFe Scrum professionals responsible for implementing Scrum practices within an organization. Facilitating team meetings using Scrum and Kanban, supporting program execution, and coaching Agile teams are among the key competencies required of a SAFe Scrum Master.  

Key Roles at Different Levels (Team level, Program Level, Solution Level, Portfolio Level)

There are four levels to the famed scaled agile framework, and we will explore the importance of each level to developing an Agile-powered system. The four levels are: 

  • Team Level 
  • Program Level 
  • Portfolio Level 
  • Solution Level 

Key Roles at Different Levels

We can get a better understanding of each level by breaking them down one by one.  

  • Team Level

SAFe involves a variety of roles in the development and testing process, including Product Owner, Agile Team, and Scrum Master. These roles are foundational for a successful implementation. At the team level, these roles should deliver value. Typically, teams at this level use software frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban, or XP, which promise better products at the end of every sprint. 

This is a requirement based on the backlog, which is managed by the product owner. Iterations consist of creating, building, and testing the requirements. In Agile Release Train, the sprint length is determined by the ART cadence. Get Agile overview and more resources on KnowledgeHut. 

  • Program Level

In the ART concept, the Program Layer is the level above the team level. The system team collaborates here with DevOps, UX, and release train engineers as well as BA, DevOps, and the system architect. The DevOps team and the system team are the primary teams. An important goal of the system team is to design a development infrastructure that creates an environment for development. Additionally, the team provides support for test automation as well as staging system sprint demos. 

The DevOps team, on the other hand, is largely responsible for automating the deployment process and deploying the software.  

  • Portfolio Level

Adding a portfolio level to the enterprise's core competencies increases the odds of delivering on the enterprise's strategic direction. A programming portfolio management role, as well as an enterprise architecture role, are part of this level. There is no tightly bound rule at this level, but these are the roles that participate there. 

Scaled agile frameworks are one of three levels of business agility that incorporate investment funding, lean portfolio management, and lean governance tailored to the organization's needs. Lean budgeting is used by enterprises to fund products with the use of best practices for lean budgeting. 

  • Solution Level

This level is part of version 4.0 of the scaled agile framework. In order to ensure that clients are receiving quality products, the ARTs and program teams combine their efforts to achieve it. When businesses are looking to remain competitive, the level of their value stream plays a major role. The value stream can be classified into two types: 

  • In the operational stage, the company provides its products and services to clients, which can also be considered a revenue-producing stage. 
  • The development stage involves the invention of new products and system capabilities. 

How is the SAFe Scrum Master Role Different from Scrum?

SAFe Scrum Masters enable their agile teams to adopt and identify features of SAFe, but they also learn various lean tools and techniques to improve the team's flow of value. 

Only the Scrum framework has been the focus of a Scrum Master. 

Scrum Master Responsibilities

In order to achieve their objectives, the Scrum Master performs the following responsibilities:

Planning Meetings

Scrum masters schedule meetings as well as decide who will attend and how often they should occur. In addition, daily stand-ups may also be planned as part of meetings. When it comes to planning meetings, the scrum master has several responsibilities.  

  • By estimating projects and classifying them into smaller tasks (subtasks), the scrum master aids in sprint planning. 
  • Planning sprint reviews and gathering feedback from the development team or product owner are some of the tasks he or she occasionally undertakes. 
  • Product owners and development teams should meet regularly with the scrum master. 
  • The scrum master should ensure that all members of each team participate in meetings and express their views.

Mediating

Product owners and developers communicate through the scrum master. By fulfilling these responsibilities, the scrum master will simplify the process of building the product:  

  • Stand-ups should be held by the scrum master to discuss challenges and possible solutions, as well as to collaborate with team members and the product owner. 
  • The scrum master should make sure all of the team's tasks are known to the product owner. 
  • A product owner and other stakeholders should be informed about the progress made by the product manager.

Coaching

Among scrum's responsibilities is coaching. Product owners expect that scrum masters will coach them into delivering products that add value according to their specifications and priorities. Scrum masters are responsible for coaching product owners.  

  • Scrum masters should be prepared to address disagreements about the project process and workflow with the development team and stakeholders as needed. 
  • Scrummasters should encourage teams to conduct retrospectives, which identify problem areas and identify actions to be taken. 
  • A scrum master must keep track of sprint changes and ensure that scrum tools are working. Take action to prevent tasks from falling behind their due dates in the future, and discuss the matter with team members. 
  • During the sprint-creation process, he or she should discuss business priorities and values with the product owner. 

Scrum Master Qualities

What qualities do good scrum masters need to have?  

  • Good scrum masters work well with the product owner and the development team. It is crucial to this job to be a mediator. 
  • The ideal scrum master should also have persuasive skills in order to motivate employees and inspire them to achieve the customer's goals. 
  • Scrum masters must also be prepared to bargain whenever necessary since team members, product owners, project managers, stakeholders, and others all may have different goals and perspectives. 
  • An excellent scrum master should be knowledgeable and observant in order to anticipate and identify challenges facing the development team. If adequate knowledge is not available, then the scrum team won't be able to generate solutions by itself. 

Conclusion

SAFe Scrum Teams are self-organized, collaborative, and communicative. The SAFe Scrum Master ensures that these teams deliver on their projects efficiently and are provided with the required resources. The Scrum Master ensures that the teams follow the local Agile processes and support the Product Owner in delivering a flawless product.  

As more enterprises choose to adopt Agile practices and improve business continuity and build better products, SAFe Scrum Masters will continue to be in demand, as coaches, as mentors, and as facilitators who ensure that the Scrum teams are empowered in delivering the best. Enroll in KnowledgeHut SAFe scrum master certification program and get a step closer to becoming a SMM. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is part of the role of a Scrum Master in SAFe?

Scrum Masters facilitate the Scrum process and enforce other rules that their teams have agreed to. During the Agile Release Train (ART), the Scrum Master also coordinates with other teams and communicates status to management in the case of an emergency.  

2. How is SAFe different from Scrum?

The main difference between them is how they approach their work. In simple terms, Scrum is basically used to organize teams, while SAFe® is used to organize the entire organization. SAFe® manages to incorporate many important aspects that Scrum tends to miss.  

3. What are the Essential Skills and Qualifications required for SAFe Scrum Master? 

Skills:

  • Knowledgeable 
  • Observant 
  • Influential 
  • Transparent 
  • Collaborative

Qualification: 

You must attend a 16-hour Certified ScrumMaster course (CSM®) from a Certified Scrum Trainer® (CST®). You must answer 37 out of 50 questions correctly within the 1-hour time limit in order to pass the CSM® online exam. 

4. Is Scrum Master a project manager?

Both yes and no. Scrum masters are project managers, so they must possess certain skills such as communication and organization. Accordingly, they are qualified as project managers.  

5. What does a Scrum Master do and not do?

It is essential for a Scrum Master to avoid committing certain common mistakes. 

  • A Project Manager's Behaviour 
  • Over-checking 
  • Refusing to accommodate changes 
  • Making decisions on your own 
  • Excessively complicating or simplifying 
  • Providing a single point of contact 

It is essential for a Scrum Master to do these things: 

  • Using Agile project management methods, Scrum masters guide a team through the project life cycle. 
  • Scrum masters facilitate communications between leaders and team members in order to ensure a successful project.
Profile

KnowledgeHut

Author
KnowledgeHut is an outcome-focused global ed-tech company. We help organizations and professionals unlock excellence through skills development. We offer training solutions under the people and process, data science, full-stack development, cybersecurity, future technologies and digital transformation verticals.

SAFe® 5.1 Scrum Master Certification (SSM)

16-Hour Live Instructor-led Online Training
Free 1-year SAFe Community Membership
Comprehensive Exam Support
Exam Fee included in Course Fee
Gateway to SA Community of Practice

Enroll Now

What are the responsibilities of SAFe® Scrum Master?

Certified SAFe agilist(SA) vs Certified SAFe Scrum Master(SSM) - Detailed Comparison

Trending Blog

6