SAFe Scrum Master: Everything you Need to Know

Today, businesses across domains rely on the Agile Project Management approach to handle complex and bulk projects. Its key framework, SAFe, helps to scale the Agile practices to the enterprise level. Thus, making its adoption rate so much higher across industries. But did you know that SAFe alone isn’t the key player? It is the SAFe Agile Scrum Masters who escalate the entire project through their skills and techniques. The SAFe Scrum Master facilitates problem-solving sessions and educates the Scrum Teams on the improvement area. 

It is why these professionals are paid lavishly. Their salary ranges from £60800/per annum for an entry-level profile to £154000/per annum for experienced ones, according to Glassdoor. So, if you too want to work with top-tier industries, look no further. You can participate in the race to become a SAFe Scrum Master. Still confused about where to start? Worry no more.

Learn everything about these professionals from this blog. Starting with who is a SAFe Scrum Master, their responsibilities and skills, this blog will cover every aspect of it.

Table of Contents 

1) Who is a SAFe Agile Scrum Master? 

2) Roles of a SAFe Scrum Master

3) Responsibilities of a SAFe Scrum Master in Agile? 

4) How to become a SAFe Scrum Master? 

5) Skills necessary for a SAFe Scrum Master 

6) Benefits of becoming a SAFe Scrum Master 

7) Conclusion 

Who is a SAFe Agile Scrum Master? 

In the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), the Scrum Master serves as the leader and guide for the Agile team, ensuring adherence to Agile processes and facilitating team events. They help the team to carry on the processes and achieve the desired goal effortlessly. It is done through educating and mentoring the team members about various frameworks included with Agile.Additionally, the SAFe Master ensures that the team follows instructions and fulfils their tasks as directed.  Therefore, the Scrum Master in SAFe requires more tools from the Agile toolkit beyond just Scrum. 

Usually, a SAFe Scrum Master and a Scrum Master are often confused with each other. The key difference is that a SAFe Agile Scrum Master needs to adhere to the Scrum practices to scale the Agile project. Whereas a Scrum Master may adopt Scrum, Kanban, XP or any other framework that fits best for the project requirements.

Moreover, a SAFe Scrum Master also fulfils the duty of a Scrum Master by supporting the Development Team. They also facilitate all the SAFe activities to continuously work on improving the product.  On the other hand, a Scrum Master looks after the Development Team and ensures the timely delivery of the product with the help of key information called scrum artefacts in their possession. But this is just scratching the surface. Going further in the blog, you will learn more about the roles and responsibilities of a SAFe Scrum Master.
 

Roles of a SaFe Scrum Master

The role of a SaFe Scrum Master extends beyond the conventional responsibilities. This is because these professionals act as leaders and ensure adherence to the agreed-upon agile process. Moreover, their duties involve removing obstacles, fostering effective team dynamics and driving continuous improvement.

Moreover, SAFe encompasses different levels, such as Essential SAFe, Large Solution SAFe, and Full SAFe. These levels aim to propagate agile practices throughout an organisation. The flexibility of these setups allows adaptation to various contexts, making SAFe Scrum Masters indispensable contributors across all company levels.

Responsibilities of a SAFe Scrum Maste

As discussed earlier, a Scrum Master in the SAFe framework is not just a mentor but plays a crucial role in project development. So, let’s have a detailed look at the Scrum Master roles and responsibilities in the SAFe framework:

Educate and mentor Scrum Teams and Product Owner 

The SAFe Agile Scrum Master facilitates problem-solving sessions and educates the Scrum Teams on the areas of improvement.. It helps the team members learn from past mistakes and instils a sense of ownership for their actions. Further, they also mentor the Product Owner to effectively manage the backlog by prioritising healthy backlogs. 

Facilitates Agile Events 

Daily events such as Scrum meetings, demos, retrospectives, iteration reviews, and sprint planning are all facilitated by the SAFe Scrum Master called Scrum Events. These ensure improvement in team performance and delivery of quality products within the timeline. To make these events constructive and successful, the SAFe  Agile Scrum Master brings about transformative ideas. 

Prepares and facilitates Agile Release Train (ART) ceremonies 

Preparing and facilitating the Agile Release Train (ART) ceremonies is one crucial task of a SAFe Scrum Master. It includes the following:

Regularly communicate with other teams involved in the train 

The SAFe Scrum Master must interact with other teams to support product development. Here, the interaction involves staying updated with the backlogs, dependencies, risks and different concerning subjects. It is to be noted that not only the leader but also team members engage in the interaction at various levels. Thus, the team remains in touch with System Team, Architecture and Shared Services. 

Identifies possible backlogs 

It is the responsibility of the SAFe Scrum Master to identify backlog items during Sprints and Releases. Further, they provide an efficient estimation of stories and features so that the team can plan their work according to the upcoming Sprints, thus instilling a commitment to actions. 

Encourages adoption of quality practices in SAFe 

It is important that the Scrum Team understands the client's requirements and work accordingly. To achieve this goal, the Scrum Master educates the team across all project development stages to adopt the right tools and techniques and adhere to the project guidelines to implement Scrum in SAFe Agile Concepts.   

Aligning Agile objectives 

Superficially, a SAFe Scrum Master is also working to scale Agile. Thus, they ensure the formulation of common organisational goals. This involves understanding and implementing SAFe core values to the larger Agile project. 

Builds healthy and motivated team 

Improving team dynamics is one of the key responsibilities of a SAFe Scrum Master. The SAFe Scrum Agile Master fosters healthy relationships among the team members through various activities. It keeps cultural conflicts, challenges and logistic problems away and improves communication to promote the timely delivery of products. 

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How to become a SAFe Scrum Master?

By now, you must have understood that a SAFe Scrum Master has a crucial role in an Agile Scrum project and got the idea of their responosiblites So, if you want your company to deliver quality products to the end consumer, having a SAFe Scrum Master certification also becomes important. But how to obtain this Certification? Let’s find out: 

Obtain a certificate 

It is essential to have a basic knowledge of SAFe Scrum to earn a SAFe Scrum Certification and to practice as a SAFe Scrum Master. It is necessary because a certification signifies that the candidate understands the responsibilities of a SAFe Scrum Agile Master and is prepared to implement various strategies across the Project Management stages.  

If you do not already have a certificate, you can obtain certification through a training course provided by accredited institutes. This would give you an in-depth understanding of the basics of the SAFe Scrum framework and insight into how, where and when to implement it. 

Clear the examination 

The SAFe Scrum Master examination tests your abilities to apply it in real-world settings. You must meet specific criteria before taking a SAFe Scrum Certification Exam. Those criteria are as follows:

The SAFe Scrum Master examination tests your abilities to apply it in real-world settings. You must meet specific criteria before taking a SAFe Scrum Certification Exam. Those criteria are as follows:

1) Eligibility: Anyone who wishes to assist in the organisation’s Project Management tasks can earn a SAFe Scrum Master Certification. Whether you are a Vice President (VP), Director, Executive, Senior Manager, Quality Analyst, Program and Project Manager, Product Manager, or Portfolio Manager, you can go for the certification examination. 

2) Educational qualification: An Undergraduate Degree or a High School Diploma is necessary to appear for the examination. Having at least five years of experience in either Software Development, Testing, Business Analysis, or Project Management is also recommended. Along with this, applicants must have a foundational grasp of SAFe Scrum. In order to pass the examination, the candidates need to do the following: 

a) The first step is to understand the examination pattern. 

b) Prepare for the SAFe Scrum Master exam either by registering for a course or purchasing handbooks.

c) Lastly, log into the SAFe Community Platform to access the exam. The test is available in the English language. 

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Skills necessary for a SAFe Scrum Master 

Simply gaining a certification does not end the quest. To become a professional in your job as a SAFe Scrum Master, you need to master various skills that you need to master as well. Following are the skills that you need to possess to become a master at your work: 

1) In-depth knowledge of SAFe, Agile Scrum and Kanban: Although the SAFe Scrum Master particularly works with SAFe Framework, they should also have an in-depth knowledge of other frameworks so that they can adapt to any approach when necessary. 

2) Excellent leadership skills: As clear from the above discussion, a SAFe Scrum Master is the key player in facilitating a SAFe Framework in Agile Scrum. They coach and train Scrum Teams, look after the workflow, manage ART ceremonies, and collaborate with other teams to deliver a quality product. Thus, handling all these tasks single-handedly requires an individual with leadership skills. 

3) Excellent at handling the team throughout Sprints: It means that the SAFe Scrum Master should be able to ensure that all the team members follow Agile processes as determined. This also includes ensuring that the workflow aligns with the pre-determined objective. Thus, the SAFe Scrum Agile Master should be a team player. 

4) Facilitating discussions, supporting decision making and resolving challenges: As a SAFe Scrum Master in Agile, you should not reluctantly follow the standardised framework. But you should also be capable of adapting to the changes and eliminating backlogs by participating in decision-making. 

5) Able to collaborate with peers and other higher authorities: The Scrum approach requires the Scrum Masters to collaborate with System Teams, Product Owners and other Executives. Thus, in order to achieve this, a SAFe Scrum Master should have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. 

6) Master in technical know-how: One of the key responsibilities of a Scrum Master includes closely working with the Product Manager to develop processes to maximise the team’s productivity. They must facilitate software program development, eliminating as many obstacles as possible. Thus, the SAFe Scrum Masters must possess the knowledge to keep up with the procedures of the technical community. 

7) Capable of innovative ideation, adopting an analytical and strategic approach to problems: The SAFe Scrum Master should possess technical skills and develop soft skills to develop highly effective methods for the Scrum Teams. They must also be able to plan and provide the correct direction for the project. Thus, Scrum Masters must be critically sound to keep everyone and everything on track. 

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Benefits of becoming a SAFe Scrum Master 

According 17^th State of Agile Report, one-quarter of respondents said that the Enterprise Agile framework followed by their organisation follows is SAFe. Thus, you see that out of all Agile frameworks, SAFe Framework has the highest success rate. 

So, there is no reason why SAFe will not benefit you. Still in doubt? Following are the benefits of becoming a SAFe Agile Scrum Master: 

Gain in-depth knowledge of Scrum 

Candidates can acquire profound insights into Scrum through a Scrum Master course. Whether you are entering the Agile realm for the first time or are an experienced Project Manager, a course provides essential knowledge and practical skills for implementing Scrum at the organisational level. For seasoned professionals, obtaining a certification through this course opens doors to overcoming challenges inherent in managing complex projects and large teams across various departments using the Scrum of scrum methodology.

Enhance team interaction management 

For a Certified SAFe Scrum Master, it would be easier to understand team dynamics, thereby coaching, mentoring, aiding, and motivating them more effectively than before. The Scrum Master Certification demonstrates that you are capable and experienced enough to lead and mentor an Agile team skilfully. It also implies that you are an asset to the company, thus proving that you are a notch higher than your peers. 

Build an Agile mindset 

During the Agile Training, you learn to use the tools and practical skills to scale Agile. This helps to stimulate teamwork, eliminate obstacles, and develop better and more successful projects. Thus, practising as a SAFe Scrum Master using the Agile methodology automatically builds the correct mindset to execute the framework at all levels in the organisation successfully. 


 

Ensure hassle-free implementation of Agile 

As mentioned earlier, Scrum is one of the primary choices of Agile Project Managers. The Scrum framework includes releasing schedules, building self-sufficient teams, and processes that add up to its success. So, if you plan to implement Scrum as a new methodology at your organisation, a SAFe Scrum Master can help facilitate the same easily. Thus, lightening the Management’s burden and increasing the chances of success for a project in Scrum implementation. 

Give a boost to your career 

The demand for Scrum Masters across industries is all-time high, which can open many gates towards achieving your dream career. Therefore, becoming a Certified Scrum Master is the best choice. The certification can help you become a strong competitor in the market and provide a gateway to unlocking higher Scrum Master salary opportunities compared to your uncertified peers. The certification is living proof that you are ready to take up complex challenges, think critically and provide solutions for the same. As a result, achieving business goals and benefiting your organisation. 

Conclusion 

A SAFe Agile Scrum Master is a coach, mentor, guide, critical thinker, director, collaborator, and agent to Scrum teams. It means that they are the jack of all trades. But, to become one, the candidates must possess the right skills and certification to showcase their potential. By doing so, they can take their career to new heights and achieve desired goals.

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