SAFe Scrum Master role responsibilities in Agile: 5 Areas

As a trained psychologist and Scrum Master, I know that understanding the responsibilities of agile roles is often a bit of a challenge. Also, when it comes to the Scrum Master role in the scaled Agilen framework SAFe, many questions arise. Today we will try to answer these questions and shed some light on the responsibilities.

SAFe Scrum Master role includes responsibility | Group

The SAFe Scrum Master role includes responsibilities to which other group?

Let’s perhaps start by answering a question that is used in some SAFe online certification tests: The SAFe Scrum Master role includes responsibilities to which other group?

In short, the answer lies in collaboration with other agile teams on the Agile Release Train (ART). Because only through close cooperation can the objectives of the ART be achieved effectively.

This is also a good example of how a SAFe Scrum Master is different from a normal Scrum Master: We work at scale, in a Agilen release train, and in this respect we should also be more scaled.

Let’s take a closer look at the responsibilities of a SAFE Scrum Master.

SAFe Scrum Master role includes responsibility | Group

5 areas of responsibility of a SAFe Scrum Master

Put simply, there are five areas of responsibility for a Scrum Master in the scaling agile framework SAFe: 

• Improvement of ART performance (Agile Release Train)
• Support with PI planning
• Building effective teams
• Improvement of the workflow
• Support during the iterations

Let’s take a closer look at all 5 areas.

The art of improvement

The first responsibility of the SAFe Scrum Master role is the continuous improvement of ART performance. Here our goal is to look for opportunities to optimize the Agile Release Train. The Agile Manifesto reminds us that continuous improvement is a key principle.

PI planning made easy

The moderation etc. of the PI Planning is the second responsibility. This is about ensuring the smooth running of the Program Increment (PI) Planning, which typically lasts 2 days. The Scrum Master is the facilitator who ensures that all voices are heard and that the team is on the same course.

Efficient teams

Creating high-performing teams is not just a buzzword, but a central task of the Scrum Master. To be honest, this responsibility, which is officially named by SAFe, certainly overlaps with the other responsibilities. But perhaps it draws attention to the fact that the individual team must not be forgotten in SAFe.

Improvement of the workflow

Improving workflow as an explicit responsibility is perhaps less obvious, but no less important a task. This work typically manifests itself in validly measuring Kanban board flow metrics and using them to improve WIP etc.

Successfully accompanying iterations

Finally, holistic support for iterations over time is of course crucial. This is where the principles of agile project management come into play – rapid adaptation and continuous delivery.

SAFe Scrum Master role in SAFe Agile

Become a better SAFe Scrum Master

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The SAFe Scrum Master should interpret their role more broadly than most do - namely, being active only within their own team.

Christian Heidemeyer, Psychologist & Scrum Master

SAFe Scrum Master role includes responsibility | Group

Conclusion - Scaled Agile Framework SAFe Scrum Master responsibility

There is a lot to do in the role of SAFe Scrum Master, from improving performance to successfully implementing iterations. The combination of psychological know-how and agile principles makes this role diverse and exciting - but also definitely a challenge due to its scaling.

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