What will I learn:
SAFe SSM (SAFe Scrum Master) course attendees lean an array of skills crucial for enabling and leading agile teams.
Empowerment and Leadership: Gain insights on how to empower and lead Agile teams effectively, and understand the role of a Scrum Master in fostering team autonomy and motivation.
Facilitation of Agile Events: Learn facilitation techniques for key Agile events, including iteration planning, team synchronization, and iteration retrospectives.
Develop skills to guide and moderate these events for optimal team collaboration and progress.
Supporting Team Planning and Execution: Learn methods to assist teams in planning and completing their work efficiently, and understand the Scrum Master’s role in removing impediments and ensuring smooth workflows.
Servant Leadership Principles: Explore the principles of servant leadership within the context of SAFe practices, and apply servant leadership principles to fulfil key SAFe team roles effectively.
Team Development and Improvement: Implement strategies to nurture high-performing and engaged teams, and foster a culture of continuous improvement within the team and the organisation.
Facilitating Collaboration and Engagement: Master techniques to enhance collaboration and engagement among team members, and create an environment conducive to open communication and shared ownership.
Scaling Agile Practices: Learn how the Scrum Master role adapts in the context of scaled Agile frameworks like SAFe, and learn how to leverage DevOps for continuous flow and delivery.
Who will benefit from this course
By attending the SAFe SSM training, professionals from diverse roles gain a comprehensive understanding of the Scrum Master’s responsibilities in a scaled Agile framework context, contributing to improved team dynamics, Agile implementation, and organizational success.
Current and Aspiring Scrum Masters: Individuals currently serving or aspiring to serve as Scrum Masters in Agile teams will benefit significantly. The training equips them with advanced skills and knowledge specific to the SAFe framework, enabling them to better fulfil their roles.
Agile Practitioners and Coaches: Agile practitioners, Agile coaches, and those involved in Agile transformations can enhance their understanding of scaled Agile frameworks by learning how Scrum Master roles operate in a scaled environment.
Product Owners and Product Managers: Product Owners and Product Managers who collaborate closely with Scrum Masters can gain insights into the Scrum Master’s role, facilitating improved collaboration and alignment between roles.
Team Leads and Team Members: Team leads and members involved in Agile projects can benefit from understanding the responsibilities and support provided by a Scrum Master. This can lead to better team dynamics and a deeper appreciation for the Scrum Master’s contributions.
Project and Program Managers: Project and Program Managers working in organizations transitioning to Agile or implementing SAFe frameworks can benefit by understanding the role and impact of Scrum Masters in driving Agile success.
Anyone Engaged in Agile Transformations: Professionals involved in Agile transformations at various levels within an organization, including change agents, consultants, and process improvement specialists, can benefit from understanding the Scrum Master’s role in these transformations.
Prerequisites and Prep required
The SAFe SSM course cover the fundamental concepts, and contains materials & content that provide the foundational knowledge necessary to understand the SAFe framework and Scrum Master role within it. This makes the SSM training accessible to individuals with varying levels of experience.
Some experience in areas such as project management, product management, business or technology change, software development or experience in working in an Agile environment would be an advantage. Depending on your circumstances, some degree of pre-reading could also be advisable. We will assess this on a case by case basis and advice you as a part of our pre-course engagement.
For remote learning / virtual classroom sessions, you are required to ensure you have the necessary connectivity, bandwidth, hardware and software (Including but not limited to: PC or laptop, webcam, headset, internet connectivity, ability to access conferencing and collaboration tools etc…) required to join the session. Accelerators will facilitate a pre-course session to ensure you can join the virtual session and can access the necessary collaboration tools.
What course Material and support will I get?
All of our students will receive a digital workbook for the course. We will provide a printed workbook for all classroom based sessions. At our discretion, we may provide additional; notes, summaries, quick reference guides and examples as applicable to the specific training course.
Participants who complete the training will get one year access to the SAFe Studio, which contains; the course content, tools, and resources you need to practice SAFe every day, including; advanced topics, e-learning modules, videos, toolkits, Team Event Facilitator Guides, Online collaboration templates for all SAFe team events, Toolkits to help prepare and execute PI Planning, and your learning plan which will include a practice exam.
The initial SAFe SSM exam fee is included in the course price. On successfully passing the SSM examination, you can claim your digital badge which showcases your achievement.
The success of our training participants is of vital important to us. During our pre-course engagement we aim to get to know you, understand your drivers and objectives, and recommend pre and/or post training activities to ensure your successful certification.
Post training, you will have access to a group channel where you and the rest of your training cohort can discuss, exchange ideas and ask questions from our SPCs.
We will also offer each training cohort a 1-2 hour Q&A and refresher session prior to the SAFe examination date. The date and time will be agreed during the training event. Should you require even further support, this could be arranged at preferential rates.
Topics covered / Course Syllabus
Lesson 1: Introducing Scrum in SAFe
- Basic Agile development concepts
- Scrum basics
- The Agile Team in a SAFe Enterprise
Lesson 2: Characterizing the Role of the Scrum Master
- Responsibilities of the Scrum Master
- Characteristics of an effective Scrum Master
- High-performing teams 2.4 Team events
- Coach the Agile Team using powerful questions
- Collaborate with other teams
- Resolve team conflicts
Lesson 3: Experiencing PI Planning
- PI Planning basics
- Draft PI plans
- Final plans and business value
- Final plan review and PI Objectives
- Facilitating PI Planning
Lesson 4: Facilitating Iteration Execution
- Plan the Iteration
- Track the Iteration progress
- Refine the backlog
- Facilitate the Iteration Review
- Facilitate relentless improvement
- Support DevOps and Release on Demand
Lesson 5: Finishing the PI
- Coach the IP Iteration
- Prepare the team for the Inspect & Adapt event
Lesson 6: Practising SAFe
- Learning Plan
- Use of the SAFe Studio
Examination Details and Annual Renewals
Duration: | 90 minutes |
Number of Questions: | 45 |
Passing Score: | 73% |
Course Delivery: | Web-based, closed book, no outside assistance |
Access to Learning Plan: | (after course completion) |
Exam Cost: | The First attempt is included in the course registration fee if taken within 30 days of course completion. |
Retake Fee: | $50 Payable directly to Scaled Agile Inc. (Correct at time of website update) |
Retake Policy: | First retake – May be taken immediately after the first failed attempt.
Second retake – May be taken 10 days after the first retake.
Third retake – May be taken 30 days after the second retake.
All subsequent retakes require a 30-day wait. |
Annual SAFe SSM renewal: | US $ 100 Payable directly to Scaled Agile Inc. (Correct at time of website update) |
Professional Development Units (PDUs)
| PMI PDUs | Claim Code | Ways/Working | Power Skills | Business | Project Management | Portfolio Management | Business Analysis | Agile | Risk Management | Scheduling |
| SAFe SSM | 4446CQX5MO | 12 | 2.25 | 0.75 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
Additional Services
- Access to the Accelerators community forum and networking opportunities
- Optional access to our trainers and delivery specialists for:
- One to one coaching
- Q&A
- Consultancy
- Change delivery support
- SAFe transformation support
- Discounted rates for subsequent SAFe training events run by Accelerators
