For organizations seeking to reap the benefits of Agile on a large scale rather than just with small teams, the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is one of the most common methodologies adopted.
While roles in Agile are relatively straightforward as this methodology deals with small teams. Roles in SAFe Agile on the other hand are a bit more expansive with specific responsibilities designed to drive collaboration, alignment, and delivery across multiple teams and levels.
This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of these SAFe roles, enabling readers to understand their importance and how they contribute to the overall success of Agile transformation.
By exploring the various roles at the Team, Program, Large Solution, and Enterprise levels, you will gain insights into how these roles can be adapted and implemented within your organization to optimize your Agile practices at scale.
Core SAFe Roles
Team Level Roles
1. Agile Team
The Agile Team is a cross-functional group responsible for defining, building, and testing stories from the team backlog. It consists of Development Team Members, a Product Owner, and a Scrum Master.
Product Owner
The Product Owner is responsible for defining and prioritizing the team backlog, ensuring that the team delivers value to the business.
They collaborate with stakeholders, manage features and stories, and ensure alignment with the program’s priorities.
Scrum Master
The Scrum Master facilitates the Agile team’s work, removes impediments, and ensures that the team follows Agile practices. They also foster a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.
Development Team Member
Development Team Members are responsible for delivering working, tested, and high-quality software increments.
They collaborate on technical solutions, provide feedback, and participate in continuous improvement activities.
2. System Team
The System Team supports the integration of various Agile teams’ outputs, ensuring a working, tested, and integrated solution.
They are responsible for managing environments, performing integration testing, and assisting with deployment.
3. DevOps Team
The DevOps Team is responsible for the continuous delivery pipeline, ensuring that the solution is ready for deployment and promoting a culture of collaboration between development and operations.
Program Level Roles
1. Release Train Engineer (RTE)
The Release Train Engineer is the chief Scrum Master, responsible for ensuring that the Agile Release Train (ART) delivers value. They facilitate program-level events, manage risks, and coach teams on Agile practices.
2. Product Management
Product Management is responsible for defining and prioritizing the Program Backlog, ensuring that the ART delivers valuable features.
They collaborate with stakeholders, manage features and enablers, and provide content authority for the ART.
3. System Architect/Engineer
The System Architect/Engineer is responsible for defining the architectural vision and ensuring that it aligns with the organization’s strategic goals.
They collaborate with Agile teams and Solution Architects to ensure that the technical solutions support the architectural vision.
4. Business Owners
Business Owners are responsible for making key decisions, providing strategic direction, and ensuring that the ART delivers value.
They collaborate with Product Management and other stakeholders to define and prioritize the Program Backlog.
5. User Experience (UX) Designer
The UX Designer is responsible for the overall user experience of the solution, working with Agile teams, Product Management teams, and other stakeholders to ensure that the solution is usable, valuable, and desirable.
6. Shared Services
Shared Services are specialized roles that provide support to Agile teams. Examples include security, data management, and compliance.
These roles are typically not dedicated to a single ART but are shared across multiple ARTs.
Large Solution Level Roles
1. Solution Train Engineer (STE)
The Solution Train Engineer is the chief Scrum Master for the Solution Train, responsible for coordinating multiple ARTs to deliver large, complex solutions.
They facilitate solution-level events, manage risks, and coach teams on Agile practices.
2. Solution Management
Solution Management is responsible for defining and prioritizing the Solution Backlog, ensuring that the Solution Train delivers value.
They collaborate with stakeholders, manage capabilities and enablers, and provide content authority for the Solution Train.
3. Solution Architect/Engineer
The Solution Architect/Engineer is responsible for defining the solution’s architectural vision and ensuring that it aligns with the organization’s strategic goals.
They collaborate with System Architects and Agile teams to ensure that the technical solutions support the architectural vision.
4. Customer/User Representatives
Customer/User Representatives are responsible for providing feedback on the solution, ensuring that it meets their needs and expectations.
They participate in solution-level events and collaborate with Solution Management and other stakeholders to provide input on priorities and requirements.
Enterprise Level Roles
1. Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE)
The LACE is a group of Lean-Agile leaders and change agents responsible for driving the Agile transformation across the organization.
They provide guidance, training, and support to help teams adopt and improve Agile practices.
2. SAFe Program Consultant (SPC)
The SAFe Program Consultant is a certified expert in SAFe who coaches and trains individuals and teams in the organization.
They provide guidance on SAFe implementation, help to establish Agile Release Trains (ARTs), and assist with launching and improving ARTs.
3. Portfolio Management
Portfolio Management is responsible for strategic planning, prioritization, and funding of value streams.
They collaborate with Epic Owners, business owners, and other stakeholders to align the portfolio with the organization’s strategic goals.
4. Epic Owners
Epic Owners are responsible for defining, analyzing, and managing epics in the Portfolio Backlog. They work with stakeholders to prioritize epics, ensure that they are well-defined, and track their progress through the portfolio Kanban.
SAFe Role Interactions and Relationships
Collaboration Within and Across Levels
In the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), roles interact and collaborate within their respective levels and across different levels of the organization. This collaboration is essential for ensuring alignment, transparency, and value delivery.
Below are some key aspects of how roles collaborate within and across levels:
Team Level Collaboration
At the team level, Agile Teams, consisting of Development Team Members, Product Owners, and Scrum Masters, work closely together to plan, build, and deliver increments of value.
They collaborate with the System Team and the DevOps Team to ensure smooth integration and release of the developed solution.
Program Level Collaboration
At the program level, roles such as the Release Train Engineer (RTE), Product Management, System Architect/Engineer, Business Owners, and User Experience (UX) Designers collaborate to define, prioritize, and manage the program backlog.
They work with Agile Teams to ensure alignment with the program’s objectives and maintain transparency of progress.
Shared Services provide support to multiple teams, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing across the organization.
Large Solution Level Collaboration
At the large solution level, Solution Train Engineers (STE), Solution Management, Solution Architects/Engineers, and Customer/User Representatives work together to define, prioritize, and manage the Solution Backlog.
They coordinate the efforts of multiple Agile Release Trains (ARTs) to deliver a large, complex solution that addresses customer needs and expectations.
Dependency Management and Communication Between Roles
Managing dependencies and maintaining effective communication between roles is crucial for the success of SAFe implementations.
Here are some ways in which SAFe enables dependency management and communication between roles:
Program Increment (PI) Planning
PI Planning is a critical event where teams from different levels come together to plan and align their work for the upcoming increment.
During this event, teams identify and discuss dependencies, risks, and opportunities for collaboration.
ART Sync
The ART Sync is a regular event where key stakeholders, such as the Release Train Engineer (RTE), Product Management, and System Architects/Engineers, synchronize their efforts, share updates, and address any new dependencies or issues that arise during the execution of the Program Increment.
Solution Demo
The Solution Demo is an event where teams from different levels come together to demonstrate the integrated solution, providing an opportunity for stakeholders to review the progress, provide feedback, and identify any dependencies or issues that need to be addressed.
Inspect and Adapt (I&A) Workshop
The I&A Workshop is a periodic event where teams across the organization come together to reflect on their performance, identify areas for improvement, and develop plans to address any issues or dependencies that impact value delivery.
These events and practices foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, enabling SAFe roles to effectively manage dependencies and maintain open communication channels across the organization.
SAFe Responsibilities and Accountabilities
In the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), each role has clearly defined responsibilities and accountabilities that contribute to the overall success of the SAFe implementation.
Understanding these responsibilities and accountabilities is essential for ensuring that each role is effectively contributing to the organization’s strategic goals and objectives.
Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities for Each Role
Team Level Roles
- Development Team Member: Deliver working, tested, and high-quality software increments, collaborate on technical solutions, provide feedback, and participate in continuous improvement activities.
- Product Owner: Define and prioritize the team backlog, ensure that the team delivers value to the business, collaborate with stakeholders, manage features and stories, and ensure alignment with the program’s priorities.
- Scrum Master: Facilitate the Agile team’s work, remove impediments, ensure that the team follows Agile practices, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.
- System Team: Support the integration of various Agile teams’ outputs, ensuring a working, tested, and integrated solution, manage environments, perform integration testing, and assist with deployment.
- DevOps Team: Ensure the continuous delivery pipeline is efficient and effective, manage deployment and release activities, and promote a culture of collaboration between development and operations.
Program Level Roles
- Release Train Engineer (RTE): Ensure that the Agile Release Train (ART) delivers value, facilitate program-level events, manage risks, and coach teams on Agile practices.
- Product Management: Define and prioritize the Program Backlog, ensure that the ART delivers valuable features, collaborate with stakeholders, manage features and enablers, and provide content authority for the ART.
- System Architect/Engineer: Define the architectural vision, ensure alignment with the organization’s strategic goals, collaborate with Agile teams and Solution Architects to ensure that the technical solutions support the architectural vision.
- Business Owners: Make key decisions, provide strategic direction, and ensure that the ART delivers value, collaborate with Product Management and other stakeholders to define and prioritize the program backlog.
- User Experience (UX) Designer: Ensure the overall user experience of the solution, work with Agile teams, Product Management, and other stakeholders to ensure that the solution is usable, valuable, and desirable.
- Shared Services: Provide specialized support to Agile teams, such as security, data management, and compliance, and collaborate across multiple ARTs.
Large Solution Level Roles
- Solution Train Engineer (STE): Coordinate multiple ARTs to deliver large, complex solutions, facilitate solution-level events, manage risks, and coach teams on Agile practices.
- Solution Management: Define and prioritize the Solution Backlog, ensure that the Solution Train delivers value, collaborate with stakeholders, manage capabilities and enablers, and provide content authority for the Solution Train.
- Solution Architect/Engineer: Define the solution’s architectural vision, ensure alignment with the organization’s strategic goals, collaborate with System Architects and Agile teams to ensure that the technical solutions support the architectural vision.
- Customer/User Representatives: Provide feedback on the solution, ensure that it meets their needs and expectations, participate in solution-level events, and collaborate with Solution Management and other stakeholders to provide input on priorities and requirements.
Enterprise Level Roles
- Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE): Drive the Agile transformation across the organization, provide guidance, training, and support to help teams adopt and improve Agile practices.
- SAFe Program Consultant (SPC): Coach and train individuals and teams in the organization, provide guidance on SAFe implementation, help to establish Agile Release Trains (ARTs), and assist with launching and improving ARTs.
- Portfolio Management: Engage in strategic planning, prioritization, and funding of value streams, collaborate with Epic Owners, business owners, and other stakeholders to align the portfolio with the organization’s strategic goals.
- Epic Owners: Define, analyze, and manage epics in the portfolio backlog, work with stakeholders to prioritize epics, ensure that they are well-defined, and track their progress through the portfolio Kanban.
How The Roles Contribute to the Success of the SAFe Implementation
Each role’s responsibilities and accountabilities contribute to the successful implementation of SAFe by ensuring alignment, transparency, and delivery of value across the organization.
By clearly understanding and executing their respective duties, individuals in these roles work together to create a high-performing, Agile organization that can effectively respond to changing market conditions and customer needs.
This collaboration and shared commitment to success are critical components of a successful SAFe implementation, driving continuous improvement and fostering a culture of innovation and learning.
SAFe Role Selection and Training
Selecting the right individuals for SAFe roles and providing them with the appropriate training is crucial for the successful implementation of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe).
These aspects ensure that individuals can effectively contribute to the organization’s Agile transformation and drive value delivery.
Criteria for Selecting Individuals for SAFe Roles
When selecting individuals for SAFe roles, consider the following criteria:
- Relevant Experience: Prior experience in similar roles or domain knowledge can be beneficial for individuals transitioning to SAFe roles, as they may already possess some of the required skills and knowledge.
- Agile Mindset: Individuals should be open to embracing Agile principles and practices, as well as adopting a mindset of continuous learning and improvement.
- Leadership Skills: For roles such as Release Train Engineer (RTE), Solution Train Engineer (STE), and Scrum Master, strong leadership skills are essential to guide and support teams through the Agile transformation.
- Collaborative Approach: The ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams, foster collaboration, and manage dependencies is critical for success in SAFe roles.
- Communication Skills: Excellent communication skills are necessary for individuals in SAFe roles to facilitate information sharing, manage stakeholder expectations, and ensure alignment across the organization.
- Problem-Solving Abilities: Individuals should possess strong problem-solving skills to address challenges and remove impediments that may arise during the implementation of SAFe.
Training Requirements and Resources for SAFe Roles
To equip individuals with the knowledge and skills needed for their respective SAFe roles, appropriate training should be provided.
Training resources include:
- SAFe Training Courses: Scaled Agile, Inc. offers a variety of role-specific training courses that cover the principles, practices, and responsibilities associated with each role. These courses provide a solid foundation for individuals transitioning to SAFe roles.
- Internal Workshops and Training Sessions: Organizations can conduct in-house workshops and training sessions to help individuals gain a deeper understanding of their roles and responsibilities within the specific context of their organization.
- Mentorship and Coaching: Pairing individuals with experienced mentors or coaches can provide valuable guidance and support as they adopt and grow into their SAFe roles.
- Online Resources: There are numerous online resources, such as blogs, articles, webinars, and forums, that offer insights and guidance on SAFe roles and practices.
Role-Based Certifications Available through Scaled Agile, Inc.
Scaled Agile, Inc. offers a variety of role-based certifications to validate individuals’ knowledge and skills in their respective SAFe roles. Some of these certifications include:
- SAFe Scrum Master (SSM): Validates the knowledge and skills required for the Scrum Master role in a SAFe environment.
- SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM): Validates the knowledge and skills required for the Product Owner and Product Manager roles in a SAFe environment.
- SAFe DevOps Practitioner (SDP): Validates the knowledge and skills required for individuals working in a DevOps environment within a SAFe context.
- SAFe Release Train Engineer (RTE): Validates the knowledge and skills required for the Release Train Engineer role in a SAFe environment.
- SAFe Solution Architect/Engineer (SAE): Validates the knowledge and skills required for the Solution Architect/Engineer role in a SAFe environment.
These certifications not only help individuals demonstrate their expertise in their respective roles but also provide a structured path for continued learning and professional development.
Organizations can use these certifications to identify and select qualified individuals for SAFe roles, ensuring the successful implementation and execution of the Scaled Agile Framework.
Adapting SAFe Roles to Your Organization
While the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) provides a well-defined set of roles and responsibilities for implementing Agile practices at scale, it is crucial to adapt these roles to fit your organization’s unique structure and culture.
Customizing SAFe roles ensures that the implementation is both effective and sustainable within the context of your organization.
Customizing SAFe Roles to Fit Your Organization’s Structure and Culture
To adapt SAFe roles to your organization, consider the following steps:
- Assess Your Current Structure and Culture: Analyze your organization’s existing structure, culture, and Agile maturity level to identify areas where SAFe roles can be integrated or adapted.
- Identify Overlaps and Gaps: Determine if there are any overlaps or gaps between SAFe roles and your organization’s current roles. This will help you understand which roles can be combined, split, or modified to better align with your organizational structure.
- Define Clear Responsibilities and Accountabilities: Ensure that the adapted roles have clear responsibilities and accountabilities, which are well-understood and agreed upon by all stakeholders.
- Align with Organizational Goals: Ensure that the adapted roles are aligned with your organization’s strategic goals and objectives, and that they contribute to the overall success of your Agile transformation.
- Provide Training and Support: Provide the necessary training and support to help individuals transition into their adapted roles and ensure that they have the skills and knowledge required to be successful.
- Continuously Evaluate and Improve: Regularly review the effectiveness of the adapted roles and make adjustments as needed to ensure continuous improvement and alignment with your organization’s evolving needs.
Examples of How Organizations Have Adapted SAFe Roles
- Combining Roles: In some organizations, it may be practical to combine roles due to limited resources or a smaller-scale implementation. For example, a Scrum Master might also take on the responsibilities of a Release Train Engineer (RTE) in a smaller organization with fewer Agile teams.
- Splitting Roles: In larger organizations, it might be necessary to split a role into multiple specialized roles to address the complexity and scale of the organization. For instance, the Product Management role could be split into multiple roles, such as a separate Product Manager for each major product line or market segment.
- Creating New Roles: Organizations may need to create new roles that are not explicitly defined within the SAFe framework to address specific organizational needs or challenges. For example, an organization with a strong focus on data privacy and security may create a role specifically responsible for ensuring compliance with data protection regulations across all Agile teams.
By adapting SAFe roles to fit your organization’s structure and culture, you can ensure a smoother and more effective implementation of the Scaled Agile Framework, resulting in increased value delivery, improved collaboration, and a sustainable Agile transformation.
Conclusion
Understanding and implementing SAFe roles is critical to the success of scaling Agile practices within your organization.
By exploring the various roles at the Team, Program, Large Solution, and Enterprise levels, you can optimize your Agile practices and ensure that your organization is well-positioned to deliver value and achieve its strategic goals.
For further learning and support, consider attending SAFe training and certification courses, joining SAFe communities of practice, and seeking advice from experienced SAFe practitioners.
