Understanding Scrum Maturity

Scrum maturity is an indicator of the ability to use Scrum to deliver more business value faster.

An organization that wants to get more value from Scrum will have to improve its own Scrum maturity by working with a Scrum Master who has a higher Scrum maturity than the organization.

ScrumMatch assesses the Scrum maturity of each Scrum Master and organization and makes it transparent so that both can understand how well they match each other's needs and expectations.

The Scrum maturity of a Scrum Master is visible on their profile on a 7-point scale from low to high maturity:


38% of candidates: This is NOT a true Scrum Master

The characteristics we see when reviewing a candidate:

  1. saying they have extended Scrum Master experience without proving their claims
  2. incoherent understanding of Scrum (why, what, how) and its principles. Mixes Scrum and other (agile) practices
  3. explains Scrum, its use and benefits by describing anti-patterns or elements of other (agile) practices
  4. sees the Scrum Master as a project manager, technical leader, fixer or only as a coach


10% of candidates: This Scrum Master has Scrum knowledge

The characteristics we see when reviewing a candidate:

  1. Foundational understanding of Scrum.
  2. Can explain Scrum (the how).
  3. Can explain what an Increment is and why it is essential.


13% of candidates: This Scrum Master knows how to apply Scrum foundations

The characteristics we see when reviewing a candidate:

  1. has some Scrum experience as a Scrum Master (according to Scrum Guide).
  2. understands the what and how, follows the process (Scrum might not be established completely)
  3. focuses on facilitating Scrum events and team efficiency
  4. helps Developers track their work and progress; helps the Product Owner create Product Backlog Items
  5. the team(s) do(es) not build and deliver Increments regularly


14% of candidates: This Scrum Master knows how to improve the use of Scrum

The characteristics we see when reviewing a candidate:

  1. has situational Scrum experience
  2. understands the why and the principles
  3. facilitates the use of Scrum to focus on goals and outcomes
  4. enables Developers to self-manage; enables Product Owner to focus the team on the Product Goal
  5. the team(s) build(s) Increments regularly and deliver(s) frequently


14% of candidates: This Scrum Master uses Scrum to improve the product

The characteristics we see when reviewing a candidate:

  1. has extended Scrum experience.
  2. gaining and growing experience with complementary practices to enhance business value
  3. optimizes empirical feedback loops to optimize product outcomes and business results
  4. grows the Product Owner and Developers to use Scrum for discovery and delivery of value
  5. the team(s) deliver(s) and validate(s) Increments regularly


8% of candidates: This Scrum Master uses Scrum to optimize the product value stream

The characteristics we see when reviewing a candidate:

  1. uses their experience of Scrum and complementary practices to optimize a product value stream
  2. implements a lean approach to scaling (horizontally/along a value stream; vertically/number of teams)
  3. optimizes the delivery and discovery of value by multiple teams developing one product
  4. grows the Product Owner to own adjacent areas of the product value stream
  5. the value stream delivers and validates Increments regularly and frequently


3% of candidates: This Scrum Master uses Scrum to optimize the whole organization

The characteristics we see when reviewing a candidate:

  1. can define products, set up an organizational system that optimizes for agility and guide an organization through trade-off decisions
  2. optimizing the organization for agility and expanding the adoption of Scrum
  3. demonstrates an expert level of being a change agent
  4. creates an environment for organizational agility to thrive
  5. ability to pivot at the organizational level, not at the team level or product level