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Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master (DASSM)
The Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master (DASSM) certification is an advanced credential offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). It is designed for experienced Scrum Masters and Agile practitioners who want to deepen their understanding of Disciplined Agile (DA), a toolkit for choosing the best ways of working (WoW) to deliver value in a variety of project environments.
Who should do DASSM
The Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master (DASSM) certification is designed for experienced Agile practitioners who want to take their leadership and Agile expertise to the next level. Here's a breakdown of who should consider pursuing DASSM:
1. Experienced Agile Practitioners
- Those with 2+ years of Agile experience who are familiar with frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, or Disciplined Agile.
- Practitioners who already have foundational Agile certifications like Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Professional Scrum Master (PSM), or PMI-Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP).
2. Team Leads and Scrum Masters
- Scrum Masters and Agile Team Leaders who want to expand their capabilities beyond single-team management and learn how to handle more complex organizational challenges.
- Individuals aiming to manage multiple teams or work across multiple value streams.
3. Project and Program Managers
- Managers transitioning into Agile environments who want to better understand and implement advanced Agile practices in their organizations.
- Professionals who seek to lead larger and more complex projects using Disciplined Agile principles.
4. Disciplined Agile Enthusiasts
- Those familiar with the Disciplined Agile (DA) toolkit and interested in learning how to tailor Agile approaches to various situations.
- Practitioners who have already earned the Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM) certification and want to build on that foundation.
5. Agile Coaches and Transformation Leaders
- Coaches who guide organizations through Agile transformations and want to deepen their knowledge of the DA toolkit.
- Leaders working on scaling Agile practices across an organization or tailoring Agile approaches for different teams and contexts.
Prerequisites:
- Knowledge of foundational Agile and Lean concepts.
- A good understanding of team-level processes and practices.
- Prior Agile certification or experience managing Agile teams (recommended but not mandatory).
Why Pursue DASSM?
- To learn how to optimize Agile practices based on the context and organizational needs.
- To gain skills in coaching, facilitation, and leading Agile transformations.
- To increase career opportunities in Agile leadership and management roles.
If you're looking to broaden your impact beyond a single team or need advanced tools for Agile tailoring, DASSM is a great choice!
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The Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master (DASSM) role
The Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master (DASSM) role goes beyond the traditional responsibilities of a Scrum Master. It is designed for experienced agile practitioners who are tasked with leading complex teams, tailoring agile practices to unique organizational needs, and facilitating organizational agility. Below are the key characteristics that define the DASSM role:
1. Leadership in Complex Environments
Team Leadership
- Lead and guide multiple agile teams or large, complex teams.
- Coach team members to adopt agile and lean principles while maximizing productivity and collaboration.
- Promote psychological safety and a culture of continuous improvement.
Conflict Management
- Resolve team conflicts with advanced facilitation and negotiation skills.
- Foster alignment among diverse stakeholders and team members with varying perspectives.
2. Expertise in Tailoring Agile Practices
Disciplined Agile Toolkit Mastery
- Use the Disciplined Agile (DA) toolkit to assess team needs and optimize ways of working (WoW).
- Select and customize agile, lean, or hybrid practices (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, etc.) based on organizational goals.
Scaling Agile
- Lead teams working in larger, more distributed, or scaled environments.
- Integrate value streams, continuous delivery pipelines, and DevOps into team processes.
3. Focus on Value Delivery
Prioritizing Work
- Ensure work aligns with business goals and delivers maximum value.
- Manage competing priorities by balancing customer needs, technical debt, and risks.
Metrics and Feedback
- Use performance metrics (e.g., cycle time, throughput) to assess and improve delivery.
- Encourage a data-driven approach to decision-making.
4. Driving Organizational Agility
Agile Transformation Leadership
- Help organizations adopt agile practices at scale.
- Influence leadership and stakeholders to embrace agility.
Change Management
- Manage organizational resistance and help teams adapt to change.
- Foster a culture of learning and experimentation across teams.
5. Advanced Coaching and Mentorship
- Mentor junior Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and team members.
- Share knowledge of agile and lean best practices across the organization.
- Act as a bridge between teams and leadership to ensure alignment and clear communication.
Key Differentiators from a Standard Scrum Master
- Standard Scrum Master Facilitates a single Scrum team. Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master Leads complex, multi-team, or scaled agile initiatives.
- Standard Scrum Master Primarily uses Scrum practices. Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master Adapts multiple frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, Lean, etc.).
- Standard Scrum Master Focuses on team-level outcomes. Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master Aligns team performance with enterprise-level goals.
- Standard Scrum Master Manages routine team conflicts. Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master Resolves high-level conflicts involving multiple teams or stakeholders.
Key Aspects of the DASSM Certification:
1. Purpose
The DASSM certification equips professionals with the skills to lead complex agile teams, manage team conflicts, and tailor agile approaches to meet specific organizational needs.
2. Prerequisites
- Experience: Two years or more of experience leading agile teams.
- Prior Certifications:
- It's beneficial to have certifications like PMI-ACP, Certified Scrum Master (CSM), or foundational Disciplined Agile (DA) certifications.
- Knowledge of Agile Practices: Familiarity with foundational agile concepts, frameworks, and team leadership.
3. Training
Candidates must attend the DASSM workshop, which typically covers:
- Lean and agile basics.
- Disciplined Agile toolkit (its layers, lifecycle options, and decision guidelines).
- Advanced team leadership skills, such as conflict management and influencing stakeholders.
- How to optimize team performance using DA principles.
4. Exam Structure
- Duration: 90 minutes.
- Format: 50 multiple-choice questions.
- Content Areas:
- Agile and lean fundamentals.
- The Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD) lifecycle.
- Strategies for scaling agile.
- Applying DA to real-world problems.
5. Benefits of DASSM
- Improves ability to lead and manage large, complex teams.
- Enhances skills in tailoring agile practices to specific organizational needs.
- Provides recognition as a leader with expertise in optimizing agile methods.
- Helps achieve better team alignment with business goals through DA principles.
If you're preparing for the DASSM, let us know if you need guidance on study materials, sample questions, or insights into the certification process
Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master (DASSM) content outline
The Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master (DASSM) content outline provides an overview of the knowledge areas and skills that are tested on the DASSM certification exam. Below is the breakdown of the key topics covered:
Disciplined Agile Fundamentals
- Understand the DA mindset and principles.
- Explore layers of the DA toolkit: Foundations, Delivery, IT, and Value Streams.
- Learn about life cycles: Agile, Lean, Continuous Delivery, and Exploratory.
- Define business agility and why it matters.
- Understand how DA supports business agility.
Leading Teams in Complex Situations
- Team Leadership
- Manage diverse and distributed teams.
- Improve team performance through effective facilitation.
- Lead by adapting DA principles and tailoring practices.
- Team Conflict Management
- Identify and manage conflicts within agile teams.
- Use negotiation and resolution techniques effectively.
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Build and maintain trust with stakeholders.
- Prioritize stakeholder collaboration to align team goals with organizational objectives.
Tailoring and Optimizing Ways of Working (WoW)
- Goal-Driven Approach
- Use DA goals and decision-making frameworks to choose the best-fit practices.
- Assess team strengths, culture, and needs to design tailored workflows.
- Scaling Agile
- Apply DA practices to large-scale, distributed, or complex environments.
- Incorporate DevOps, value streams, and continuous delivery pipelines effectively.
- Process Tailoring Guidelines
- Adapt agile frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, etc.) using DA.
- Understand trade-offs and risks of specific agile practices.
Organizational Change Management
- Change Readiness
- Assess organizational readiness for agile transformations.
- Manage resistance to change using DA's flexible practices.
- Improvement Strategies
- Facilitate continuous improvement using the DA toolkit.
- Encourage learning and experimentation at all levels of the organization.
Delivering Value
- Use backlog refinement, story mapping, and user story prioritization techniques.
- Balance business value, risk, and technical debt in decision-making.
- Evaluate team and organizational performance metrics (e.g., lead time, cycle time).
- Leverage feedback loops to enhance customer satisfaction and delivery.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) guide on the Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master (DASSM) certification:
1. Who is the DASSM certification for?
The DASSM is ideal for:
- Experienced Scrum Masters, Agile team leaders, and project managers.
- Agile practitioners with at least 2 years of experience.
2. What are the prerequisites for DASSM?
3. Do I need prior DA certifications to take DASSM?
No, but prior knowledge of the Disciplined Agile (DA) toolkit or a foundational certification like Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM) is helpful.
What topics are covered in the DASSM training?
The training includes:
- Advanced use of the Disciplined Agile toolkit.
- Techniques for managing conflicts, risks, and dependencies.
- Leading multiple Agile teams and aligning them to organizational goals.
- Tailoring Agile practices to unique team or organizational needs.
- Change management and continuous improvement in Agile environments.
How is the DASSM exam structured?
What is the cost of the DASSM certification?
