Scrum & Agile — Overview
What this technology covers
Scrum & Agile covers the Agile Manifesto's foundational values and principles, the Scrum framework specifically (roles, events/ceremonies, and artifacts), and the certification landscape spanning CSM (Certified ScrumMaster, from Scrum Alliance), PSM I (Professional Scrum Master I, from Scrum.org), and SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework, for coordinating agile practice across multiple teams in larger organizations). Where this academy's PMP technology covers agile at a broader project-management level (as one of three approach domains alongside predictive and hybrid), this technology covers Scrum's specific framework mechanics in depth — the two are complementary, not overlapping in their core focus.
Why it matters
Scrum is the most widely adopted agile framework globally, particularly in software development, and understanding its specific roles, events, and artifacts (not just agile principles in the abstract) is essential for anyone working on or leading a Scrum team. The distinction between "being agile" (embodying the Agile Manifesto's values and principles) and "doing Scrum" (following Scrum's specific framework mechanics) is a foundational concept this technology returns to repeatedly, since a team can technically run Scrum's ceremonies without genuinely embodying agile values, or vice versa — genuine agile practice requires both.
The Agile Manifesto — four values
Scrum sits within the broader agile movement, itself defined by the Agile Manifesto (2001), which expresses four value statements, each phrased as a preference rather than an absolute: individuals and interactions over processes and tools; working software over comprehensive documentation; customer collaboration over contract negotiation; and responding to change over following a plan. Critically, the Manifesto explicitly states that while items on the right retain value, the items on the left are valued more — this "and yet there is value in the items on the right" framing is frequently misunderstood as agile rejecting documentation, planning, or tools entirely, which the Manifesto does not actually claim.
Certification landscape — a quick map
| Certification | Issuing body | Focus |
|---|
|---|---|---|
| CSM (Certified ScrumMaster) | Scrum Alliance | Scrum framework fundamentals, ScrumMaster role |
|---|---|---|
| PSM I (Professional Scrum Master I) | Scrum.org | Scrum framework fundamentals, assessed via the Scrum Guide directly |
| SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) | Scaled Agile, Inc. | Coordinating agile practice across multiple teams/programs in larger organizations |
(needs verification — recheck against current source: certification bodies periodically update exam content and requirements.)
Exam and career relevance
Scrum & Agile certifications are widely sought for ScrumMaster, Agile Coach, and Product Owner roles, and increasingly expected baseline knowledge for software development and product management roles more broadly, given agile's dominant position in modern software delivery practice.