Steps to Launch a Successful SAFe Measure and Grow Assessment

Blog Author

Siddharth

Published

18 Jul, 2025

Steps to Launch a Successful SAFe Measure and Grow Assessment

Before you start, get clear on why you’re running this assessment in the first place. SAFe’s Measure and Grow is about improvement, not just measurement. You want to:

Diagnose real strengths and weak spots
Benchmark progress across Agile Release Trains (ARTs), teams, and portfolios
Turn assessment data into focused actions that actually shift results

Skip the “audit” mentality. This is about fuel for improvement.

Step 1: Set Up Leadership Buy-In and Psychological Safety

The entire process rests on people being open and honest. If folks fear blame or think leadership just wants to point fingers, they’ll game the answers or stay silent.

How to get it right:

Leaders should show up first: Communicate clearly that this is a growth exercise, not a report card.
Focus on outcomes, not blame: Frame assessment conversations as a way to unlock better results for everyone.
Encourage teams: Let teams know their honest input shapes the future, not just next year’s dashboard.

Related Learning: See how effective leadership mindset shapes this process in Leading SAFe Agilist Certification Training.

Step 2: Define the Scope—What and Who

Don’t try to boil the ocean. Decide up front:

What level? Team, ART, solution, or portfolio?
(For many, ART or team level is a good place to start.)
Who participates? Involve not just managers, but Scrum Masters, Product Owners, engineers, and business reps.

If you’re not sure who should drive the process, look to those with SAFe Scrum Master Certification experience. They understand both facilitation and the agile mindset needed for good assessment discussions.

Step 3: Choose the Right Assessment Tools

SAFe provides built-in tools like:

SAFe Team and Technical Agility Assessment
SAFe DevOps Health Radar
Business Agility Assessment (for leaders)

Choose the one that best fits your scope.
Most organizations start with the Business Agility Assessment if they want the big-picture view, then drill down into Team or Technical Agility for detailed improvement.

Tip: Don’t customize the questions too early. Stick to the framework’s language so you can benchmark progress over time—and compare across teams or business units.

External resource: More on assessment types at Scaled Agile’s official guide.

Step 4: Communicate the Why, When, and How

Don’t spring the assessment on teams like a surprise inspection.
Set clear expectations upfront:

Why are we doing this?
How will results be used?
What’s the timeline?
What happens next?

Send invites in advance and offer short briefings. Consider letting a SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM) walk through the “why”—they’re usually strong at connecting purpose to results.

Step 5: Facilitate an Honest, Judgment-Free Assessment

How you run the session matters more than the tool you use.

Neutral facilitation: Use someone who isn’t a direct manager or product owner. Scrum Masters are perfect for this.
Anonymous input: When possible, collect answers anonymously, then discuss results as a group.
Dig deeper: Encourage teams to talk through not just the “what” but the “why.” Numbers mean little without the context.

Related learning: SAFe Advanced Scrum Master Certification Training covers advanced facilitation and building trust—key skills for assessments like these.

Step 6: Gather, Visualize, and Share the Results

After the session, don’t just lock the data in a spreadsheet.

Visualize the data: Use heatmaps, radars, or charts to show strengths and bottlenecks.
Share results widely: Not just with leadership, but with all involved teams.
Contextualize: Highlight key patterns and “what this means for us.”

For larger organizations, the SAFe Release Train Engineer Certification Training is a solid path for those responsible for interpreting and broadcasting these results across multiple ARTs.

Step 7: Co-Create Improvement Backlogs

Now, here’s the thing: Assessment is useless unless it turns into action.

Turn insights into backlog items: Let teams identify a few clear improvement stories or features for the next PI.
Prioritize together: Don’t let leadership dictate—make it collaborative.
Set short, visible feedback loops: Teams should see improvement in 1-2 PIs, not just “eventually.”

If you want to see a solid example of how improvements are tracked, read about Inspect and Adapt in SAFe.
This shows how data-driven improvements fit directly into the flow of agile work.

Step 8: Make It a Habit, Not a One-Off

A single assessment is a snapshot. Growth comes from iteration.

Set a cadence: Quarterly or every PI works well.
Revisit and compare: Use the same tool and scale for consistency.
Celebrate wins: Share progress—publicly highlight real improvement, not just new numbers.

Over time, this cycle builds real momentum. You’re not just measuring—you’re growing.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Treating it as a compliance exercise: If teams feel policed, you’ll get fake data.
Overloading with too many metrics: Start with the essentials. You can always dig deeper as the organization matures.
Ignoring psychological safety: This is non-negotiable. Trust leads to real answers, which leads to meaningful improvement.
Letting results collect dust: If you don’t act on findings, people will check out next time.

Pulling It All Together

Launching a SAFe Measure and Grow Assessment is about clarity, trust, and action.
Here’s the flow, quick and simple:

Get leadership buy-in and set the tone for safety
Define scope—what and who
Choose the right assessment tools
Communicate purpose and plan
Facilitate open, safe sessions
Visualize and share results
Turn data into real improvement stories
Repeat on a set cadence and celebrate progress

If you’re serious about making this work, invest in the right training. The SAFe certifications from AgileSeekers, including Product Owner/Product Manager, Scrum Master, Advanced Scrum Master, and Release Train Engineer, all go deep on the skills needed to make assessments valuable—not just routine.

Make the assessment the start of your improvement journey, not the finish line.
You’ll be surprised how much teams can achieve when they’re measured, supported, and genuinely invested in their own growth.

Also read - Key Metrics Every Agile Team Should Track with Measure and Grow]

Also see - The Business Impact of Regular SAFe Measure and Grow Reviews