What is the Difference Between Scrum Alliance and Scrum.org

The world of Agile methodology has gained significant recognition and progress on the project management scene since the turn of the new millennium. Agile has become an effective and efficient strategy used for project development across different companies and organizations. An example of Agile methodology that has made waves over the years is Scrum. Scrum promotes the self-organization of practitioners by helping them work together as a team to achieve project goals.

The History of SCRUM Framework 

There are two major Scrum training organizations namely “Scrum Alliance” and “Scrum.org”. The scrum framework was initially created in the early 1990s by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland. The idea was presented at a Business Object Design and Implementation Workshop in Texas, United States. This later gained massive publicity in the early 2000s which led to the creation of SCRUM. 

Scrum Alliance was formed by Schwaber and Sutherland a few years before Ken Schwaber decided to leave to create his scrum certification. This was made possible through the invention of Scrum.org. Each of these organizations offers a different level of certifications but the agile project management certification program will guide you on how to get certified in any of the fields. 

Some of the key differences between Scrum Alliance and Scrum.org can be seen through the disparity in their course outlines and training certification. The sole mission of these two organizations is quite different because they are controlled under different leadership. Hence, to become proficient in scrum and also get certified, you have to consider agile online training and scrum master training. 

For many companies, the big question is which scrum organization is best to align with which brings us to the need to understand the difference between the two main scrum organizations. In this guide, I will explain the difference between Scrum Alliance and Scrum.org in detail. Ensure you keep reading. 

Difference Between Scrum Alliance and Scrum.org

Here are the major differences between these Scrum training organizations;

The Difference in “MISSION”:

Scrum Alliance: The mission of Scrum Alliance is “Transforming the World of Work”. This means transforming the world of scrum-related projects.

Srum.org: The mission of Scrum.org is “Improving the Profession of Software Development”. This means to improve how the software products delivery profession is being practiced. 

The Difference in “COURSEWARE”:

Scrum Alliance: The scrum master training involved here is coordinated by individual trainers. This means that the content and quality of the courseware training are highly dependent on the trainer in charge. 

The course contents and materials of Scrum Alliance are not standardized.

Scrum.org: The scrum master training involved here is coordinated by the collaboration of different trainers in the field. This means that the content and quality of the courseware training are maintained by all trainers globally. 

The course contents of Scrum.org follow a standardized curriculum. 

The Difference in “LEADERSHIP”:

Scrum Alliance: This organization was co-founded by “Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland” but the leadership is governed by a board of directors. 

Scrum.org: This organization was founded by “Ken Schwaber” who is a co-creator of the Scrum framework in the 1990s. The leadership is also led by Ken.

The Difference in “CERTIFICATION”:

Scrum Alliance: The certification a person will get through Scrum Alliance is the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM). A student enrolling for this certification will have to register for the course, attend classes and sit for an examination at the end of the training. To get certified, a student must score at least 69% in the exam result. 

It is important to note that holders of this certification are expected to pay renewal fees at intervals to keep the certificate active and relevant. 

Scrum.org: The certification a person will get through Scrum.org is Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I). This is rigorous training that a student is expected to go through to learn the basics of Scrum. The certification the student will get is proof of Scrum knowledge and not just proof of attendance. 

The assessments of this certification do not require attending classes and the certificated awarded stays relevant for years. It needs no renewal fees. 

The Difference in “TRAINING PROGRAMS”:

Scrum Alliance: Here are the training programs offered under Scrum Alliance;

• Certified Scrum Master (CSM) – Mandatory training and exam
• Certified Scrum Developer (CSD) – Mandatory training but no exam
• Certified Agile Leadership (CAL) – Mandatory training but no exam
• Certified Scrum Professional (CSP) – No training and no exam 
• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) – Only training but no exam

Scrum.org: Here are the training programs offered under Scrum.org;

• Scaled Professional Scrum (SPS)
• Professional Scrum Foundation (PSF)
• Professional Scrum Developer – I (PSD I)
• Professional Scrum Product Owner – I, II (PSPO I, PSPO II)
• Professional Scrum Master – I, II, III (PSM I, PSM II, PSM III)

The Difference in “SCRUM COST”:

Scrum Alliance: The assessment cost of Scrum Alliance is included in the training fee. However, you will pay $100.00 every two years to renew the certification. In total, the cost of acquiring Scrum Alliance course certification amounts to $1200-$1300. 

Scrum.org: The assessment cost of Scrum.org is included in the training fee but you can pay $150.00 without the training. There is no renewal fee involved. You can get different levels of certification for an average price of $250-$500 without training. In total, the cost of acquiring Scrum.org course certification amounts to $1400 – $1500. 

All important differences between Scrum Alliance and Scrum.org have been discussed in this guide. In conclusion, you will find many free scrum certification resources on the internet if you dig deep. These resources can be used for scrum training and will also provide you with knowledge about the certifications.

Summary

Big organizations around the world find the time to organize Scrum Alliance and Scum.org training for their employees. They seek the assistance of professional scrum trainers to achieve this goal. Professional scrum trainers are responsible for fixing training fees and scheduling dates for classes. They also decide the venue where classes will be held if it is not online. You can check for the contact details of professional scrum trainers online if your organization requires their service.

There are a series of online classes you can attend if you’re interested in getting certified as a scrum master.  For instance, you can enroll for agile online training and scrum master training and decide the type of class you will like to join. You can also choose your trainer and location if you so desire.

Most scrum master certification programs are available worldwide, so your current location doesn’t matter. You can decide to visit the official websites of Scrum Alliance and Scrum.org to learn more about these scrum organizations.