HKSM

A Skills Requirement Matrix is a table that lists the skills and proficiency levels needed to deliver the product backlog and maps them to the Scrum Team’s current capabilities, highlighting gaps. In SBOK, it is created early when forming the team and updated throughout planning and implementation to guide hiring, training, pairing, and sequencing decisions.

Key Points

• SBOK Input/Output artifact used across Initiate, Plan and Estimate, and Implement processes.
• Maps required skills for epics, features, or user stories to skills available in the Scrum Team.
• Shows proficiency levels needed vs. available and identifies gaps with actions and target dates.
• Created collaboratively by the Product Owner and Scrum Master; validated and maintained by the Scrum Team.
• Supports forming a cross-functional, self-organizing team and prioritizing training or acquisition.
• Influences release planning, sprint planning, and risk responses when skills constraints affect scope or timing.

Purpose

The matrix makes skills demand and supply visible so the team can deliver backlog items without waiting on external handoffs. It enables proactive decisions such as pairing, training, hiring, or adjusting scope and sequence.

It also reduces delivery risk by aligning work selection with actual capability and by tracking progress toward cross-functionality over time.

Key Terms & Clauses

• Skill/Competency: The capability required (e.g., API design, UX, test automation, data modeling).
• Proficiency Level Required/Available: The depth needed and the team’s current level (e.g., beginner, intermediate, advanced).
• Coverage: Named team members who can perform the skill without external help.
• Gap: The difference between required and available capability for the planned timebox or release.
• Action & Owner: The mitigation chosen (pairing, training, hiring, vendor) and who will drive it.
• Target Sprint/Date: When the gap should be closed relative to release or sprint goals.
• Verification: How readiness will be confirmed (e.g., code review, assessment, trial task).

How to Develop/Evaluate

1. Scope the horizon: select the epics/features targeted for the upcoming release or next few sprints.
2. Extract required skills: derive competencies from acceptance criteria, architecture constraints, and compliance needs.
3. Define a simple scale: agree on 3–4 proficiency levels and minimums needed for each item or feature.
4. Inventory current skills: run a quick self-assessment, validate with recent work, and note primary/secondary skill holders.
5. Map and measure gaps: compare required vs. available levels; mark gaps and risks clearly.
6. Plan mitigations: decide on pairing, training, hiring, or sequencing changes; assign owners and target sprints.
7. Review and iterate: revisit during backlog refinement and before each release/sprint planning; track closure of gaps.

How to Use

• Form Scrum Team: decide team size and composition; request specialists or plan cross-skilling to achieve cross-functionality.
• Release Planning: validate feasibility of high-priority features; adjust release scope or order based on skills readiness.
• Sprint Planning: confirm each committed story has skill coverage; add pairing or training tasks when needed.
• Backlog Refinement: split or rephrase stories to fit available skills or to enable progressive learning across sprints.
• Risk Management: convert large skill gaps into impediments or risks with clear mitigation actions and dates.
• Retrospective: inspect progress on cross-skilling and update actions to reduce future dependency on single experts.

Example Snippet

• Skill: Test Automation — Required: Advanced — Available: Intermediate (Mina). Gap: 1 level. Action: Pair Mina with Jorge; complete workshop before Sprint 2. Owner: Scrum Master. Verification: green CI pipeline on two critical stories.
• Skill: Data Privacy Compliance — Required: Intermediate — Available: None. Action: Engage vendor for a 2-day consult; PO to add a spike in Sprint 1. Verification: signed checklist for release gate.
• Skill: Mobile UI — Required: Advanced — Available: Advanced (Priya), Beginner (Alex). Action: Pair Priya and Alex on initial stories to uplift Alex to Intermediate by Sprint 3.

Risks & Tips

• Risk: Outdated matrix leads to unrealistic sprint commitments. Tip: refresh during each refinement cycle.
• Risk: Over-reliance on one specialist creates bottlenecks. Tip: schedule deliberate pairing and rotate ownership.
• Risk: Inflated self-assessments. Tip: validate proficiency with recent deliverables or peer review.
• Risk: Training with no time budget. Tip: add explicit training or spike tasks to the sprint backlog.
• Tip: Keep the matrix lightweight; focus on skills that affect near-term backlog items.
• Tip: Use it to inform Definition of Ready criteria for complex stories that require scarce skills.

PMP/SCRUM Example Question

A Scrum Team is preparing for release planning and needs to confirm it can deliver the highest-priority features that require security testing and data modeling. Which artifact should they review to identify gaps and decide on pairing, training, or hiring?

1. RACI chart.
2. Definition of Done.
3. Skills Requirement Matrix.
4. Sprint burndown chart.

Correct Answer: C — Skills Requirement Matrix

Explanation: The Skills Requirement Matrix maps required competencies to current team capability and highlights gaps that drive staffing, training, or sequencing decisions; the other artifacts do not provide this view.