HERMES or Scrum: which approach for an IT project?
Updated: 2026-11
HERMES and Scrum are not mutually exclusive. HERMES governs project steering, phases, roles and outputs across the whole undertaking and, since version 2022, supports traditional, agile and hybrid approaches. Scrum organises development in short iterations. In practice HERMES as the framework with agile execution in the implementation phase often works best.
In the Swiss federal administration and many cantons, HERMES is the standard method for IT projects. At the same time, development teams and suppliers mostly work agile, often with Scrum. The question is therefore rarely either-or but how both fit together.
The trade-off depends on how clear the requirements are, how strongly the project must be steered and documented and how closely business and development can work together.
Head to head
| Criterion | HERMES | Scrum |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | The whole undertaking from initiation to deployment. | Developing a product in iterations. |
| Steering | Phases, milestones and approvals by the client. | Product owner continuously prioritises the backlog. |
| Requirements | Elicited early, refined step by step with agile execution. | Evolve continuously. |
| Documentation | Defined outputs such as project mandate, study, concepts. | Lean, focused on working software. |
| Public sector | Standard in the federal administration, compatible with procurement and governance. | Needs a framework for approvals and procurement. |
When HERMES wins
- —The undertaking needs clear approvals, milestones and outputs, for example in public administration.
- —There is a procurement requiring requirements and options to be clarified up front.
- —Several organisations, suppliers and operating units are involved.
When Scrum wins
- —A product team develops continuously with direct access to users.
- —Requirements are uncertain and should be clarified through early results.
- —Steering can largely sit with the product owner.
Our take
For undertakings in public administration and larger organisations, HERMES as the framework for initiation, concept and deployment with agile implementation in sprints works well. The study with [weighted scoring](/en/glossar/nutzwertanalyse) and a [business case](/en/glossar/business-case) clarifies whether and how to proceed; Scrum then delivers the software step by step.
What matters is connecting the roles of both worlds: who is product owner, who is project lead and who approves what? Without this, duplicate committees and friction arise.
Parent service: IT Consulting
Matching offers
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We elicit, document and validate requirements following the IREB Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering method: identify stakeholders, elicit requirements in workshops, model processes in BPMN 2.0, write acceptance criteria and deliver a requirements catalogue the client can formally sign off. A basis for tenders, development or standard software.
FAQ
Is HERMES just waterfall?
No. HERMES 2022 supports traditional, agile and hybrid approaches and can be combined with Scrum.
Does a Scrum project in the federal administration need HERMES?
In the federal administration HERMES is the standard for IT projects. Scrum can be used within HERMES for implementation.
Who takes which role?
This is set at the start. Often the product owner sits in the business, while the project lead coordinates phases, procurement and deployment.