  The $\sigma$ profile is presented as a tool to analyze the organization of
systems at different scales, and how this organization changes in time.
Describing structures at different scales as goal-oriented agents, one can
define $\sigma \in [0,1]$ ("satisfaction") as the degree to which the goals of
each agent at each scale have been met. $\sigma$ reflects the organization
degree at that scale. The $\sigma$ profile of a system shows the satisfaction
at different scales, with the possibility to study their dependencies and
evolution. It can also be used to extend game theoretic models. A general
tendency on the evolution of complexity and cooperation naturally follows from
the $\sigma$ profile. Experiments on a virtual ecosystem are used as
illustration.
