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Categories: Agile
Right or wrong, here is my attempt to organize Flavors of Agile according to weight. The first group is lightweight frameworks; they attempt to accomplish as much as possible with minimal structure. In most cases, the majority of information that you will find about lightweight frameworks is going to focus on single team, single product, with instruction on how to run the process and little to no instruction on how to roll it out to an organization. This is not to say that there is no information on scaling or rolling it out; it's just not the primary focus.
- FAST Agile
- FDD
- Kanban
- Lean
- Scrum
- XP
I consider the rest of the flavors to be "more" substantial. They're not all heavy processes, like Agile ASAP, they're just more substantial than the lightweight frameworks. Additionally, some include more roles and processes, and are either built for large projects or include instruction on scaling up to large projects.
- Agile ASAP
- AUP/DAD
- Crystal - weight varies based on the size of the project and other factors
- Crystal Clear
- Crystal Yellow
- Crystal Orange
- Crystal Orange Web
- Crystal Red
- Crystal Maroon
- Crystal Diamond
- Crystal Sapphire
- DSDM
- Scrum Plus
- LeSS
- SAFe
- SLIM
There is a plethora of Agile certifications, most of which are related to Scrum. I was going to harp on the online certifications, like those offered by the International Scrum institute, which you pretty much pay a fee for and then take a test. No other training or experience is required. After thinking about it, though, I'm leaning toward the biggest negative being that they are not as well known.
Consider this. To become a CSM, you have to attend a two day class and pass a short & simple quiz on the basics of what you just covered. If you can answer the Agile Fact or Crap game cards correctly, you can probably pass the test. Is this significantly more meaningful than maybe having some experience, maybe reading a book or two, and paying a fee and taking a test to get the SMAC from ICI? There is value in being trained by someone with experience, but consider CLEPping a class in college. I CLEPped a macroeconomics class and received full credit for it. Like the macroeconomics CLEP, the CSM is about knowledge, not experience, it just happens to be the most well-known Scrum certification. The real value comes from what it can do for you and how you can use it to your advantage. I don't know if the following will add any value to your resume, but here is one online Scrum certification provider and the certifications it offers:
- International Scrum Institute
- Scrum Master Accredited Certification
- Scrum Product Owner Accredited Certification
- Scrum Team Member Accredited Certification
- Scrum Coach Accredited Certification
- Scrum Trainer Accredited Certification
- Scaled Scrum Expert Accredited Certification
- Scrum Certification for Web Developer
- Scrum Certification for Java Developer
Here are additional Scrum certification providers:
- EXIN Agile Scrum Master
- Less
- Scrum Alliance
- Scrum.org
- Professional Scrum Master
- Professional Scrum Product Owner
- Professional Scrum Developer
- Scaled Professional Scrum
- Professional Scrum Trainer
I could not find any certifications for Crystal, SLIM, or XP. SAP offers classes on Agile ASAP and has their own SAP project management certification, but no Agile certification. Here are some more Agile certifications; some offered by the respective authors of a specific flavor of Agile, others by certifying bodies that don't offer a specific flavor of their own.
- ACI
- Certified Agile Associate
- Certified Scrum Associate
- Accredited Agile Practitioner
- Accredited Scrum Master
- Accredited Product Owner
- Accredited Scaled Agile Practitioner
- Kanban
- Lean
- Lean Bronze
- Lean Silver
- Lean Gold
- ACI Accredited Lean Software Development Practitioner
- FDD
- Certified FDD Aware
- Certified FDD Associate
- Certified FDD Practitioner
- Certified FDD Project Manager
- Certified FDD Consultant
- Disciplined Agile
- Disciplined Agilist
- Certified Disciplined Agilist
- Certified Disciplined Agilist Practitioner
- Certified Disciplined Agilist Coach
- Certified Disciplined Agilist Instructor
- SAFe
- SAFe Agilist
- SAFe Practitioner
- SAFe Program Consultant
- SAFe Program Consultant Trainer
- SAFe Product Manager/Product Owner
- APMG International (DSDM)
- Certified Agile Leader
- PMI-ACP
ICAgile has the Agile certification of Agile certifications. The ICAgile Certified Professional is the foundation. From there, you work through professional certifications to expert certifications in a range of topics. Each expert certification has 1-2 prerequisite professional certifications. They require classroom learning, demonstrated experience, and an exam. I wasn't able to find an exact number of certifications needed to become a Certified Master Agilist; the description says multiple, not all of them.
I saved this for last because it addresses the development of an agile organization. I can't imagine anyone (sane) getting all of the certifications but, if you are considering an agile transformation, it might not be a bad thing to have a team of people who, cumulatively, have all of the certifications, engaged in the process.
While it has not been proven, yet, that I am not sane, the thought of becoming a Certified Master Agilist with all of the expert certifications has a little appeal. It would be cheaper than a PhD, and might not take much longer, assuming I try to maintain at least a marginal work-life balance. There is a good chance that by the time I finished, however, I would have forgotten everything I learned while obtaining the first half of the certifications.
- ICAgile
- Certified Master Agilist
- Business Agility
- Agile Coaching
- Value Management
- Delivery Management
- Agile Coaching
- Agile Engineering
- Agile Testing
- DevOps
- Certified Professional
- Certified Master Agilist
Which one is right for you? I can't tell you that. You need to evaluate several variables:
- What are your goals?
- What is your current reality, with regards to your experience, education, employment, and the job market?
- When you search your local job market (or the job market where you want to work), what certifications do you see being sought by potential employers?
If your experience is in the software industry, in the United States, CSM might be the best choice. If you're in manufacturing, Lean/Kanban might be better. If you're in the UK, DSDM is probably your best bet. In some cases, employers are looking for any certification because they've heard about agile and want someone who knows more than they do, about it. There's no silver bullet.
I'm going to take a moment to talk about the dark side of certifications. You might start to feel like certification is a racket. There are people with multiple acronyms after their names that can't get a job. Some of these people have been sold on the idea that getting the certification will make them more money. Once you start down this path, you end up taking classes, participating in webinars and conferences, and watching video broadcasts, all in the name of getting and maintaining a credential. For what?
If you took the shotgun approach to certifications, there is a good chance it was for nothing. Approach certifications like a sharpshooter. I was going to say like a sniper, but you don't need that level of perfection or long term planning; you need to be able to reach your target quickly, while remaining flexible enough to deal with changes that occur over time.
In my case, I'm a CSM and CSPO, with the intent of becoming a CSP. This will put me on the path, should I choose to pursue it, of becoming a CST for both the CSM and CSPO classes. Will I become a CST? I don't know. While I figure that out, the training I received while obtaining both credentials will help me to be a better coach for my agile project teams. As I gain more experience, it will hopefully compound the effect and my effectiveness.
Posted on: October 03, 2016 11:54 PM |
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