Kimberly McCoyProject Manager| TekSystems - ContractorZanesville, Oh, United States
Hello Everyone! My company is moving more towards Agile and I have been tasked with looking into creating a comparison of different Agile certifications out there and provide my insight on the best for our organization to get. I was hoping I could get some feedback from people on what you see some of the pros/cons are on the different types available. Below are the ones I have narrowed down to:
-PMI-ACP (PMI)
-DASM (PMI)
-CSM (Scrum Alliance)
-PSM (Scrum Org)
One thing to know about our organization is we do not know which Agile method will best fit our projects, so we want to make sure we understand them all and can utilize each one.
If your organization hasn't landed on a method, out of all of these choices, I'd suggest either the ACP or the DASM/DASSM so that you aren't tied solely to Scrum.
Google Search-wise, CSM is the most recognized and asked for credential, but its relative-value is marginal as it requires no previous experience, and is solely focused on close adherence to what is in the Scrum Guide.
I recently completed the Disciplined Agile Scrum Master Training and passed the exam. In general, I find Disciplined Agile to be a very creative approach because it is a process-decision toolkit that harnesses hundreds of agile practices and connects them into a hybrid system.
In addition to looking at scrum master type certifications, you might also want to look into product owner training. If you're company is going to do more than a few small agile teams, looking into the different approaches to scaling agile would also be a good idea. Most scrum master training focuses on the individual scrum team and will not help you with an agile transformation at the organizational level. Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Kimberly
I definitely echo Kiron’s feedback and would emphasize on starting with PMI-ACP followed by DASM. PMI-ACP will give you a global view of all aspects of Agile and it’s frameworks which is a good starting point.
I agree with Maria Hrabikova, Disciplined Agile is a good approach, that can guide you in the best way to choose the more suitable agile practices for your enterprise. You can start acquiring Disciplined Agile Knowledge with this course: Basics of Disciplined Agile™ https://www.pmi.org/da-basics, and then improve your agile education with Disciplined Agile Scrum Master
https://www.pmi.org/shop/p-/elearning/disc...jAyNjg2NTE1MgS2 Saving Changes...
Hi, Kimberly
From an organizational perspective, I would recommend to identify the agile frameworks and roles the organization want or need to put in practice. Then, you can focus the career paths - and certification paths - accordingly.
Maybe you will find you need for a more comprehensive certifications list, including, for example, certifications for Product Owners, Team members, Agile coaches and others, along with the Scrum Master certifications.
Anyway, a good start for the person or small group that will define and initate the transition to agility, could be the PMI-ACP certification, so they can get a general insight to the agile world.
Rafael Saving Changes...
Wade HarshmanScrum Master| GDITIndianapolis, In, United States
I don't mean to sound like a smart-aleck, but your company should be less concerned about "certifications" and more interested in training. You can pass out certifications like candy, but it won't help anyone in your company do anything except update their résumé.
Furthermore, as your company becomes more Agile, you may find that different teams have different ways of working. Sending them all to get the same certification could be a waste of time and money.
I'd recommend bringing in a reputable Agile coach (not some cheap coach you find on the internet) to train up your company leadership, first. If they don't understand what agility means, they'll kill any momentum your company makes. If they're committed to living the Agile (big-A) values, then they could guide these decisions that you've been given. Saving Changes...
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