Agile
Work Readiness
This certification path is designed to provide you with training, mentoring
and text-based guidance on understanding and applying Agile Work. As a certification
it relies on the following mechanisms:
- training
- extensive reading materials
- reference checking and recommendations
- knowledge testing
- interviews
- skill demonstration through written and observed practice
- volunteer commitment to advancing the art and science of agile methods
In general, the minimum amount of time required to progress through the whole path and complete the Masters of Agile Work is two and a half years.
Agile
Work ReadinessRequirements:
Readings: Introduction to Agile Work (forthcoming)
Exam: Agile Work Readiness Exam (forthcoming)
Results:
A clear understanding of the basic terminology and concepts that make up the Agile Work method. Readiness to undertake the more intensive levels of Agile Work certification. Understanding of one's own compatibility with agile methods.
All Agile Work Performance Certifications require successful completion of the Agile Work Readiness Certificate.
Team
MemberRequirements:
Readings: The Wisdom of Teams, Getting Things Done, Textbook of Wisdom
Training: Three day Team Member Training
Exam: Team Member Certification Exam
Interview: with a Master of Agile Work, Agile Work Trainer or Agile Work Coach
Experience Report: description of using one or more Agile Work practices in a team setting
Endorsement: from two team members or managers (using LinkedIn)
Timing: must be completed at least six months and no more than two years after obtaining the Agile Work Readiness Certificate.
Queue
MasterRequirements:
Readings: Agile Work for Managers, The Wisdom of Teams, (something on Financial Modeling), (something on Product Management), The Toyota Way, Good to Great
Training: Three day Queue Master Training
Exam: Queue Master Certification Exam
Interview: with a Master of Agile Work, Agile Work Trainer or Agile Work Coach
Experience Report: description of using a Work Queue to plan and adjust work
Endorsement: from two team members or managers (using LinkedIn)
Timing: must be completed at least six months and no more than two years after obtaining the Agile Work Readiness Certificate.
Process
FacilitatorRequirements:
Readings: Agile Work for Managers, The Wisdom of Teams, Agile Retrospectives, Agile Project Management with Scrum, The Corporate Culture Survival Guide, The Toyota Way, Good to Great
Training: Three day Process Facilitator Training (Course Outline)
Exam: Process Facilitator Certification Exam
Interview: with a Master of Agile Work, Agile Work Trainer or Agile Work Coach
Experience Report: description of helping a team adopt one or more Agile Work practices
Endorsement: from two team members or managers (using LinkedIn)
Timing: must be completed at least six months and no more than two years after obtaining the Agile Work Readiness Certificate.
All Advanced Agile Work Certifications require successful completion of all three Agile Work Performance Certifications.
CoachRequirements:
Readings: Lean Software Development, Agile Software Development, Extreme Programming Explained, Agile Project Management with Scrum, Six Thinking Hats, (something about coaching)
Training: Three day Agile Work Coach Training
Exam: Agile Work Coach Exam
Timing: must be completed at least twelve months and no more than two years after obtaining the Agile Work Performance Certifications.
TrainerRequirements:
Readings: PMBoK Guide, The Workshop Book, Blink, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (?), (adult learning)
Training: Three day Agile Work Coach Training
Exam: Agile Work Coach Exam
Timing: must be completed at least twelve months and no more than two years after obtaining the Agile Work Performance Certifications.
Requirements:
Readings: An Introduction to General Systems Thinking, Systemantics, Man's Search for Meaning, The Tipping Point, Beyond the Culture of Contest, Progress and Its Problems
Training: "enrichment" training in PMI-based systems, lean / six-sigma, CMMI, team building, coaching/mentoring, organizational development, etc.
Training: Open Space conversations on History, Theory, Practice and Criticism of agile methods
Writing: experience report on: a) extending agile methods into a new work domain or situation, or b) developing novel thinking or collaboration tools to support agile methods or c) producing and executing unique agile methods training, coaching or promotion techniques
Experience: 5 years experience coaching, training and participating in Agile Work environments, specifically, delivering training for Team Members, Process Facilitators and Queue Masters each at least twice with 90% positive feedback, etc. etc.
Interview: with two other Masters of Agile Work
Endorsement: from two managers in organizations worked, plus three personal ethics endorsments (using LinkedIn)
Timing: must be completed at least twelve months and no more than two years after obtaining the Advanced Agile Work Certifications.
Duties:
Participate in certifying other Agile Work Team Members, Queue Masters, Process Facilitators, Coaches and Trainers
Contribute articles monthly to Agile Advice
Maintain a personal web page with a link to Agile Advice and Agile Masters
At no time will organizations be certified under this program. An individual with a certification can let an organization use that certification for promotional purposes as long as the certification used in promotion is textually, graphically and semantically in close proximity to the name of the person holding the certification.
Agile methods promise early and continuous delivery of valuable results. Agile methods such as Scrum and Lean can be used in many domains. Software development is where agile methods started, but these methods are now being applied to many other fields. Documentary videographers are using an agile approach to iteratively create their videos. Agile gurus are using agile methods to do home renovations. People who have used Scrum, an agile management method, in their large enterprises are now applying it to their personal lives. Small businesses are using agile work methods to do business and organizational development. Human resources departments are using agile methods to understand how to get people to work together effectively.
Agile methods include several simple practices: self organizing teams, iterative and incremental delivery, adaptive planning, test-driven development, measuring value, effective face-to-face communication and ruthless removing of obstacles. These common-sense practices allow agile methods to expose and address many problems that often lie hidden... constantly slowing down work efforts, and frustrating team members.
There are many different agile methods including Scrum, Lean, Extreme Programming, Crystal Clear, Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM), and many custome methods. The term "agile" is really an umbrella term that emcompasses all these different methodologies and processes. Each specific methodology has its own set of core practices and principles, but they share the common values expressed in the Agile Manifesto.
Agile processes and approaches are substantially different from other approaches. The Rational Unified Process (RUP) is a popular methodology for software development in large organizations. The RUP is heavy on documentation and a phased approach to gradually delivering software. The Project Management Institute's (PMI) Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK) is strongly influenced by civil engineering project constraints and cannot be considered appropriate for many creative efforts. Both of these approaches have different underlying value systems from an agile approach, primarily in that they consider humans to be ideally treated as robots that follow precise instructions with little creativity.