Major Certifications on Agile, Scrum, LeSS, SAFe, Kanban, OKR

In today's dynamic business environment, certifications play an essential role in validating an individual’s expertise and skills in various domains. When it comes to Agile and its related methodologies, obtaining a certification can differentiate you from the crowd and give you a competitive advantage.
In this article, we will walk you through major certification centers related to Agile, Scrum, LeSS, SAFe, Kanban, and OKR, giving you a comprehensive view of the options available.

1. ICAgile (International Consortium for Agile)
Founded in 2010, ICAgile is a leading global agile certification body that offers knowledge-based certifications in Agile disciplines. Unlike other certification bodies that focus mainly on the framework or methodology, ICAgile emphasizes a learning journey that equips individuals with a mindset and approach for agility. Their certification tracks are comprehensive, catering to a wide variety of roles and specialties within the Agile world.

Certifications Offered:

• ICAgile Certified Professional (ICP): This foundational certification provides a grounding in Agile, including the Agile mindset, values, principles, and foundational concepts.
• ICAgile Certified Professional in Business Agility Foundations (ICP-BAF): This certification introduces one to the domain of business agility, preparing professionals to champion agility in their organizations.
• ICAgile Certified Professional in Agile Coaching (ICP-ACC): Geared towards individuals looking to become effective Agile coaches, this certification covers areas like team facilitation, professional coaching, mentoring, and teaching.
• ICAgile Certified Professional in Agile Testing (ICP-TST): Ideal for testers and QA professionals, this certification delves deep into Agile testing practices and techniques.
• ICAgile Certified Professional in Agile Programming (ICP-PRG): Targeted at software developers, this certification covers Agile engineering and programming practices, design principles, and more.
• ICAgile Certified Professional in Agile Product Ownership (ICP-APO): This is perfect for product owners, product managers, and others responsible for maximizing value and ensuring a customer-centric approach.
• ICAgile Certified Professional in Agile Team Facilitation (ICP-ATF): Designed for those who wish to become competent Agile Team Facilitators or Scrum Masters.

... and many more. ICAgile offers a wide range of certifications across multiple tracks like Agile Leadership, Enterprise Coaching, DevOps, and Agile Talent, to name a few.

2. Scrum Alliance
Established in 2001, Scrum Alliance is one of the most prominent and recognized organizations dedicated to promoting Scrum practices worldwide. Their certifications are renowned for their comprehensiveness and practical approach.

Certifications Offered:

• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM): Ideal for team leads or managers who wish to understand Scrum and guide their teams efficiently.
• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO): Designed for visionaries responsible for the product backlog and maximizing the product value.
• Certified Scrum Developer (CSD): Targeted towards developers and engineers who want to dive deep into Scrum principles.

3. Scrum.org
Founded by Scrum co-creator Ken Schwaber, Scrum.org provides comprehensive training, assessments, and certifications to improve the software delivery process.

Certifications Offered:

• Professional Scrum Master (PSM): Consists of three levels (I, II, and III), focusing on Scrum mastery from beginner to expert level.
• Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO): Also available in three tiers, it is ideal for those managing product backlogs and stakeholder interactions.
• Professional Scrum Developer (PSD): For those looking to understand the technical aspects of Scrum implementation.

4. LeSS (Large Scale Scrum)
Large Scale Scrum (LeSS) provides a straightforward approach to scaling Scrum. Instead of adding more roles or artifacts, LeSS extends the underlying principles of Scrum to the domain of large-scale operations.

Certifications Offered:

• Certified LeSS Practitioner (CLP): This is the foundational certification for those looking to adopt the LeSS framework. It’s an in-depth, hands-on course that dives deep into LeSS principles, framework, rules, and guides.
• Certified LeSS for Executives: While not a distinct certification in the traditional sense, some LeSS trainers offer executive overview training tailored for organizational leaders. It focuses on giving a high-level understanding of what LeSS is and how it can benefit their organization.
• Certified Provisional LeSS Coach: This certification is for those who have a deeper understanding of LeSS and want to coach other organizations or teams in their LeSS adoption journey. The path to becoming a Provisional LeSS Coach involves multiple steps, including having a deep experience in Scrum, attending a CLP course, and having significant experience in LeSS adoptions.
• Certified LeSS Coach (CLC): The highest level of LeSS certification, CLCs are experts in LeSS adoptions, having demonstrated a high skill level, deep understanding, and broad experience in LeSS in various organizations. It's a recognition by the LeSS community of a coach's skills and experience.

5. SAFe (Large Scale Scrum)
SAFe or Scaled Agile Framework is an industry standard for scaling Agile across large enterprises. Scaled Agile Inc. offers training and certifications specifically for this framework.

Certifications Offered:

• SAFe Agilist (SA): Designed for leaders who guide their teams to success using the SAFe methodology and principles. This covers the fundamental concepts of the framework.
• SAFe Practitioner (SP): Meant for team members to get a foundational knowledge about the SAFe framework and how to work within an Agile Release Train (ART).
• SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM): This certification is tailored for those taking the roles of Product Owner, Product Manager, Business Owner, or Business Analyst within a SAFe enterprise.
• SAFe Advanced Scrum Master (SASM): Delves deeper into the Scrum Master role within a SAFe environment, focusing on facilitating team and program level events for successful program execution.
• SAFe Release Train Engineer (RTE): Designed for those who wish to drive end-to-end delivery of ARTs and support Program Increment (PI) planning, execution, and continual improvement.
• SAFe DevOps Practitioner (SDP): Focuses on the principles and practices of the Continuous Delivery Pipeline in the SAFe framework.
• SAFe Agile Software Engineer (ASE): Aimed at defining detailed, Agile technical practices and helping teams execute them.
• SAFe for Architects (ARCH): For solution, enterprise, and systems architects who will learn to work across ARTs to deliver and architect solutions.
• SAFe Lean Portfolio Management (LPM): This certification covers aligning strategy and execution by applying Lean and systems thinking approaches to strategy and investment funding.
• SAFe for Government (SGP): Introduces public sector employees and contractors to the SAFe principles, roles, and practices.
• SAFe Agile Product and Solution Management (APSM): Tailored for those responsible for defining and supporting the building of desirable, feasible, viable, and sustainable products.

6. Lean Kanban University (LKU)
LKU focuses on providing high-quality training and certifications on Kanban practices, which emphasize workflow efficiency and continuous improvement.

Certifications Offered:

• Team Kanban Practitioner (TKP): An entry-level training that provides an introduction to the Kanban Method and the concepts of visual management. It helps teams understand visualization and work management.
• Kanban System Design (KMP I): This training goes beyond the basics and dives into designing and implementing a Kanban system. It's the first step towards the full Kanban Management Professional designation.
• Kanban System Improvement (KMP II): This course continues from KMP I, focusing on the advanced concepts necessary for scaling and optimizing the Kanban method across teams and organizations.
• Kanban Coaching Professional (KCP): This accreditation signifies deep knowledge about the Kanban Method and the skills required to effectively coach, consult, grow, and sustain Kanban initiatives at the enterprise level.
• Accredited Kanban Trainer (AKT): AKTs are the trainers accredited by LKU to teach the official "certified" Kanban courses. Becoming an AKT is a rigorous process that involves deep expertise in Kanban and demonstrable teaching abilities.
• Fit-for-Purpose (F4P) Black Belt: This program teaches individuals about the Fit-for-Purpose Framework, enabling businesses to better understand their customers, market segment strategies, and service delivery capabilities.

Each of these centers offers unique insights and methodologies that cater to different needs and objectives.
Whether you're a manager, a team lead, or a developer, there's a certification out there that can enhance your skills and broaden your horizons.

Remember, in the fast-paced world of Agile, it's not just about getting certified, but about understanding, adapting, and implementing the principles in real-world scenarios. So, choose wisely and take a leap in your professional journey!