SAFe, which is known as the Scaled Agile Framework, is widely used in the organisation’s scaled agile practices. When you are building a career in the agile world, it is crucial to understand the difference between each agile certification for your career growth. The current blog educates the reader about the difference between leading SAFe and other agile certifications to make an informed choice.
What is Leading SAFe?
Leading SAFe certification is designed for project leaders or managers to get the knowledge required to lead agile transformations at scale. When you opt for leading SAFe certification training, you will gain the knowledge needed to scale agile practices at an organisational level successfully.
Other Agile Certifications
Scrum Certifications (PSM / CSM)
CSM and PSM are Scrum certifications designed to give professionals knowledge about the Scrum framework. The earned knowledge enhances their ability to apply Scrum in real projects. Both certifications focus on teaching professionals about Scrum practices. The key difference is in the complexity of exam training requirements and job opportunities. Scrum certifications are foundational courses that open doors for various job opportunities.
PMI-ACP
The professionals who complete PMI-ACP certification become agile-certified practitioners and focus on teaching agile approaches like Scrum and Kanban. The certification helps professionals with the knowledge needed to bridge the gap between traditional project management and modern agile methods. The certified professionals can lead agile teams successfully.
Product Owner Certifications
Product owner certifications are designed for professionals who work on prioritising features during the project development process to deliver customer value. The certified product owners will work with the teams to deliver customer value. Product owner certification helps professionals gain knowledge in managing product development roadmaps and prioritising backlogs to lead agile teams.
Leading SAFe and Other Agile Certifications
The Leading SAFe certification is for professionals who want to gain knowledge to lead agile transformations. They are responsible for leading agile transformations in large organisations. The leading SAFe certification will give professionals the skills needed to scale agile beyond individual teams.
Difference Between Leading SAFe and Scrum Certifications?
Scrum Certification
Scrum certifications are focused on team-level execution. The scrum masters taking the certification are responsible for coaching agile teams to implement scrum practices. SAFe Scrum Master certifications are for Scrum Masters and project managers who are involved in iteration planning and facilitating Program Increment (PI) planning. Scrum certifications stand out as foundational for many future roles, such as release train engineer, SAFe program consultant (SPC), agile coach, and lean portfolio manager.
Leading SAFe
Leading SAFe certification is the right choice for professionals who are looking for job roles in leadership positions in the organisation. The focus is to learn about leading agile adoption in the organisation. Leading SAFe is suited for senior management who want to master lean-agile leadership, lead the ARTs, and implement SAFe in the agile enterprise across the organisation. The SAFe agile certification makes you eligible for different job roles like RTE, SAFe program consultant (SPC), agile coach, and lean portfolio manager.
Difference Between Leading SAFe and PMI-ACP?
PMI-ACP
PMI ACP certification is for professionals who apply agile principles in everyday work. The certification helps professionals gain deep knowledge about agile methods and techniques. They learn effective ways to reduce risks and identify opportunities in the project development process. Through certification, they also master the skill of meeting project goals within set budget and time constraints.
Leading SAFe
The SAFe framework offers best practices to implement agile at the enterprise level. Leading SAFe is one such training certification that educates professionals on everything from agile architecture to its integration within the organisation. Leading SAFe certification demonstrates one’s proficiency and hands-on experience in real-world implementations.
Difference Between Leading SAFe Product Owner Certifications?
SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM):
The SAFe POPM certification is for product owners and product managers who are involved in delivering value to customers. The professionals completing certification will learn effective ways to manage product backlogs, prioritise features, plan programme increments, and collaborate with the stakeholders. The certification is for the product owners who are looking to excel in the execution of the product development process and delivery.
Leading SAFe
Leading SAFe certification is all about implementing SAFe across the organisation. It gives the professionals a broad understanding of the agile framework to help them drive agile transformation at the enterprise level. They will know how agile practices work at the team level and how to scale them successfully to the organisational level. The training programme includes various topics like lean agile principles, ARTS, value streams, and aligning them towards business goals. The certification is ideal for professionals who want to master the way of driving teams through agile adoption.
Conclusion
The certifications help you fetch many job opportunities. Your choice of certification depends on your career goals and your experience. Leading SAFe certification is the right choice for people who are looking for job roles as strategic leaders. The certification helps the leaders drive agile transformation at the enterprise level, as it helps the professionals develop a lean agile mindset and the tools needed to align multiple teams towards business goals in a large organisation.
