Project management certification:

We have seen 5 project management certifications that differentiate highly efficient project managers from the rest. Getting certified has a lot of benefits such as professional recognition worldwide, higher packages but most importantly being able to manage projects efficiently by adapting to evolving management practices.

Need for Agile project management:

Agile is in vogue. Not only software development teams but teams across industry verticals are bracing Agile methodology for managing their projects.

Agile is an alternative approach to traditional project management such as waterfall or sequential methodology. Companies who have adopted agile have seen improved performance visibility leading to higher team engagement, better product/service quality, reduced risk and higher customer satisfaction.

Individuals working in such organisations need to adapt to their style of working to be able to give their best. Thankfully there are various project management certifications specially designed for an agile environment.

List of Agile Project management certifications:

PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®

If you’re experienced using agile approaches, have good collaboration skills, eagerly embrace complexity and thrive on rapid response times, then your talents are in demand.

PMI – ACP is a certification provided by the world’s leading project management organisation. This certificate is a formal recognition of your agile principles knowledge as well as agile techniques skills. Being one of the fastest growing certifications, it is perfectly suited to organisations that are highly agile and responsive to market dynamics. Certified individuals are fully equipped to perform better in agile environment such as Scrum, Kanban, or Lean.

Price of certification:

• Member: US $435
• Non-member: US$ 495

Prerequisites:

• 2,000 hours of general project experience working on teams
• 1,500 hours working on agile project teams or with agile methodologies
• 21 contact hours of training in agile practices

Certified SCRUM Master (CSM)

This is a very common certification for project managers who specifically reside in industries that utilize the Agile (or Lean Agile) methodology for their internal processes.

A Certified ScrumMaster® certified individual helps in efficient use of Scrum agile methodology thus increasing the likelihood of the project’s overall success. It helps the individual understand the Scrum framework, team roles and activities.

Procedure:

• Attend an in-person, two-day (16 hour) CSM course taught by a Scrum Alliance Authorized Trainer
• Pass the CSM exam by correctly answering minimum 24 out of 35 questions
• After passing accept the License Agreement and complete your Scrum Alliance membership profile (valid for 2 years)

Agile Project Management Certification

The APMG-International AgilePM® certification aims to address the needs of those working in a project-focused environment who want to be agile.

The AgilePM guidance and supporting training courses explain how to lay the foundations for successful agile projects and manage an agile project from start to finish. It helps certified individuals adopt to a fast-paced, flexible and collaborative approach to project management without compromising on quality.

Price of certification:

• Foundation Examination: US $ 278.31
• Practitioner Examination: US $ 421.20

Associate’s or Master’s Certificate in Agile practices

TwentyEighty Strategy Execution, in partnership with The George Washington University, provides Associate’s Certificate in Agile Practices as well as Master’s Certificate in Agile Practices. Earning an Associate’s Certificate highlights your knowledge and skills within the Agile discipline while a Master’s allows you to add credentials after your name, and identifies you as a leader in the Agile field.

Requirement for Associate’s certificate:

• Agile Projects: Keys to getting started or Delivering Agile Projects with Scrum
• One of the other Agile Courses

Requirement for Master’s certificate:

• Agile Projects: Keys to getting started (must)

Any four of the following

• Delivering Agile Projects with Scrum
• Developing Agile Requirements
• Estimating and Planning Agile Projects
• Agile Practices for Product Owners
• Project Portfolio Management Using Agile

While there are various other options available, these are some of the most globally recognised certifications that are in high demand. Employees or managers typically take it upon themselves to pursue these certifications. However, organisations should understand that the key to success is continuous employee development and thus encourage them to pursue these certifications.
What are some other certifications which you believe can get you Agile ready?