What is the AgileSHIFT certification, and should you pursue it?

Does your organisation need help with implementing clear and effective communication throughout transformations? AgileSHIFT is designed to solve problems like this that occur when adopting agile ways of working at an enterprise level.

The AgileSHIFT certification validates that team members have the skills and mindset to communicate through digital transformations.

What is AgileSHIFT?

AgileSHIFT is a framework developed by AXELOS and PeopleCert - the same organisations responsible for ITIL and PRINCE2. The goal is to help enterprises undergo agile transformations successfully. AgileSHIFT provides guidance and a set of practices to help all staff embrace an agile culture, mindset, and way of working across the entire enterprise.

Here are some critical points about AgileSHIFT as a framework:

• Framework: AgileSHIFT contains five principles and five practices to guide organisational transformation. It encourages users to adopt an iterative delivery method empowered by various roles, workflows, tools, competencies and techniques. The framework is designed to be adaptable and easily integrated into different organisational contexts.

• Enterprise Agility: AgileSHIFT enables a change in the environment and culture within the entire organisation, allowing it to respond more effectively to customer requirements. There's a misconception that the framework is limited to the scopes of IT and projects. But according to AXELOS, AgileSHIFT has been designed to be used by the entire organisation, regardless of role, function or seniority. It encourages agile delivery teams to interact with other business functions, including Finance, HR, Operations, Sales & Marketing and Legal.

• Benefits: By embracing AgileSHIFT, businesses can achieve improved efficiency, enhanced customer satisfaction, and increased innovation. The methodology emphasises flexibility, iterative approaches and a holistic view of organisational transformation. PeopleCert shares that the AgileSHIFT framework equips individual staff to recognise and understand the necessity of transformational change.
  

What is the AgileSHIFT certification?

The AgileSHIFT certification confirms one has the skills and knowledge to implement the framework to promote positive organisational change. To earn the certification, individuals must complete the AgileSHIFT course and pass an exam.

The training covers various aspects of agile transformation, including understanding why transformation is necessary, the benefits of agility, key concepts and principles of agileSHIFT, roles and responsibilities and the tools and techniques to support agile transformation initiatives. The certification exam assesses the candidate's knowledge and understanding of these concepts.

What's the difference between AgileSHIFT and other Agile certifications, like Scrum Master, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) or Disciplined Agile (DA)? AgileSHIFT is unique in focusing on the organisational transformation aspect of agility. While certifications like Scrum Master focus on specific roles within agile teams and frameworks like SAFe and DA address scaling agile practices, AgileSHIFT guides on how to create an agile organisation from a strategic, enterprise-wide perspective.

AgileSHIFT training and certification is ideal for professionals who are involved in or responsible for leading or participating in agile transformation initiatives at an organisational level. It equips individuals with the knowledge and skills to drive successful agile transformations and helps organisations thrive in today's fast-paced, competitive business environment.

Why should your team pursue an AgileSHIFT certification?

The AgileSHIFT course can be beneficial to people holding roles like Senior leadership team members, including senior leaders in HR, Marketing, Procurement, Operations, Finance, IT; Change leads/managers; Transformation leads/managers; Project leads/managers; Agile coaches; Programme and Portfolio leads/managers; Product owners/managers; Process owners/managers; Service owners/managers; Problem leads/managers.

Learning about the framework through the course has many benefits; it's designed to solve problems you may encounter when adopting agile ways of working at an enterprise level. We share some of the advantages here:

• Agility at Scale: Many organisations need help extending agile practices beyond individual teams. An AgileSHIFT course guides on how to scale agile principles and practices across entire organisations, ensuring that agility is not limited to specific units but permeates the whole of organisational structure.

• Managing Change: AgileSHIFT helps organisations address the cultural and mindset shifts required for successful agile transformation. It provides tools and techniques to manage resistance to change, allowing employees and stakeholders embrace the agile mindset and adapt to new ways of working.

• Boosting Communication Effectiveness: An AgileSHIFT course emphasises the importance of clear and effective communication throughout the transformation process. It provides strategies for fostering open communication channels, ensuring that everyone in the organisation understands the agile transformation's goals, benefits, and progress.

• Tightening Alignment: AgileSHIFT training helps align various departments, teams, and individuals towards common agile objectives. Providing a structured approach ensures that everyone in the organisation understands how their roles and responsibilities contribute to the overall agile transformation strategy.

• Accessing Leadership Support: AgileSHIFT training guides leadership teams on providing active support and sponsorship for the agile transformation. It helps leaders understand their roles in the agile transformation process and equips them with the knowledge to make informed decisions that facilitate the transformation journey.

• Efficient Implementation: AgileSHIFT online learning or in-person instruction offers practical tools and techniques to implement agile practices efficiently. It helps organisations avoid common pitfalls and challenges associated with agile adoption.
  

By focusing on these aspects, AgileSHIFT helps organisations build an agile culture that can adapt and thrive in today's rapidly changing business landscape.

When AgileSHIFT Certification might not be a good fit

At Lumify Work, we get that learning isn't one-size-fits-all. And there may be cases where a different credential in a different may be the answer. We share some examples.

• Individuals focused on specific agile roles: If you are primarily interested in specific agile roles such as Product Owner or Scrum Master, AgileSHIFT might not be the best choice. Other certifications like Agile Scrum Master (ASM) or Agile Scrum Product Owner (ASPO) are more tailored to these specific roles.

• Small teams or startups: For small teams or startups with limited resources, pursuing AgileSHIFT certification might be overly comprehensive as it is designed for larger organisations undergoing complex agile transformations. Smaller entities might find simpler agile frameworks like Scrum or Kanban more applicable and easier to implement.

• Already certified in comprehensive Agile frameworks: If you already hold credentials in comprehensive frameworks like Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) or Disciplined Agile (DA), AgileSHIFT might be redundant. It's essential to assess whether the knowledge provided by AgileSHIFT significantly adds value to your existing expertise.

• Organisations not committed to Agile Transformation: Some organisations may be committed to other frameworks. In other cases, agile transformation is a low priority. So, pursuing AgileSHIFT certification at this stage might not yield the expected results.
  

While obtaining an AgileSHIFT certification is valuable for individuals leading or participating in enterprise-level agile transformations, it might not be the best fit for individuals focused on specific agile roles or for organisations that are not fully committed to embracing agile practices at an organisational level.

Where to access AgileSHIFT certification training

Lumify Work is an Accredited Training Organisation for PeopleCert courses, including AgileSHIFT certification training.

PeopleCert is one of the leading players in the global certification industry, partnering with multi-national organisations and government bodies to develop and manage globally recognised certification schemes. PeopleCert has delivered millions of exams in over 150 countries.

Lumify Work is a leading provider of corporate IT training. Lumify has campuses in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Full HD video and audio create a virtual classroom experience and access to our pool of expert trainers.

Additionally, through the Lumify Anywhere platform, students can complete their training from the comfort of their own homes, from one of our campuses – or wherever suits them best.