Do I need to have completed a Leading SAFe® class before taking an Implementing SAFe® class

This is a question that gets frequently asked and is worthy of a quick article to answer not only for now but for future enquires too 😀

In the first instance, let’s look at the Scaled Agile, Inc pre-requisites:

 “All stakeholders in a Lean-Agile transformation are welcome to attend the course, regardless of experience.

However, the following prerequisites are highly recommended for those who intend to take the SAFe® 4 Program Consultant exam and practice as a Certified SAFe® 4 Program Consultant (SPC):

• 5+ years of experience in software development, testing, business analysis, product, or project management
• 3+ years of experience in Agile
• One or more relevant Agile certifications”

So, you can see that Leading SAFe®  is not a pre-requisite to attending an Implementing SAFe® class. In fact, when I took my Implementing SAFe® class I had not previously attended a Leading SAFe® class.

In addition, I tend to find only about a third of Implementing SAFe® class delegates have attended a Leading SAFe® course.

What is more important is that you do have a background and experience in Agile because the Scaled Agile Framework is based on this body of work.

However, there is a BUT!

Dean Leffingwell Executive Briefing by Radtac

If you are in any way familiar with SAFe®, then the name 'Dean Leffingwell' will surely resonate with you. Creator of the Scaled Agile Framework®, Dean is a fantastic author and speaker - and we had the honour to spend an exciting day with him in London on June 12th. More below on how the day unfolded, what Dean taught us, and why you won't want to miss Darren's SPC class in August.