Why SPCTs Are More Than SPC Trainers

So they aren’t just ‘trainers of SPCs’, then? Or just a higher level for SPCs to grow to? “Not at all,” says Deema. “SPCTs go through a curated learning and experience journey with Scaled Agile. Much of the evolution you’ve seen in SAFe over the past decade – Design Thinking, Lean Portfolio Management, et cetera - has benefited from SPCT inputs and iterated upon with the help of this community. It’s a lot of how we stay in tune with ‘what’s next’.”

So if the SPCTs have such an impact on the Scaled Agile Framework and the community, how many of them are there currently? Deema checks the numbers: “Currently there are only around 95 certified SPCTs active world-wide. The nomination process has very high standards and not everyone will get in. Being nominated alone means you have achieved an exceptionally high level of experience and understanding of SAFe.”

With the criteria so demanding, how is it that no less than seven of those 95 SPCTs work at Gladwell Academy? After all, when our own world-class SPC trainer Eduardo Alvim goes for his SPCT validation he will be joining Niels Groen, Sathya HR and Ali Hajou, Anand Murthy Raj, Eelco Rustenburg and Michael Stump. Deema isn’t very surprised at this: “Gladwell Academy has been quite successful at nurturing Lean-Agile learning in general and SAFe in particular for several years now. It isn’t strange to see a network effect emerge.”

What do you get when you hire an SPCT as opposed to an SPC? Quality in transformation consulting that is acknowledged by Scaled Agile itself, for one. As according to a recent Gartner publication: ‘Do not rely on certifications alone as a measure of the skills of a consultant or prospective employee. A notable exception to this is the SAFe Program Consultant Trainer (SPCT) certification, which does require demonstrated experience with agile, software development or product management, training and consulting. If you’re hiring someone who has [an] SPCT certification, you can be confident that they do have experience in these areas, as well as experience with SAFe implementation at multiple organizations.’

The final phase of the Program involves training a complete four-day Implementing SAFe together with a fellow SPCT, the SPCT guide. For Eduardo, his fellow guide is none other than Deema Dajani herself. “We’ll both be teaching parts of the course. I’m looking forward to Eduardo’s experience stories, and treatment of the Lean Portfolio Management material, because it’s an area I‘m heavily involved in evolving in fact. I’ll be teaching several chapters myself, as well as supporting Eduardo and making it a fantastic experience for everyone.”

Would you like to see Deema Dajani and Eduardo Alvim in action?