ManagementYogi’s CIPSA Certification: What CIPSA Scaled Scrum Is and What It’s Not!

There are many scaled agile frameworks and associated certifications in the world which have different approaches to scaling. However, it’s difficult to implement them with software tool(s). The Certified In Practical Scaled Agile (CIPSA) framework, as well as the certification, is radically different because it takes a direct, hands-on, and practical approach to scaling. See here.

Now, because the CIPSA Scrum Framework is different, there can be certain mis-interpretations about the framework. 

This post informs – what CIPSA Scaled Scrum is and what it’s not. Some of the below differences can be applicable for the CIPSA Kanban Framework. 

Next, let's see the unique aspects of Scrum at Scale with CIPSA, one-by-one.

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1. Not Maximality, but Minimality: CIPSA Scaled Scrum is not about having a large number of artifacts, meta-events and roles. CIPSA Scaled Scrum extends Scrum minimally and as needed.

It minimizes extensions to Scrum, adding only what’s truly necessary. The focus is on simplicity and clarity, not overhead.

2. Not Theory-Heavy, but Practical-Ready: CIPSA Scaled Scrum is not theory and more theory. CIPSA Scaled Scrum is practical and hands-on with software tool(s) with needed theory.

CIPSA Scaled Scrum emphasizes practical application supported by just enough theory. Real-world tools and hands-on experience are at the core. In the field, that is what actually matters. Isn’t it? 

3. Not Tied to One, but any Capable Software: CIPSA Scaled Scrum is not just with one software tool, i.e., MS Project Agile. CIPSA Scaled Scrum can be used with any software worth its salt.

The focus here is on adaptability, not tool dependency. It’s tool-agnostic and works with any robust platform software tool. If they’ve scaling capabilities, then CIPSA Scrum can be used.

4. Not a Methodology, but a Scalable Framework: CIPSA Scaled Scrum is not a methodology. CIPSA Scaled Scrum is a framework.

The CISPA Scaled Scrum Framework is a flexible framework; not a rigid methodology. It guides without prescribing rigid processes. This, in fact, minimally extends the team-level Scrum framework. 

5. Not Individual Success, but Collective Value Delivery: CIPSA Scaled Scrum is not about individuals or individual team’s success. CIPSA Scaled Scrum is about the success of the customer and the entire CIPSA team.

CIPSA Scaled Scrum is centered on end-to-end success for the customer and the full delivery. Considering the CIPSA team, it’s about collaboration over isolation.

6. Not Increment, but Integrated Increment: CIPSA Scaled Scrum main reason of existence is not an Increment. CIPSA Scaled Scrum main reason of existence is to provide an Integrated Increment. 

The core goal here is to deliver an (CIPSA) Integrated Increment across individual Scrum teams. Alignment of teams and integration of their deliverables are key.

7. Not Events, but Meta-Events: CIPSA Scaled Scrum is not about Scrum events. CIPSA Scaled Scrum is about events at scale or meta-events.

CIPSA addresses coordination and collaboration through meta-events at scale. Individual Scrum events will happen at the team, but at scale it’s about meta-events.

8. Not Features, but Value: CIPSA Scaled Scrum is not about delivering a large number of features. CIPSA Scaled Scrum is about delivering value to the customer.

Agile is fundamentally about value-delivery. Agile at Scale is not different. CIPSA Scaled Scrum is focused on the meaning value, which actually comes from the Integrated Increment. 

9. Not Complex, but Simple to Scale: CIPSA Scaled Scrum is not complex. CIPSA Scaled Scrum is simple and is used to deliver work, which can be complex. 

The CIPSA Scaled Scrum framework has been kept intentionally simple, yet it’s purposeful when dealing with complex work. As I’ve written before, simple is smart for Agile at scale!

10. Not Just Software, but for all Complex Work:  CIPSA Scaled Scrum is not just applicable to software where scaling is needed. 

CIPSA Scaled Scrum is applicable to all complex work at scale, including software.

Many have misconceptions that CIPSA Scaled Scrum is only for software product. Nothing can be further from the truth. It applies to any complex work at Scale. It’s domain neutral. 

Table Representation

One can put the "what it's not and what it's" into a table. It'll come as shown below. It's also easier to remember.

Conclusion

Individual teams working on product with Agile approaches are different compared to Scaled Agile approaches. You need to clearly understand the different them and also have a different mindset to fully utilize the CIPSA Framework. 

CIPSA the one of simplest possible frameworks in the world. The related CIPSA certification is both highly practical and highly economical. 

The CIPSA Framework Guide is free to download and use. For in-depth understanding with detailed hands-on practical, consider becoming a CIPSA professional.

CIPSA Sample Videos and Questions:

[1] CIPSA Sample Video List (Choose a Video)

[2] CIPSA Video Playlist (Complete Playlist)

CIPSA Sample Questions:

[1] CIPSA Certification Sample Questions (Part - 1)

[2] CIPSA Certification Sample Questions (Part - 2)

References:

[1] NEW Scaled Agile Certification Course: Certified In Practical Scaled Agile (CIPSA)

[2] New Practical Scaled Agile Framework – The CIPSA Framework Guide

[3] Understanding the CIPSA Scrum Framework – Practical, Hands-on Scrum at Scale

[4] The CIPSA Framework Clock - A Unique Way

Course Review: MS Project 2016 Live Lessons – An Excellent Course for Mastering MS Project in both Traditional and Agile Environments

By Sanjeev Kaushal, PMP

I recently purchased the MS Project 2016 Live Lessons course, which has both traditional (waterfall) and Agile content. It has been an invaluable learning experience for me. 

The course provides a well-structured approach to understanding how MS Project, which can be effectively used for traditional project management and also for Agile project management. I've been using the CHAMP certification course in parallel with MS Project Live Lessons.

What I Liked?

Following are the ones I liked most about the course.

Comprehensive Content: The course covers everything from Traditional and Agile fundamentals to advanced MS Project features.

Practical Approach: It has hands-on exercises and real-world examples helped me grasp key concepts.

Clear Instructions: The instructor explains complex topics in a simple and easy-to-follow manner.

Great for Project Managers: The course is perfect for anyone managing Traditional or Agile projects and looking to streamline planning and execution. There is one lesson for Agile.

My Key Takeaways 

I now feel confident using MS Project to manage Traditional and needed Agile workflows, track progress, and improve team collaboration.

I highly recommended for professionals looking to enhance their project management skills with Agile methodologies. 

Features in this Course

Following are the unique and distinct aspects of this course.

1. Hands-on Practical Approach

The course includes real-world scenarios, case studies, and interactive exercises to ensure learners can apply their knowledge in actual projects.

2. Seamless Integration of Traditional and Agile with MS Project

Along with the traditional MS Project courses, this course specifically focuses on how Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, etc.) can be implemented within MS Project. As I'm using both CHAMP and MSP courses, I use both to learn traditional with agile. 

3. Step-by-Step Guidance

The instructor breaks down complex Agile and MS Project functionalities into simple, actionable steps, making it easy to follow along—even for beginners.

4. Balanced Focus on Traditional and Agile Methods

This course is well-suited for hybrid project managers as it provides insights into how with MS Project you can manage both Waterfall and Agile approaches. 

It covers Agile-specific tools such as Sprint planning, task boards, burndown charts, and backlog management, making it suitable for Agile project managers as well.

Brief Profile: Sanjeev Kaushal, PMP 

Current Role: Project Manager with over 10 years of experience in Software Development.

MSP and CHAMP Certification Reviews: 

• CHAMP Success Story: A Niche Certification – Never Seen Anything Like This Before
• MS Project Live Lessons – Enables to Learn and Master the Application to Help in Delivering Successful Projects
• Mastering MS Project Agile Course Review–An Absolutely Delightful, High-Quality Course At A Very Low Cost!
• MS Project 2016 Live Lessons–An Effective Way to Learn Microsoft Project
• MS Project 2016 Live Lessons–Concise Course with Precise Information and Effective Learning
• MS Project 2016 Live Lessons – A Practical Guide for PMBOK and A Must Do Course for PMPs
• MS Project 2013 Live Lessons - Crisp And Effective Way To Master Your Concepts

You may also like:

• MS Project 2016 Live Lessons - Guaranteed Learning or Your Money Back
• Certified Hybrid-Agile Master Professional (CHAMP)
• Mastering MS Project Agile - Complete Practical and Hands-on
• PMP 35 Contact Hours Online Course - Full Money Back Guarantee

Scrum at Scale with CIPSA: The Dos and Don’ts

In a recent international webinar series, I presented the unique CIPSA framework and the associated CIPSA certification. This is the only certification in the world with hands-on, practical applicability for both Scrum at Scale and Kanban at Scale. 

Certain questions came up about the dos and don'ts while using the CIPSA Scrum Framework using the MS Project Agile software tool. One keen participant asked: We don't have 100% dedicated team members. They work in multiple projects. Will the CIPSA Scrum framework, work? 

To know the answer to the above question and other aspects, you can watch the concluding part of the webinar series here. The webinar series was conducted by MPUG in collaboration with ManagementYogi.

In this article, we will explore a simple set of dos and dont's. For in-depth explanation, and understanding with certification, you can use this course.

The Dos

Do # 1: Make extensive use of the available custom fields in MS Project Agile.

MS Project Agile comes with a number of custom fields related to text, number, flags and others. You can take advantage of this. For Scrum at Scale, while using multiple teams, make liberal use of custom fields in place of typing yourself every time. 

Example: Team custom field for Resources.

Important Note: The CIPSA framework can be used with other software tools, which provide scaling capabilities. It's not tied to one specific tool at all.

Do # 2: Segregate resources across multiple Scrum Teams. 

This applies to both Scrum and Kanban teams. You can segregate the resources with the help of built-in or custom fields based on their groups. But always remember, it’s a single CIPSA team!

Example: Grouping PO group. PO stands for (Team) Product Owner.

Do # 3: For every Individual Scrum Team, have a separate Scrum Board view.

In MS Project Agile, there are many Board Views to manage your Scrum projects at Scale. There are views such as Sprint Planning Board view, Sprint Planning Sheet view, among others. For Scrum at Scale, you should have separate views for your individual Scrum teams. 

However, the collective Scrum board view for the entire CIPSA team will be one. 

Again, many software tools provide separate board views for individual Scrum teams. They can be definitely used with the CIPSA framework.

Do # 4: For every Individual Scrum Team, have separate tables and filters. 

For Scrum at Scale using the CIPSA Scrum Framework, there will be commonalities among the individual Scrum teams, but there will also be differences. Because individual team choices can differ.

Don’t consider all teams to be equal and give flexibility with respect to tables and filters.

Do # 5: Have fully-dedicated CIPSA Scrum team members.

One of the characteristics of successful Scrum teams is to have fully dedicated team members, who are 100% available. The CIPSA Scrum Team Members should be 100% available. 

The Don’ts

Don’t # 1: Don’t go scaling without a strategy. 

Scaling and strategy go hand-in-hand. If you don’t have a strategy, but are still scaling, it’s unlikely to succeed. If you don’t have a strategy, then you also don’t need the roles of Chief Product Owner (CPO) and Principal Scrum Master (PSM).

Don’t # 2: Don’t hire people only for skills, but primarily for attitude.

Skills are needed. However, it's the attitude, first and foremost, which will determine the altitude for Scrum at Scale. You need people who have the capacity to build, take a lot of pains and setbacks. It’ll happen during the initial period.

Don’t # 3: Don’t forget to nurture talent.

Nurture talent and have one-to-one meetings with key people. It’s very important, but rarely done. This is really needed as Agile development demands intense collaboration and trust. 

Don’t # 4: Don’t use the wrong software tool to scale your Scrum projects.

The CIPSA Framework supports both Scrum and Kanban. It also is capable of taking any software tool which can handle scaling. 

If you’re especially using the CIPSA Scrum Framework, then choose the right software tool, which can scale. MS Project Agile is capable of handling Scrum at Scale and provides sufficient features to do so. Hence, this tool is specifically used.

Don’t # 5: Don’t have too many tools. The lesser, the better.

The focus of Scrum at Scale is also delivering working software or working products. The focus is not on having multiple tools. In fact, the fewer the number of tools, the better. 

If you use 5 or 10 tools to manage, it’s not really Agile!

Get CIPSA certified – Heavy on practice, but light on your pocket

The CIPSA framework is not only the simplest possible framework in the world, but also practical, hands-on and in-depth. It’s very light on your pocket.

This certification is not in thousands of dollars… not even hundreds. With much less, you can become a CIPSA. As the above section headline says: it’s heavy on practice, but light on your pocket. 

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To find out more about the CIPSA Scrum Framework, you can download the CIPSA Framework Guide. It’s free to download. 

For in-depth understanding with hands-on scaling, be a CIPSA certified professional.

Certified In Practical Scaled Agile

• Certified In Practical Scaled Agile (CIPSA) Course – Practical and Economical

Mastering MS Project Agile 

• Mastering MS Project Agile Course – Hands-on, In-depth