Expert Insights from Andrew Sales and Tessa Powell: Highlights from the ASPC Live Session

The recent “Agile Transformation to Business Value” live session, hosted by upGrad KnowledgeHut in partnership with Scaled Agile, Inc., brought together leading experts to discuss the Advanced SAFe Practice Consultant (ASPC) certification — a key step in advancing Agile transformation expertise and becoming a SAFe consultant.

Andrew Sales (Chief Methodologist and SAFe Fellow, Scaled Agile, Inc.) and Tessa Powell (ASPC Co-Creator, Product Manager & Instructional Designer, Scaled Agile, Inc.) shared invaluable hands-on expertise and responded to questions from SPCs, ASPCs, and ASPC aspirants about the ASPC course, exam, and certification benefits.

This article distils their thought leadership on Agile consultant certification, ASPC course value, pricing, and the evolving landscape of enterprise Agile certification.

ASPC Evolution and Way Ahead

Addressing the question an attendee James asked, “Is it true that all SPCs must become ASPCs by a certain date?”:

“James - it isn't exactly accurate to say all SPCs must become ASPCs by a certain date. However as we have introduced a new role in our expert certifications, we have had to consider how it impacts our training policy. The new training policy is that those who wish to continue teaching LPM, RTE, and the new Advanced Scrum Master course. We made this change based on feedback we have heard that brand new SPCs may lack experience necessary to deliver these courses well. You can learn more from the FAQs.” – Tessa Powell

“James, echoed here—this is not a mandate for all SPCs immediately, but reflects a shift towards ensuring experience and quality in our advanced courses. More details are available via our official resources.” – Andrew Sales

ASPC Course Value and Pricing

When asked about concerns over ASPC course cost by another attendee Marcy:

“Hi Marcy, hopefully at the end of the day it becomes a question of value. We are working hard to make sure that on becoming an ASPC there is significant value that the ASPC has access to in terms of both content they unlock and things they are permitted to do, so the value proposition becomes stronger. We are also doing a lot of work at the moment on ROI to demonstrate clearly to organizations that the value an ASPC can deliver to an organization greatly outweighs any consideration of the cost. Thanks.” – Andrew Sales

“+1 to everything Andrew said regarding price. We also followed the precedent set by the Implementing course to determine pricing for Advanced SPC - with the exception of the cost of an exam retake ($50 for ASPC, instead of $250). With the introduction of the new content, this will likely become a 4-day course, priced similarly to Implementing SAFe.” – Tessa Powell 

Market Relevance for Independent Consultants

In response to a question asked by attendee David, about the specific value that the Advanced SAFe Practice Consultant (ASPC) certification offers to independent consultants:

“Thanks for your question, David. I think partly that is due to the fact that we need to do more at Scaled Agile (Inc.,) to make the value proposition clearer. What you saw today is some of the work we have in progress to really help to communicate to the market how the ASPC role is differentiated. We will continue to work on this and educate the market as to the value.” – Andrew Sales

Key Themes from the ASPC Live Meetup

• Strategic Clarity about ASPC
  Both Andrew and Tessa provided much-needed transparency on evolving certification policies and the rationale behind ASPC requirements, advocating for quality and experience in advanced SAFe teaching.
• ASPC Course Value and Development
  Andrew and Tessa addressed cost concerns by emphasizing the value unlocked for ASPCs and ongoing efforts to articulate and strengthen the ROI for individuals and organizations.
• ASPC Community and Leadership
  Andrew and Tessa acknowledged the power of practitioner feedback and the continuing journey to support ASPCs as leaders in the Agile community. Both reinforced the importance of discernment, empathy, and adaptation in the age of complexity and AI. 

Advancing Agile Transformation: The Future with ASPC Certification

The live discussion with Andrew Sales and Tessa Powell exemplifies Scaled Agile, Inc.’s commitment to clarity, quality, and continuous growth in Agile coaching and consultancy. The ASPC certification is positioned as a critical step for Agile professionals aiming to deepen their expertise and enhance their impact across enterprises implementing Agile at scale.

Aspiring SAFe consultants and Agile coaches looking for advanced certification options will find the ASPC program instrumental to their career development and ability to lead transformation initiatives effectively.