Professional Agile Coach training programs accredited by the ICF

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) is a global organization dedicated to advancing the coaching profession. It sets high standards, provides independent certification, and supports coaches in their professional development. The ICF’s influence is significant in the business world and the agile coaching profession, where its credentials are highly valued for ensuring quality and ethical coaching practices.

Earning an ICF Credential is a rigorous process that confers legitimacy and credibility to credential-holders. The process for obtaining any of the three credentials—Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and Master Certified Coach (MCC)—involves meeting five key components:

1. Education
   • Obtain coach-specific education aligned with the ICF definition of coaching, ICF Core Competencies, and ICF Code of Ethics.
2. Experience
   • Accumulate coaching experience hours, starting after you begin a coaching education program.
3. Mentor Coaching
   • Engage in mentor coaching to enhance your skills within the ICF Core Competencies.
4. Performance Evaluation
   • Pass a performance evaluation assessing your coaching skills against ICF standards.
5. Exam
   • Pass a written exam designed to test your understanding and application of the ICF definition of coaching, ICF Core Competencies, and ICF Code of Ethics.

Holding an ICF Credential is extremely important to today’s coaching clients. The 2022 Global Consumer Awareness Study found that 85% of coaching clients believe it is important or very important for their coach to hold a certification or credential. Achieving an ICF Credential provides you with instant credibility and increased visibility to prospective clients.

ICAgile (International Consortium for Agile) and ICF (International Coaching Federation) are two distinct organizations that serve different but complementary purposes within the coaching and agile communities.

ICAgile:

• Focus: Specializes in agile education and certification.
• Primary Mission: To advance high-quality agile learning by providing a framework for education that enables the continuous delivery of valuable products and services.
• Certifications: Offers a variety of certifications in agile methodologies and practices, such as Agile Coaching (ICP-ACC), Agile Team Facilitation (ICP-ATF), and Enterprise Agile Coaching (ICP-ENT).
• Training: Emphasizes specific agile practices, techniques, and principles to help professionals apply agile methodologies effectively within their organizations.
• Audience: Primarily aimed at individuals and organizations seeking to implement or improve agile practices, including roles like Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, and Agile Team Members.

ICF:

• Focus: Specializes in professional coaching certification and standards.
• Primary Mission: To advance the coaching profession by setting high standards, providing independent certification, and building a worldwide network of trained coaching professionals.
• Certifications: Offers three main levels of credentials for professional coaches—Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and Master Certified Coach (MCC). The Advanced Certification in Team Coaching (ACTC) is a new and exciting certification aimed at growing the coaching profession beyond one on one coaching.
• Training: Focuses on developing coaching skills, ethical behavior, and core competencies as defined by the ICF. It covers a broad range of coaching areas, not limited to agile contexts.
• Audience: Aimed at professional coaches who want to demonstrate their commitment to high standards and ethical practices in the coaching profession, across various fields and industries.

In summary, while ICAgile is focused on agile ways of working and accredits high quality training organizations and courses that help professionals to implement agile practices, ICF is dedicated to the broader coaching profession, emphasizing ethical standards and coaching competencies applicable across diverse contexts.

The Agile Company’s courses are accredited by both ICAgile and ICF because they have designed their programs to meet the standards and requirements set by each organization, addressing both agile methodologies and professional coaching competencies. Here’s how that is possible:

1. Dual Curriculum Design:

   • Agile Content: The courses incorporate comprehensive agile training that aligns with ICAgile’s learning objectives. This includes topics such as Agile Coaching (ICP-ACC), Agile Team Facilitation (ICP-ATF), and other specialized agile practices. The curriculum covers practical and theoretical aspects of agile methodologies, ensuring that participants gain a deep understanding of agile principles and techniques.
   • Coaching Skills: Simultaneously, the courses integrate coaching competencies and ethics as defined by the ICF. This includes developing core coaching skills, ethical behavior, and advanced coaching techniques. The curriculum ensures that participants are trained in line with ICF’s rigorous standards for professional coaching.

2. Accreditation Process:

   • ICF Accreditation: The Agile Company has tailored all its coaching to meet ICF’s educational requirements for coaching-specific training hours, mentor coaching, performance evaluations, and examination preparation. By aligning their program with these criteria, they ensure that their participants can earn ICF credentials upon completion.
   • ICAgile Accreditation: The courses are structured to cover ICAgile’s certification tracks and learning objectives. By embedding agile-specific education and practical applications into their modules, The Agile Company ensures that their programs meet ICAgile’s standards for certification.

3. Mentorship and Evaluation:

   • Mentor Coaching: The Agile Company provides mentor coaching sessions that fulfill ICF’s requirements for mentor hours. These sessions help participants enhance their coaching skills in line with ICF competencies.
   • Performance Evaluations: The courses include performance evaluations to assess the participants’ coaching abilities according to ICF standards, as well as their proficiency in agile practices in alignment with ICAgile standards.

4. Comprehensive Training Approach:

   • Blended Learning: The Agile Company offers a combination of live cohort-based learning, e-learning, group mentoring sessions, and practical evaluations. This comprehensive approach ensures that participants gain both the agile skills recognized by ICAgile and the coaching competencies recognized by ICF.
   • Resource Access: Participants have access to a wide range of resources, including group practice sessions, e-learning modules, and chat spaces, which support both agile and coaching development.

By meticulously aligning their courses with the requirements and standards of both ICAgile and ICF, The Agile Company successfully provides a dual-accredited training program that benefits participants seeking credentials from both esteemed organizations.

To obtain an ICF credential (ICF ACC or ICF PCC and ICF ACTC) with The Agile Company, you can follow the structured journey packs they offer, designed to meet ICF requirements. Here’s a breakdown of what each journey pack includes:

Level 1 Journey Pack: This pack allows you to reach your ICF ACC credential and includes three modules aimed at building foundational coaching skills for agile teams:

1. Coaching Agile Teams

   • 21 hours of online live cohort-based learning
   • ICP-ACC certificate
   • 25 hours of ICF Coach Specific training hours
   • Access to group mentoring sessions, e-learning, and ICF Chat space

2. Facilitating Growth in Agile Teams

   • 14 hours of online live cohort-based learning
   • 16 hours of ICF Coach Specific training hours
   • ICP-ATF certificate
   • Access to group mentoring sessions, e-learning, and ICF Chat space

3. Coach Competencies for Agilists

   • 20 hours of online live cohort-based learning
   • 10 mentor coaching sessions (at least 7 group and 3 individual sessions)
   • 1 final competency evaluation for Level 1 certification
   • 36 hours of ICF Coach Specific training hours
   • Access to group practice & mentoring sessions, e-learning, ICF Chat space, forward-focused conversations e-learning, and ICF credential exam preparation e-learning

Level 2 Journey Pack: This pack allows you to reach your PCC credential and builds on the Level 1 foundation and includes additional modules for advanced coaching skills:

1. Systemic Coaching for Agile

   • 14 hours of online live cohort-based learning
   • ICP-SYS certificate
   • 17 hours of ICF Coach Specific training hours
   • Access to group mentoring sessions, e-learning, and ICF Chat space

2. Enterprise Coaching for Business Agility

   • 35 hours of online live cohort-based learning
   • ICP-ENT & ICP-CAT certificates
   • 41 hours of ICF Coach Specific training hours
   • Access to group mentoring sessions, e-learning, and ICF Chat space

Continuing from Level 1 to Level 2: If you have completed Level 1, you can seamlessly continue to Level 2 by completing the remaining modules. However, if you have already booked your Level 1 evaluation, you may need to book an additional Level 2 evaluation to validate that you have reached the Level 2 competency. Consult your mentor coach for further guidance.

Of course, we keep records of every course you take with us and will adapt the next steps on request. Reach out for a personal recommendation contact@theagilecompany.org 

The great thing about reaching an ICF credential is that is has a wider application than just Agile Coaching! . The ICF credential is versatile and applicable to any type of coaching, including life coaching, executive coaching, health coaching, and more. This flexibility makes the program particularly valuable, as it equips you with skills and a credential recognized across various coaching disciplines, not just agile coaching. This broad applicability enhances your professional opportunities and credibility in multiple coaching fields.

Logging your coaching experience is crucial for several reasons:

1. Credentialing Requirements: To qualify for ICF credentials, you need to demonstrate a specific number of coaching hours, which shows your practical experience and commitment to professional coaching.
2. Personal Development: Tracking your coaching hours helps you monitor your growth, identify areas for improvement, and reflect on your progress as a coach.
3. Professional Credibility: Detailed records of your coaching sessions enhance your credibility with clients, showcasing your dedication and extensive experience in the coaching field.