Expert Reviews of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) Training

Reviews of SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) training on the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), from Agile and Scrum experts

I have been following with interest the Scaled Agile Framework and its increasing popularity. There have been a number of reviews of the training to become an SPC or SAFe Process Consultant. I am also interested because SAFe came out of work done by Dean Leffingwell and other consultants at NAVTEQ in the US in 2010-2011. At the time I was providing Certified Scrum training to NAVTEQ subsidiaries in Germany who were implementing Scrum. I did not work with the US groups, however I am familiar with what was happening at NAVTEQ at the time. So I think any review of SAFe should include how it helped or did not help NAVTEQ be more successful as an organization. In the last few years since implementing SAFe, NAVTEQ has gone through a major downsizing, been acquired by Nokia, and then shrank some more. Speaking with a former Director from NAVTEQ now at another GIS client of mine, the automotive division is doing OK, but the rest of the company struggling and shrinking in the face of competition from Google and others. There are many reasons why companies fail, and we cannot blame SAFe for the shortcomings of NAVTEQ’s organizational culture and business model. However we can and should ask: how did SAFe help NAVTEQ?

In reviews the Scaled Agile Framework and SPC training, a number of experts Agile and Scrum have commented on their experience in the training, the training style, and the substance of the ideas in SAFe. Below are links to expert reviews of SAFe and SPC training.

Agile experts Ron Jeffries and Chet Hendrickson who are authors on extreme programming and Scrum, consultants and trainers recently took the SPC training in Washington DC. Ron’s review takes the stance that SAFe has some good things that Scrum or XP do not address, and he goes through those points in detail. Ron is an excellent writer and thinker, and I enjoyed his analysis of SAFe and the training. I think this is the best review so far.
Scaled Agile Framework. SAFe: Good but not good enough.

Peter Saddington, a fellow Scrum trainer and consultant based in the DC area recently took the SPC course in Washington DC. Peter gives a balanced review of what he sees as the pros and cons of SAFe. While he likes Lean aspects SAFe has borrowed, he thinks the recommended “one week” roll out period carries significant risk. Peter strives to be open to the ideas that are contrary to some of the core principles and values of Agile. His highest praise is for SAFe’s marketing.
Review of the Scaled Agile Framework SAFe SPC training and ideas

Scrum trainer Daniel Gullo recently took the Scaled Agile Framework and SPC training and reflected on the ideas and how they compared to his experiences working on Agile adoptions in large organizations. Daniel was also a agile consultant at NAVTEQ helping them adopt Scrum while the Scaled Agile Framework was first being implemented at NAVTEQ. “As long as I am able to work with a client implementing “SAFe” and we are allowed to tailor it to include the helpful parts and throw out the harmful parts, I don’t see anything really evil or wrong with SAFe here. What we are left with is doing precisely what I have already been doing for the last 8 years: looking for how to instill the values and principles Agile and Lean in the culture of an organization so that a paradigm shift happens.”
Review of the Scaled Agile Framework SAFe SPC training and reflection on SAFe compared to Agile Coaching experiences

David Snowden, creator of the Cynefin (pronounced Kan av in) framework, a practical application of complexity theory to management science, recently weighed in on SAFe. In Dave’s post he weighs in on SAFe’s linear model and one size fits all approach. Snowden’s background is in complexity theory, and he knows that simple linear approaches fail to solve complex problems. Dave’s evaluation of SAFe is that it is not Agile.
SAFe: the infantilism of management

Enjoy the reviews of the Scaled Agile Framework and SPC training. I will post more reviews from experienced Agilists on SAFe and the SPC training.

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