Leading Agile adoption in Uruguay with CTC Certification
6 min read
May 3, 2023
Agile methodologies have revolutionized software development, emphasizing adaptability and teamwork. Streaver is proud to have the first and only Certified Team Coach (CTC) in Uruguay, COO Gabriel Ledesma, accredited by the Scrum Alliance. With his expertise, clients can trust Streaver's Agile practices for smooth team integration, business understanding, and adapting to change.
Agile methodologies have become one of the most popular trends in the business world. Many companies have improved their responsiveness to market changes and increased the quality of their products and services. In this context, the role of an Agile Coach is fundamental in guiding our teams to adopt Agile; at Streaver, we vibrate agilism.
Our COO, Gabriel Ledesma, is the only person in Uruguay who has obtained the Certified Team Coach (CTC). He is accredited by the Scrum Alliance to guide individuals and teams to understand the Agile Mindset and put it into practice in our days, everyday.
Gabriel, a software developer, teacher, and consultant with over 30 years of experience, has been building his path in the agile world. He was the first certified Scrum Master and developed the Agile Community in Uruguay with some colleagues, bringing certification courses to Uruguay. This new accreditation is the culmination of a great trajectory in this area.
In this post, I'm sharing the details of what means to be a CTC and how it benefits companies, clients, and teams.
Streaver's Commitment to Agile Methodologies
At Streaver, we pride ourselves on our commitment to Agile methodologies, which has been the cornerstone of our success in delivering high-quality software solutions to our clients. As the only software consulting company in Uruguay with a CTC, we are uniquely positioned to guide our clients through the Agile transformation process and help them embrace the Agile mindset.
Our dedication to Agile is demonstrated by our COO Gabriel Ledesma's journey to becoming a CTC, as well as our proven track record of successful Agile implementations in various projects. We continuously invest in our team's development, ensuring they stay up to date with the latest Agile practices, tools, and techniques. This enables us to provide the best possible service to our clients, helping them adapt to changing market conditions and achieve their business goals.
Achieving the Certified Team Coach Certification
The CTC certification is a prestigious credential granted by the Scrum Alliance, a global organization that holds 48% of the certificates in the market worldwide. It is specifically created for agile coaches who aim to apply their expertise in guiding and facilitating Scrum teams.
The process for obtaining the CTC certification is quite rigorous and requires demonstrating knowledge of the coaching process and agile methods as well as contributions to the development of the international community. It begins with an application, in which a committee evaluates the potential of the CTC candidate. Once accepted, the second stage begins. It involves answering questions about different scenarios and experience situations. Subsequently, a review committee evaluates the responses and assigns two evaluators to review them and provide feedback. After some feedback cycles, the evaluators may approve the certification and grant completion of the evaluation process or ask the applicant to extend their knowledge in a specific area.
Scrum Alliance certifications are grouped into different certification levels: Entry level, Advanced level, Professional level, and Mastery level. The CTC certification is a Mastery level certification. To obtain the CTC certification, a current Professional certification is required. It is important to note that Scrum Alliance certifications are limited and must be renewed periodically by continuously acquiring learning units called Scrum Education Units (SEUs). This ensures that professionals keep their knowledge and skills up to date in Agile coaching.
Developing adaptability habits: Agile Methodologies and the importance of a CTC
In recent years, it has been demonstrated that the most significant challenge for an organization is to learn to work with uncertainty, after knowing that, success will depend on adapting to its business. Adapting involves learning to observe, analyze, plan, and take action. And this must be done appropriately to market so an organization can thrive.
Agile provides frameworks for organizations to adopt (not implant) practices that enable them to develop adaptability habits. And that includes all the people who are part of an organization. For people to feel involved, involving them, participating with them, and considering their opinions is necessary. All of this is provided for in the values and principles of Agile.
For teams to have a guide who leads them to learn to "Be Agile" and not just practice Agile frameworks like Scrum makes the difference. It includes the values of teamwork, self-organization, and continuous improvement in a practical way. That is to say, anyone who wants to work at Streaver can be sure that we seek to "be" and practice Agile at the highest level.
From the client's point of view, companies probably do not prioritize using one particular way of working but rather prioritize hiring to achieve their business objectives in software development. Regarding this, working with Agile practices and a partner like Streaver, clients can be sure that:
- Integrating a development team with the client will be easy and successful.
- The team of engineers will focus first on understanding the client's business.
- By understanding the client's business, the teams can develop software pieces that add value to the client every iteration (one or two weeks, typically).
- If the client, for reasons related to their own business, needs to make changes to what they requested, the teams know how to adapt to those changes and welcome them.
I understand that you may have heard these phrases many times before, and they might come across as cliche to you. However, having a CTC within our ranks is essential in ensuring the growth of competencies across the company. It's not just about saying the right things, but embodying these values and making them a part of our daily routine. I truly believe that with a CTC, we can confidently commit to living out these values and making a positive impact on our organization and clients.
Final Thoughts
We are proud to be the only Uruguayan company with a Certified Team Coach, which distinguishes us as leaders in the Worldwide Agile community. I want to thank him in the name of Streaver for being such a significant influence in solidifying and enforcing each day what being agile means. His expertise has proven to be a requirement for our growth and increased performance and we know this is just the start.
If you're interested in learning more about our Agile development services or would like to discuss how Streaver can help your organization embrace the Agile mindset on your company, get in touch with us today.