Agile development and Scrum are gaining increasing attention in today’s unpredictable market environment, often referred to as the era of VUCA.
Amidst this, the Scrum Guide—the official guide to Scrum—has also evolved, with the latest version released in November 2020.
The following statement appears at the beginning of the Scrum Guide:
In a nutshell, Scrum requires a Scrum Master to foster an environment where:
1. A Product Owner orders the work for a complex problem into a Product Backlog.
The Scrum Guide
2. The Scrum Team turns a selection of the work into an Increment of value during a Sprint.
3. The Scrum Team and its stakeholders inspect the results and adjust for the next Sprint.
4. Repeat.
The role of a Product Owner may seem simple at first glance. Here, we introduce certifications and training programs that will help you enhance your skills in this vital role.
While there are several types of Product Owner certifications, the most recognized is the Scrum Alliance® Certified Scrum Product Owner® (CSPO®). Within the Scrum Alliance framework, you typically begin by obtaining this certification, gain practical experience, and then advance to higher-level certifications.
Certified Scrum Product Owner®（Scrum Alliance®）
A-CSPO® is the next step after the CSPO®. To achieve this, candidates must meet several requirements, including holding an active CSPO® certification* and having at least 12 months of professional work experience specific to the role of Product Owner.
Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner® (A-CSPO®)
CSP®-PO is the highest-level practitioner certification following the A-CSPO®. Requirements include holding an active A-CSPO® certification* and having at least 24 months of professional work experience specific to the role.
Certified Scrum Professional®-Scrum Product Owner (CSP®-PO)
*To maintain these certifications, a specific number of Scrum Education Units® (SEUs) are required upon renewal.
PSPO (Professional Scrum Product Owner™) is a Product Owner certification offered by Scrum.org. Certification is awarded based on passing an exam that tests your knowledge of Scrum. While attending a training course is not mandatory, completing a 2-day course is highly recommended to deepen your understanding.
Professional Scrum Product Owner™
RPO (Registered Product Owner™) is a Product Owner certification provided by Scrum Inc. Candidates are awarded certification upon completing the required training and passing an online assessment.
Registered Product Owner™
The Certified Scrum Product Owner® (CSPO®) designation is awarded only to those who complete training led by a Certified Scrum Trainer® (CST®)—an expert who has passed a rigorous screening process—and whose proficiency is recognized based on their participation.
A Certified Scrum Trainer® (CST®) is authorized to grant these various certifications. While a Japan-only 'Certified Scrum Trainer-Regional' (CST-R) credential was recently established, as of July 2022, Odd-e Japan CEO Kazumasa Ebata remains the only Japanese trainer providing world-standard training globally. His courses offer the unique advantage of experiencing world-class instruction entirely in Japanese.
At Odd-e Japan, we also partner with international Certified Scrum Trainers to host sessions with simultaneous Japanese interpretation. Since each trainer has a unique perspective, the insights gained by participants can vary significantly. In fact, many individuals choose to attend multiple sessions with different trainers even after obtaining their initial CSPO® certification.
While we have focused on the certifications themselves, the true value lies in the practical, hands-on experience gained through the training required to earn them. To acquire skills that directly translate to your work, why not consider taking a certification course?
We offer Certified Scrum Product Owner® (CSPO®) training.
Register via the link below.