ICP-ACC vs. ICP-CAT: A Comparison of ICAgile Coaching Certifications

The demand for agile coaches has grown significantly in recent years, and the International Consortium of Agile (ICAgile) has enabled professionals to develop Coaching skills. ICAgile has two learning tracks, one is called Agile Coaching, and another is called Enterprise Coaching. The ICP-ACC is the most popular certificate in the Agile Coaching track, whereas ICP-CAT is most prevalent in Enterprise Coaching Track.

ICP-ACC: Agile Coaching Certification

The ICP-ACC certification focuses on improving Coaching, mentoring, and consultancy skills to meet the growing demand for agile Coaching.

Key content areas include:

• Getting Started with Agile Coaching
• Professional Coaching Skills in Detail
• The Coaching Conversation: Coaching or Action
• Mentoring Agile Roles and Transitions
• Understanding Team Development
• Handling Dysfunctions and Conflicts
• Coaching Agreements
• Agile Coach as a Teacher

ICP-CAT: Coaching Agile Transformations Certification

The ICP-CAT certification is designed for those who want to work as an enterprise coach or enhance their ability to coach individuals, teams, or large-sized teams through transformation challenges. This certification teaches the essential knowledge and skills to mentor and lead agile transformations within organizations.

Key learning objectives include:

• Identifying the skills and competencies required to become an Enterprise Agile Coach (EAC)
• Assessing your strengths and recognizing your limitations
• Applying self-evaluation tools and deep introspection to define your development pathway and address ethical dilemmas.
• Insights into Leadership Styles.
• Grasp of Organizational Culture.
• Role of a Trusted Advisor.
• Change Management Skills.
• Handling Organizational Impediments to Change.
• Strategic Planning for Agile Transformation.
• Understanding of Professional Coaching Skills.

Comparison: ICP-ACC vs. ICP-CAT

While both certifications offer valuable coaching skills, their focus and target audience differ:

ICP-ACC is more suitable for those who wish to enhance their Coaching, mentoring, and consultancy skills for agile teams. The certification covers a broad range of topics, including coaching stances, professional coaching skills, mentoring agile roles, and understanding team development. This ICP-ACC is usually the first certification that an agile coach does in the area of Coaching.

ICP-CAT is aimed at coaches looking to lead agile transformations at the enterprise level. It focuses on developing enterprise coaching competencies to support organizational-level agile transformations. It is strongly recommended to do ICP-ACC before doing ICP-CAT.

Aspect	ICP-CAT	ICP-ACC
Target Audience	Enterprise Agile Coaches – who coach the whole organization in their Agile journey	Agile Coaches who coach multiple teams at the program or BU level
Duration	21 Hours	21 Hours
Recommended Prerequisites	2+ years experience as Agile Coach Completed ICP-ACC or other advanced Agile certifications like CSP-SM	Good knowledge of Agile/Scrum with CSM/PSM / Leading SAFe certification. 2+ years experience as Scrum Master or Coach

For more details on ICP-ACC and ICP-CAT, please visit our program page.