Becoming a profession?The proposal: The overall idea is NOT to create a full curriculum with pre-determined tests and content, but rather to create a schema within which learning and practice can be validated in a loosely constrained programme which can be universal in nature, but adapt to local context without loss of integrity. The initial proposal is that the Agile Alliance should fund a one year programme with some part time staff and resources, combined with experts as a review panel to refine and enhance the overall process. The outline below should therefore be considered as a straw man outline to indicate the way we are thinking this should develop. The overall idea is split into three sections, understanding theory, recording practice and executing a masterwork (the last being options). The entire programme should be managed by an online/app based work book and recording system which would be open to inspection and validation.This draft document was created following discussions at the Adopting Agile event in Hillsboro, Oregon 13-15 Dec. 2013. Its objective is to outline a new approach an extended programme of education and experience for the Agile community modelled on both modern professional certification programmes and the older models of the Craft Hall. Context: * The proliferation of often trivial training programmes within the Agile community seeking the make a fast buck along with turf war disputes between Lean, Scrum, Kanban and other approaches. * The need to create an international programme which takes the raw AGILE principles and translates them into learning programmes that are both sustainable and resilient and provide brand support as well as advocacy for the alliance. * The over specialised and narrow training of many IT professionals.AGILE Management GroupAGILEMG_7e72d8c8-aee8-11e3-a85e-ad968ba68bf0Governance: The proposal is for a small management group supported by part time project management and specialised resources. The management group would comprise people of significant standing in the community. Events would be held every quarter with reports back to the Agile alliance at each stage, and at least one learning event/conference (or sub-stream of the maing AGILE conference) would take place half way through the programme. Its not about the whole of the IT community as that would impede existing material and result in unnecessary conflict.Dave SnowdenProposal Author; Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Cognitive Edge_7e72f8ee-aee8-11e3-a85e-ad968ba68bf0To create a schema within which learning and practice can be validated in a loosely constrained programme which can be universal in nature, but adapt to local context without loss of integrity._7e72f8ef-aee8-11e3-a85e-ad968ba68bf0ApprenticeshipApprentice models -- Any apprentice model of learning combines practical experience with theory based training and research. All such programmes, whether in the Craft Hall or the legal or accounting professions generally last for a minimum of two years to gain journeyman or equivalent status then a further extended period to gain mastery which is not a universal goal let alone achievement. The time period corresponds with modern post-cartestian cognitive neuroscience understanding of the co-evolution of the brain with body, society and environment. Such models of learning require a degree of constraint, but are not primarily commercial in nature - a problem with a lot of existing training programmes including those which compete and those which are trivial. They represent an opportunity for the profession as a whole to perpetuate itself, but also to learn and change. Apprentices learn from observation and from narrative exchange with other apprentices. As they apply their learning practice changes and evolves; the field is not static in nature.UnderstandingCarry out basic training in a series of fields both directly and indirectly related to the field as a whole._7e72f8f0-aee8-11e3-a85e-ad968ba68bf01A two year programme of learning in which participants are required to carry out basic training in a series of fields both directly and indirectly related to the field as a whole. Training would normally be 101 short courses at under graduate or master’s level. At its heart any programme at a nationally accredited University would be automatically accepted as a providor. Commercial companies and individuals could also be accepted if (and only if) they have a track record of peer approved publications or the equivalent. (This type of control allows for quality control without over prescription while preventing a free for all as has happened with some SCRUM master training for example.) The learning programmes would fall into the following broad groups ... This list obviously needs expansion and elaboration, but it very much focuses on learning about a subject in general, not just taking a partial view related solely to IT.PeopleUnderstand people, comprising short courses in anthropology, design, cognitive science, organisational change, moral philosophy and aesthetics etc_7e72f8f1-aee8-11e3-a85e-ad968ba68bf01.1SystemsUnderstand systems, comprising complexity theory, ecological management, network theory, architecture etc._7e72f8f2-aee8-11e3-a85e-ad968ba68bf01.2AgilityUnderstand Agile, comprising systems architecture, design, project management, development etc. etc._7e72f8f3-aee8-11e3-a85e-ad968ba68bf01.3WorkbookCreate a workbook for each participant in which they record all work, along with comments from supervisors, colleagues and customers._7e72f8f4-aee8-11e3-a85e-ad968ba68bf02ParticipantsSupervisorsColleagues CustomersHere a workbook would be created for each participant in which they record all work, along with comments from supervisors. colleagues and customers. The form of this book would be subject to experimentation over the first year and would almost certainly end up as an App. This would be a permanent record and would compliment the Understanding section of the programme. A range of types of work and project would be developed in the first year to provide structure and a percentage completion criteria agreed to determine various levels of authority. This would be a sales document for the individual concerned as it builds over time. In parallel with this a narrative based peer to peer learning system would be put in place (this idea is based on work Cognitive Edge are already doing in the development community which constitutes the next generation of knowledge sharing and exaptive innovation)_7e72f8f5-aee8-11e3-a85e-ad968ba68bf0The MasterworkApply the learning and experience into a single project._7e72f8f6-aee8-11e3-a85e-ad968ba68bf03Would be undertaken after completion of the first two stages and would seek to apply the learning and experience into a single project. These could range from PhD programmes to actual projects and combinations thereof._7e72f8f7-aee8-11e3-a85e-ad968ba68bf02013-11-102014-03-18OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net