Reference library
APPENDIX D
Industry Certifications for OFA Growth
How certifications fit an OFA career path, which ones are worth considering, and guidelines for practice material.
Certification Overview
- A.Certification is not required for OFA 1.
- B.Pursuing a certification should never come at the expense of real, on-the-job stewardship.
- C.Once the foundational behaviors in this curriculum are established, pursuing an external, industry-recognized certification is a legitimate way to deepen and validate the same skills this curriculum builds.
- D.It gives a new OFA a way to benchmark their own growth against a broader professional standard.
- E.A mentor should help a learner choose no more than one certification to pursue at a time, matched to the stewardship area where the learner most wants to grow.
- F.Certification Options
| Certification | Issuing Body | Relevance to OFA Growth | Appropriate Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA) | IIBA | Entry-level validation of business analysis fundamentals; closely aligned with the OFA 1 skill set | A reasonable aspirational target once OFA 1 behaviors are established, or once OFA 2 begins |
| Certification of Capability in Business Analysis (CCBA) | IIBA | Mid-level business analysis certification requiring documented work experience | Appropriate later, typically around OFA 3 and beyond |
| Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) | IIBA | Senior-level business analysis certification | Appropriate at OFA 4-5, not a near-term OFA 1 goal |
| ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) | ISTQB | Establishes standard testing vocabulary and technique used industry-wide | A reasonable target once Module 7 is complete |
| Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals (DP-900) | Microsoft | Foundational data and database concepts, including basic SQL literacy | A strong complement to the data and SQL literacy content in Modules 4, 6, and 7 |
| Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Fundamentals (PL-900) | Microsoft | Familiarity with low-code tools increasingly used in technical delivery organizations | Optional, useful if working near Power Platform-based tools |
| Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) | Microsoft | General cloud computing literacy | Optional, useful as a general technical foundation |
| Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) | Scrum.org | Foundational Agile and Scrum literacy | Useful once the OFA regularly works within an Agile delivery team |
| ITIL 4 Foundation | AXELOS / PeopleCert | Foundational IT service management vocabulary | Useful once operational support work increases, typically OFA 2 and beyond |
| CompTIA Project+ | CompTIA | General project coordination fundamentals | Optional general-purpose credential |
Data and Practice Material Usage Guidelines
- A.None of these certifications should be pursued using confidential Church data or systems as practice material for external coursework or exams.
- B.All certification study should use the vendor's own public practice materials.