Key takeaways
- Request for Architecture Work: from sponsor to architecture, high-level.
- Statement of Architecture Work: Phase A answer, contract with the sponsor.
- Architecture Vision: early agreement on the outcome and a summary for communication.
- Business Principles, Goals, Drivers: restated in Preliminary, reviewed in A.
- Capability Assessment: four parts, Phase A then updated in E.
Preliminary Phase: setting the frame
The Request for Architecture Work goes from the sponsoring organization to the architecture organization to trigger a cycle. It stays high-level and is written with the architects' help. It can also arise from an approved Change Request or from terms of reference originating in migration planning.
Architecture Principles are the general rules guiding architecture work. Business Principles, Goals, and Drivers usually already exist elsewhere in the enterprise: they are restated here, then checked in Phase A for correctness and clarity.
Two other deliverables organize the practice: the Organizational Model for Enterprise Architecture (scope, maturity, roles, constraints, budget, governance) and the Tailored Architecture Framework (tailored method, content, tools, and interfaces).
- Request for Architecture Work: sponsors, mission, goals, strategic plans, time limits, budget, constraints, current systems, resources
- Architecture Principles; Business Principles, Goals and Drivers
- Organizational Model for EA; Tailored Architecture Framework
Phase A: agreeing on the work and the outcome
The Statement of Architecture Work answers the Request for Architecture Work. It serves as a contract between the architecture organization and the sponsor: it describes the overall plan and how architecture will address the problems identified.
The Architecture Vision summarizes at a high level the changes the Target Architecture will bring. It allows early agreement on the outcome, so that effort can then focus on validating feasibility; business scenarios help build it. It also serves as a summary version of the full definition for communication.
- Statement of Architecture Work: title, request and background, description and scope, vision overview, change of scope procedures, roles and deliverables, acceptance criteria, plan, approvals
- Architecture Vision: problem (stakeholders, concerns, scenarios), objective of the Statement of Architecture Work, summary views, mapped requirements, reference to the draft ADD
Phase A: communicating and assessing
The Communications Plan exists because getting targeted information to the stakeholders concerned is a critical success factor. It identifies and groups stakeholders, their needs, the messages related to the vision, risks, mechanisms (meetings, newsletters, repositories), and a timetable.
The Capability Assessment measures current and target capability levels before any detailed definition. Carried out in Phase A, it is updated in Phase E. The Architecture Definition Document is also created as early as Phase A, with the vision artifacts.
- Business Capability Assessment
- IT Capability Assessment
- Architecture Maturity Assessment
- Business Transformation Readiness Assessment
TERMS TO KNOW
The terms, in context.
- Request for Architecture Work
- Sponsor's document that triggers an architecture cycle.
- Statement of Architecture Work
- Phase A answer to the request: scope, plan, roles, acceptance; contract with the sponsor.
- Architecture Vision
- High-level summary of the changes expected from the Target Architecture.
- Capability Assessment
- Assessment of current and target capabilities: business, IT, architecture maturity, readiness.
- Communications Plan
- Plan organizing which information reaches which stakeholders, how, and when.