Key takeaways
- Phase G governs delivery; it does not replace it.
- Its two objectives: conformance to the target and governance of field-driven changes.
- Compliance reviews are its central mechanism.
- Architecture Contracts and Compliance Assessments are its signature outputs.
- It is the phase where the ADM meets Agile project development.
Purpose and essential knowledge
For the practitioners’ guide, Phase G aims to complete the projects that implement the changes needed to reach the adjusted target. The standard describes it as architectural oversight of implementation: project teams deliver, architecture makes sure the result stays true to the target.
Phase G is also where TOGAF aligns with Agile development of projects: the practitioner guards enterprise value while teams deliver in increments.
- The purpose and constraints of the implementation team, expressed through gaps, the Architecture Requirements Specification, and controls
- How priorities adjust to achieved success, value, effort, and risk
Objectives and inputs
Phase G pursues two complementary objectives, one focused on conformance, the other on governing decisions that arise in the field.
Its main inputs come from Phase F: Implementation and Migration Plan, Implementation Governance Model, Architecture Roadmap, Transition Architectures, finalized Architecture Definition Document and Architecture Requirements Specification, Requests for Architecture Work identified in E and F, and any existing Architecture Contract.
- Make sure implementation projects conform to the Target Architecture
- Apply architecture governance to the solution and to Change Requests arising from implementation
Key steps
FURTHER STUDY · APPLICATION DETAILS
The steps follow the deployment lifecycle, from framing to closure. Compliance reviews are at its heart: they regularly compare project progress against strategic and architectural objectives.
- Confirm deployment scope and priorities with development management
- Identify the resources and skills needed for deployment
- Guide the development and deployment of solutions
- Carry out Enterprise Architecture compliance reviews
- Implement business and IT operations
- Run the post-implementation review and close the implementation
Phase G outputs
Phase G formalizes commitments between architecture and delivery, records deviations, and delivers compliant solutions. Its outputs then feed Phase H.
- Architecture Contracts signed with delivery teams
- Compliance Assessments and Change Requests
- Deployed compliant solutions, with compliance recommendations and any dispensations
- Architecture Vision and Architecture Definition Document updated after implementation, business and IT operating models
TERMS TO KNOW
The terms, in context.
- Architecture Contract
- A joint agreement between development parties and sponsors on deliverables, quality, and fitness for the architecture.
- Compliance Assessment
- A periodic assessment of a project’s progress and its conformance with the architecture.
- Change Request
- A formal request for change, for example when a project must deviate from the planned architecture.
- Post-implementation review
- A review held after deployment, before the implementation is closed.