1. Create a Right-Sized Enterprise Architecture Governance Framework
Focus on process standardization, repeatability, and sustainability.

2. ANALYST PERSPECTIVE
Enterprise architecture is not a technology concept, rather it is the foundation on which businesses orient themselves to create and capture value in the marketplace. Designing architecture is not a simple task and creating organizations for the future requires forward thinking and rigorous planning.
Architecture processes that are supposed to help facilitate discussions and drive option analysis are often seen as an unnecessary overhead. The negative perception is due to enterprise architecture groups being overly prescriptive rather than providing a set of options that guide and constrain solutions at the same time.
EA groups should do away with the direct and control mindset and change to a collaborate and mentor mindset. As part of the architecture governance, EA teams should provide an option set that constrains design choices, and also be open to changes to standards or best practices.
Gopi Bheemavarapu,
Sr. Manager, CIO Advisory Info-Tech Research Group

3. Our understanding of the problem
CIO
IT Leaders
Business Leaders
Head of Enterprise Architecture
Enterprise Architects
Domain Architects
Solution Architects
Understand the importance of enterprise architecture (EA) governance and how to apply it to guide architectural decisions.
Enhance your understanding of the organization’s current EA governance and identify areas for improvement.
Optimize your EA engagement model to maximize value creation.
Learn how to set up the optimal number of governance bodies in order to avoid bureaucratizing the organization.
Business Relationship Managers
Business Analysts
IT Managers
Project Managers
IT Analysts
Quality Assurance Leads
Software Developers
Give an overview of enterprise architecture governance
Clarity on the role of enterprise architecture team

4. Executive summary
Deployed solutions do not meet business objectives resulting in expensive and extensive rework.
Each department acts independently without any regular EA touchpoints.
Organizations practice project-level architecture as opposed to enterprise architecture.
Enterprise architecture is critical to ensuring that an organization has the solid IT foundation it needs to efficiently enable the achievement of its current and future strategic goals rather than focusing on short-term tactical gains.
EA governance is perceived as an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy because business benefits are poorly communicated.
The organization doesn’t have a formalized EA practice.
Where an EA practice exists, employees are unsure of EA’s roles and responsibilities.
Value-focused. Focus EA governance on helping the organization achieve business benefits. Promote EA’s contribution in realizing business value.
Right-sized. Re-use existing process checkpoints, rather than creating new ones. Clearly define EA governance inclusion criteria for projects.
Defined and measured process. Define metrics to measure EA’s performance and integrate EA governance with other governance processes such as project governance. Also clearly define the EA governing bodies’ composition, domain, inputs, and outputs.
Strike the right balance. Adopt architecture principles that strikes the right balance between business and technology imperatives.

5. What is enterprise architecture governance?
An architecture governance process is the set of activities an organization executes to ensure that decisions are made and accountability is enforced during the execution of its architecture strategy.
Source: Hopkins, “The Essential EA Toolkit.”
IT governance sets direction through prioritization and decision making, and monitors overall IT performance.
EA governance includes the following:
Implement a system of controls over the creation and monitoring of all architectural components.
Ensure effective introduction, implementation, and evolution of architectures within the organization.
Implement a system to ensure compliance with internal and external standards and regulatory obligations.
Develop practices that ensure accountability to a clearly identified stakeholder community, both inside and outside the organization.
IT Governance
EA Governance
Source: TOGAF
EA governance ensures that optimal architectural design choices are being made that focus on long-term value creation.

6. Harness the benefits of an optimized EA governance
Core benefits of EA governance are seen through:
EA governance is difficult to structure appropriately, but having an effective structure will allow you to:
Achieve business strategy through faster time-to-market innovations and capabilities.
Reduced transaction costs with more consistent business processes and information across business units.
Lower IT costs due to better traceability, faster design, and lower risk.
Link IT investments to organizational strategies and objectives
Integrate and institutionalizes IT best practices.
Enable the organization to take full advantage of its information, infrastructure, and hardware and software assets.
Support regulatory as well as best practice requirements such as auditability, security, responsibility, and accountability.
Effective EA governance ensures alignment between organizational investments and corporate strategic goals and objectives.
Value creation
Architecture standards provide guidance to identify opportunities for reuse and eliminate redundancies in an organization.
Cost reduction
Architecture review processes and assessment checklists ensure that solutions are within the acceptable risk levels of the organization.
Risk optimization

7. Organizations that have implemented EA governance realize greater benefits from their EA programs
Modern day CIOs of high-performing organizations use EA as a strategic planning discipline to improve business-IT alignment, enable innovation, and link business and IT strategies to execution.
Recent Info-Tech research found that organizations that establish EA governance realize greater benefits from their EA initiatives.
Source: Info-Tech Research Group, N=89

8. Measure EA governance implementation effectiveness
Define key operational measures for internal use by IT and EA practitioners. Also, define business value measures that communicate and demonstrate the value of EA as an “enabler” of business outcomes to senior executives.
EA performance measures (lead, operational)
EA value measures (lag)
Application of EA management process
EA’s contribution to IT performance
EA’s contribution to business value
Percentage of projects that were identified and proposed by EA.
Lower non-discretionary IT spend.
Decreased time to production.
Higher satisfaction of IT-enabled services.
Number of projects that passed EA reviews.
Number of building blocks reused.
IT Investment Portfolio Management
Number of months since the last review of target state EA blueprints.
Reduction in the number of applications with overlapping functionality.
Enterprise Architecture Management
Operations Management
Solution Development
Business
Value

9. An insurance provider adopts a value-focused, right-sized EA governance program
CASE STUDY
Industry
Source
Insurance
Info-Tech
Situation
Complication
Result
The insurance sector has been undergoing major changes, and as a reaction, businesses within the sector have been embracing technology to provide innovative solutions.
The head of EA in a major insurance provider (henceforth to be referred to as “INSPRO01”) was given the mandate to ensure that solutions are architected right the first time to maximize reuse and reduce technology debt. The EA group was at a critical point – to demonstrate business value or become irrelevant.
The project management office had been accountable for solution architecture and had placed emphasis on short-term project cost savings at the expense of long term durability.
There was a lack of awareness of the Enterprise Architecture group within INSPRO01, and people misunderstood the roles and responsibilities of the EA team.
Info-Tech helped define the responsibilities of the EA team and clarify the differences between the role of a Solution Architect vs. Enterprise Architect.
The EA team was able to make the case for change in the project management practices to ensure architectures are reviewed and approved prior to implementation.
As a result, INSPRO01 saw substantial increases in reuse opportunities and thereby derived more value from its technology investments.

10. Success factors for EA governance
The success of any EA governance initiative revolves around adopting best practices, setting up repeatable processes, and establishing appropriate controls.
Develop best practices for managing architecture policies, procedures, roles, skills, and organizational structures.
Establish organizational responsibilities and structures to support the architecture governance processes.
Management of criteria for the control of the architecture governance processes, dispensations, compliance assessments, and SLAs.
Best practices
Processes
Controls 1 2 3

11. Info-Tech’s approach to EA governance
Our best-practice approach is grounded in TOGAF and enhanced by the insights and guidance from our analysts, industry experts, and our clients.
Value-focused. Focus EA governance on helping the organization achieve business benefits. Promote EA’s contribution in realizing business value.
Right-sized. Insert EA governance into existing process checkpoints rather than creating new ones. Clearly define EA governance inclusion criteria for projects.
Measured. Define metrics to measure EA’s performance, and integrate EA governance with other governance processes such as project governance. Also clearly define the EA governing bodies’ composition, domain, inputs, and outputs.
Balanced. Adopt architecture principles that strikes the right balance between business and technology.
EA Governance
Value- focused
Right- sized
Balanced
Measured

12. Info-Tech’s EA governance framework
Info-Tech’s architectural governance framework provides a value-focused, right-sized approach with a strong emphasis on process standardization, repeatability, and sustainability.
1. Current state of EA governance
2. EA fundamentals
3. Engagement model
4. EA governing bodies
5. EA policy
6. Architectural standards
7. Communication Plan

13. Use Info-Tech’s templates to complete this project
6. Architectural standards
7. Communication Plan
4. EA governing bodies
5. EA policy
3. Engagement model
1. Current state of EA governance
2. EA fundamentals
EA Capability - Risk and Complexity Assessment Tool
EA Governance Assessment Tool
EA Vision and Mission Template
EA Goals and Measures Template
EA Principles Template
EA Engagement Model Template
Architecture Board Charter Template
Architecture Review Process Template
EA Policy Template
Architecture Assessment Checklist Template
Compliance Waiver Process Template
Compliance Waiver Form Template
Architecture Standards Update Process Template
EA Governance Communication Plan Template
EA Governance Framework Template
As you move through the project, capture your progress with a summary in the EA Governance Framework Template.
Download the EA Governance Framework Template document for use throughout this project.

14. Info-Tech offers various levels of support to best suit your needs
Guided Implementation
“Our team knows that we need to fix a process, but we need assistance to determine where to focus. Some check-ins along the way would help keep us on track.”
DIY Toolkit
“Our team has already made this critical project a priority, and we have the time and capability, but some guidance along the way would be helpful.”
Workshop
“We need to hit the ground running and get this project kicked off immediately. Our team has the ability to take this over once we get a framework and strategy in place.”
Consulting
“Our team does not have the time or the knowledge to take this project on. We need assistance through the entirety of this project.”
Diagnostics and consistent frameworks used throughout all four options

15. EA governance framework – phase-by-phase outline (1/2)
Current state of EA governance
EA Fundamentals
Engagement Model
EA Governing Bodies
Best-Practice Toolkit
1.1 Determine organizational complexity
1.2 Conduct an assessment of the EA governance components
1.3 Identify and prioritize gaps
2.1 Craft the EA vision and mission
2.2 Develop the EA principles
2.3 Identify the EA goals
3.1 Build the case for EA engagement
3.2 Identify engagement touchpoints within the IT operating model
4.1 Identify the number of governing bodies
4.2 Define the game plan to initialize the governing bodies
4.3 Define the architecture review process
Guided Implementations
Determine organizational complexity
Assess current state of EA governance
Develop the EA fundamentals
Review the EA fundamentals
Review the current IT operating model
Determine the target engagement model
Identify architecture boards and develop charters
Develop an architecture review process
Phase 1 Results:
EA Capability - risk and complexity assessment
EA governance assessment
Phase 2 Results:
EA vision and mission
EA goals and measures
EA principles
Phase 3 Results:
EA engagement model
Phase 4 Results:
Architecture board charter
Architecture review process

16. EA governance framework – phase-by-phase outline (2/2)
EA Policy
Architectural Standards
Communication Plan
Best-Practice Toolkit
5.1 Define the scope of EA policy
5.2 Identify the target audience
5.3 Determine the inclusion and exclusion criteria
5.4 Craft an assessment checklist
6.1 Identify and standardize EA work products
6.2 Classify the architectural standards
6.3 Identify the custodian of standards
6.4 Update the standards
7.1 List the changes identified in the EA governance initiative
7.2 Identify stakeholders
7.3 Create a communication plan
Guided Implementations
EA policy, assessment checklists, and decision types
Compliance waivers
Understand architectural standards
EA repository and updating the standards
Create a communication plan
Review the communication plan
Phase 5 Results:
EA policy
Architecture assessment checklist
Compliance waiver process
Compliance waiver form
Phase 6 Results:
Architecture standards update process
Phase 7 Results:
Communication plan
EA governance framework

17. Workshop overview
Contact your account representative or for more information.
Pre-workshop
Workshop Day 1
Workshop Day 2
Workshop Day 3
Workshop Day 4
Activities
Current state of EA governance
EA fundamentals and engagement model
EA governing bodies
EA policy
Architectural standards and communication plan
1.1 Determine organizational complexity
1.2 Conduct an assessment of the EA governance components
1.3 Identify and prioritize gaps
1.4 Senior management interviews
Review the output of the organizational complexity and EA assessment tools
Craft the EA vision and mission
Develop the EA principles.
Identify the EA goals
Identify EA engagement touchpoints within the IT operating model
Identify the number of governing bodies
Define the game plan to initialize the governing bodies
Define the architecture review process
Define the scope
Identify the target audience
Determine the inclusion and exclusion criteria
Craft an assessment checklist
Identify and standardize EA work products
Classifying the architectural standards
Identifying the custodian of standards
Updating the standards
List the changes identified in the EA governance initiative
Identify stakeholders
Create a communication plan
Deliverables
EA Capability - risk and complexity assessment tool
EA governance assessment tool
EA vision and mission template
EA goals and measures template
EA principles template
EA engagement model template
Architecture board charter template
Architecture review process template
EA policy template
Architecture assessment checklist template
Compliance waiver process template
Compliance waiver form template
Architecture standards update process template
Communication plan template

18. Use these icons to help direct you as you navigate this research
Use these icons to help guide you through each step of the blueprint and direct you to content related to the recommended activities.
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This icon denotes a slide with an associated activity. The activity can be performed either as part of your project or with the support of Info-Tech team members, who will come onsite to facilitate a workshop for your organization.