Background

The Enterprise Architecture function sits in the Portfolio Management/Portfolio and Strategy group within Information Systems and Technology (IST), at the University of Waterloo. The EA focus is within the work and context of IST.

The EA interacts with all groups, teams, and SME at various levels within IST and other departments and business units across campus. EA is led by the Strategic Architect who works collaboratively with various stakeholders to develop and document enterprise architecture.

What is your name and title?

Maher Shinouda, Strategic Architect

How is Enterprise Architecture defined at your institution, and what is the mission of the EA practice?

The Enterprise Architecture function is under the management of Strategy and Portfolio within the IST.

Our EA practice can contribute to strategy and planning activities, provide insights, identify improvement opportunities, and support decision-making. EA produces a set of architectural artifacts, such as diagrams, views, models, roadmaps, and sometimes stored and presented in a centralized EA repository.
Mission:

To develop a set of architectural assets to support strategic planning, improve decision-making, and enhance agility.

Assessment of EA practice at Waterloo

We have used the Enterprise Architecture Maturity Model (EAMM) to explore EA practice levels of maturity at Waterloo. We have done some review of our current state EA practice in an effort to determine where we are on the maturity curve and how can we grow further. We have identified challenges that we have been encountering since we started, determined key success factors to help us move forward, and identified opportunities where we can get involved to mature our EA practice.

Assessment Using the EAMM:          

• Scope Definition: How well defined is your scope? Do your stakeholders understand the scope you have identified for yourself?
• Engagement: Who would you need to engage with to carry out the scope you have identified for yourself? How well engaged are they currently?
• Impact Assessment: In the areas of scope you have identified for yourself, how could you measure your impact? How well are you able to measure it now?
• Delivery: How well defined and easily repeatable is EA practice’s delivery of outcomes within the scope you have identified for yourself? How could you improve?
• Management: How are you managing the EA practice to direct resources toward the areas of scope you have defined for yourself? How could you improve?