The Scope Definition attribute describes how the scope of the EA practice is defined and evolved.
The scope of an EA practice in higher education can vary greatly by institution. An EA practice can grow to participate in, for example:
Multiple architecture domains, such as business architecture, data architecture, application architecture, and technology architecture, and increased knowledge of the relationships between them
Multiple business domains (however these are defined in the institution), such as teaching and learning, research, financial management, or capital planning
Multiple management domains, such as strategy management, investment management, portfolio management, product management, project management, or resource management
This model does not assume that increased scope indicates greater maturity. Rather, maturity is demonstrated by scope that is clearly defined and that stakeholders widely acknowledge and act upon. Factors in clarifying scope can include:
Why - The mission of the EA practice within the organization
Who - The contributors to the EA practice, its stakeholders, and its customers
What - The expected deliverables of the EA practice
When - The organization’s need for short-term or long-term results from its investment in the EA practice
Milestones and Actions
At increasing levels of maturity, an EA practice should be able to:
Level 1: Initiating | Level 2: Formed | Level 3: Defined | Level 4: Managed | Level 5: Improving |
Milestones: | ||||
The initial scope consists of identified opportunities with potential to realize the value proposition. | The initial scope is validated through key engagements and optimized to best realize the value proposition. | The scope is clearly defined and the value proposition widely understood. | The scope is regularly evaluated and processes to implement changes are in place. | Investment is regularly made in validating new opportunities to expand scope. |
Actions: | ||||
Identify and discuss the need for an EA practice. Identify potential EA goals and principles. | Establish stated mission and goals for the EA practice, though these may be broad or aspirational. Designate a leader who represents and communicates the current work of the EA practice. | Establish wide understanding and agreement on the scope of the EA practice by stakeholders, partners, and sponsors. Establish the EA practice’s “seat at the table” in leadership of the organization -- for example, as part of the senior leadership team of the IT organization. Clearly define roles and deliverables for members of the EA practice in projects they contribute to. Enable each domain in scope to actively leverage EA resources. | Establish defined, repeatable ways for the EA practice to propose and execute changes in its mission and goals, from leadership discussions about potential scope, to changes in delivery and management, to assessment of impact. Fully embed and integrate the EA practice in the domains it has selected as part of its scope. Gather and respond to ongoing feedback from partners about the current and potential scope of the EA practice. | Continue to evolve the scope of the EA practice in close alignment with the strategies and goals of its partners. |
Resources
Selected Resources
- Scoping the EA Practice for Maturity Assessment
A guide to scoping an Enterprise Architecture practice. Where you are just getting started in defining scope, or assessing the maturity of your practice, use this guide to review dimensions of potential scope for your practice. - Itana Member Practice Profiles
All Contributed Resources
The following resources in the Itana Library are tagged as related to this maturity attribute.
(To contribute a resource, follow these directions and label the page you add with EAMM_Scope_Definition)
Title Creator Modified Strategy on a Page Piet Niederhausen (washington.edu) Jan 15, 2024 Roadmaps Piet Niederhausen (washington.edu) Jan 14, 2024 EA Practice Profiles Piet Niederhausen (washington.edu) Sep 26, 2018 Selling an Idea Piet Niederhausen (washington.edu) Aug 17, 2018 Inspiring Action, Mobilizing, and Acting Piet Niederhausen (washington.edu) Aug 17, 2018 Scoping the EA Practice for Maturity Assessment Piet Niederhausen (washington.edu) Jun 05, 2018 Architecture Leadership Piet Niederhausen (washington.edu) Aug 26, 2016
Overview
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