The Engagement attribute describes how the EA practice engages stakeholders based on its Scope.
In higher education, EA rarely has a mandate or authority concomitant with its scope. Therefore, successful EA practices seek out a variety of means to engage with others to deliver the value of EA, for example:
Engaging both formally and informally, in multiple modes, such as in meetings, individually, and online
Governance, such as participating in existing IT or business governance groups; forming new governance processes; or improving the the effectiveness of existing governance processes
Increasing awareness and participation from implementers whose work is within the scope of the EA practice, such as project teams, solution architects, developers, and analysts
Increasing awareness and buy-in from leaders, such as immediate leadership above the EA practice (typically IT leadership); leaders of peer programs or key functions (typically portfolio, program, or project managers); business leadership at various levels; or executive leadership
Participation in or leadership of groups such as working groups, communities of practice, user groups, and advisory boards
Creating partnerships with others in the institution who are doing EA or similar work
Maturity is demonstrated by engagement that provides the EA practice with the visibility, buy-in, participation, and formal or informal authority it needs to deliver within its selected scope. At increasing levels of maturity, an EA practice should be able to:
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: | ||||
Key stakeholders, ready to explore and support EA capabilities, are identified and relationships with them are established. | Engagements strengthen existing stakeholder relationships and form new professional relationships. | Key stakeholders value and advance EA within the organization. A network of professionals engaged in EA activities forms. | EA practitioners are welcomed and integral to the processes of stakeholder organizations. | The EA practice is a trusted business partner to its key stakeholders. |
Actions: | ||||
Build informal relationships between stakeholders who are key to the development of the practice. | Make leaders aware of the EA practice and its scope. Enable the EA practice to participate in existing governance processes as appropriate to its scope. Make practitioners aware of the EA practice and informally engage them in it. | Establish the EA practice’s repeatable, regular engagement channels such as working groups, outreach events, and communities of practice. Define the role of the EA practice in governance and ensure EA guidance is enforceable in the appropriate contexts. | Sustainably carry out ongoing outreach to build awareness and engagement. Ensure that practitioners and decision-makers commonly look to EA as a resource. Engage the EA practice in ongoing planning with stakeholder organizations to improve or increase EA involvement. | Continue to grow the reach of engagement of the EA practice, particularly in parts of the institution other than where the EA practice is homed. |
Selected Resources
| Link | Description |
|---|---|
| TBD | TBD |
The following resources in the Itana Library are tagged as related to this maturity attribute.
(To contribute a resource, see Contribute Your Experiences and label the page you add with EAMM_Engagement)