This page is an output of the Itana Spring Face2Face 2016 meeting, contributed to the Itana wiki by the meeting attendees.

Definition

Process of ensuring that an idea continues to track positively against the defined vision, objectives, and goals. Monitoring of the idea’s trajectory enables adjustments to the idea and/or its supporting initiatives and/or its strategic goals and roadmaps.

Actions involve ongoing work to promote and communicate the value of the idea and the story that relates it to the audience and to tease out and clarify the nuances and implications as the the effort proceeds.

Outputs

(to be completed)

Context

  • EA review of significant projects

  • An effort has been initiated.  It may be ongoing or project-scoped.

  • It is unlikely that an EA practice can sustain all active projects.  Prioritization is required.

  • This effort might/will highlight gaps that will need to be filled by new initiatives

  • As you attempt to keep one project moving, you might need to adjust another project.

  • You may need to adjust the idea or the trajectory that you had plotted.

  • You may need to adjust the strategy and strategic goals you are working towards.

  • Risk management is provided by the enterprise view

Examples

  • Enterprise client engagement effort to validate capability model and to understand customer strategy, goals and projects

  • Metadata Initiative Implementation

  • An IAM initiative has been launched to expose person data to consumers.  Sustaining and adjusting may involve any of the following

    • Clarifying policy concerns.  

    • Adjusting data design better to support quality and performance

    • Checking in with Sponsors and champions to ensure

      • expectations are being met.

      • That unexpected requirements can be accommodated

  • A large initiative spawns many projects.  Sustaining and adjusting may involve ensuring that the right projects are launched in the right sequence and that they stay aligned over time.

  • A review specifies architectural requirements and later evaluates success and conformance.  Sustaining and adjusting takes place in the evaluation process.

Activities

  • Look across all efforts to identify gaps to achieving the IT Strategy.

  • Review project implementations and status

  • Phase gate review

  • Collaborate with stakeholders to define and develop metrics

  • Review relevant metrics

  • Identify impact at the organization or enterprise level as a result of an effort that results in the need to re-architect a portion of the environment.

  • Define ea metrics that are relatable and measurable

  • Know the audience

  • Continue to tell the story

  • Create and maintain stress to drive action (internal pressure to drive action and completion)

  • Create and maintain a sense of desire in the end customer for the deliverable(s) (generate external pressure to drive action and completion.)

  • Create transparency

  • Leverage relationships to increase breadth and depth of awareness.

Related Skills

(to be completed)

Possible Next Steps

(to be completed)

Architecture Leadership > Sustaining and Adjusting

  • (to be completed)
  • (to be completed)