A brief look at architecture governance.

1. Architecture Governance
1
ANTHONY DEHNASHI
(PARSYSTECH.COM)
2013

2. Content Overview
2
 A Brief Quick look at the Governance in general
[simple terms]
 Quick review of the Architecture Governance
based on TOGAF framework.

3. Governance
3
 What is Governance?
 Its not a Dictatorship Culture or Mindset!
 Ensure things are done according to their layout.
 Ensure an entity works the way they suppose to work.
 Ensure guidelines have been followed.
 is the act of governing which relates to decisions that define
expectations, grant power, or verify performance.
 Some of Governance types : Corporate governance, IT
governance, technology governance, SOA
governance, Architecture governance.
 Should come in the form of a framework

4. Characteristics of Governance
4
Discipline
Commit to adhere to all process, procedures, etc.
Transparency
All actions and related materials are visible and available
for review and inspection
Characteristics
Independence
Ways to avoid any conflict and / or disagreements on
interests [interest collision].
Accountability
Everyone who perform the tasks are accountable.
Responsibility
Everyone must act responsibly while performing tasks.
Fairness
All teams and groups are equal with one another. No
advantage.

5. Architecture Governance
5
 What is it?
 Again not a dictatorship mindset.
 What you know from Governance now put it in the Context of
Architecture.
 LESS about strict adherence to rules and MORE about providing
services to IT / Business to facilitate innovation.
 The practice and orientation by which enterprise and other
architectures are managed and controlled at an enterprise wide
level.
 A Collection of guidelines & controls
 For final solution to adhere to.
 To ensuring the architecture aligns with what has been identified.
 To ensuring the architecture follows the vision and in alignment with
objectives.

6. Architecture Governance
6
Corporate
Governance
Operates within
a hierarchy of
Architecture governance Technology
Governance structures Governance
within
organization:
IT
Governance

7. TOGAF and Governance
7
TPGAF focus is on Architecture Governance which supports other
forms of governance.
Corporate
Governance
Technology
Governance
IT
Governance
Architecture
Governance

8. TOGAF and Governance
8
Controls
Compliance
Covers the areas of
Management
Accountability

9. TOGAF ADM & Governance
9
Get Top
management Preliminary
support
• Identified areas within A.
Architecture
TOGAF ADM. Vision
• Defines & Supports the
H.
Architecture B. Business
Change Architecture
Management
architecture governance.
• Acquire top management
support and authorization. G. C.
Requirements
• Ensures the compliancy. Implementati
on
Governance
Management
Information
System
Architecture
Define Gov. F. Migration
Planning
D. Technology
Architecture
guidelines
E.
Opportunities
and Solutions

10. TOGAF AGF Meta Model
10
TOGAF - Architecture Governance Meta Model

11. Architecture Compliance
[Link to Governance]
11
Irrelevant
Architecture
•The implementation has no features in common with standards and specification Specification
Implementation
so the question of conformance does not arise.
Consistent
•The implementation has some features in common with the specification and are
h implemented in accordance with the specification.
Compliant
•Some features in specification are not implemented but all implemented features are
covered by specification and in accordance with it.
Conformant
•All the features in specification are implemented in accordance with specification but
some more features are implemented that are no in accordance with it.
Fully Compliant
•There is full correspondence between specification and implementation.
Non-Conformant
•Any of the above in which some features in the specification are implemented not in
accordance with specification.

12. Architecture Governance Effectiveness
12
Architecture governance effectiveness being defined and measures by
existence of necessary elements and produced outputs.
Elements
• A cross-organizational architecture review board [ARB]
• Architecture Principles.
• Standards to cover all architectures
[business, application, data, and technology]
• Well defined architecture compliance process.
Outputs
• Compliance assessments
• Capabilities and solutions that are compliant.

13. TOGAF & COBIT
13
TOGAF and COBIT can be integrated to streamline the architecture
governance
 Principles look familiar right?
 COBIT 5 now includes the coverage for Meeting
Governance at enterprise level [before Stakeholder
Needs
only covered IT Governance 4.1]
 TOGAF is a framework for EA and
Architecture Governance.
Separating
Covering the
Governance
Enterprise
Form
End-to-end
 COBIT can be integrated into TOGAF Management
COBIT 5
[preliminary, E,F,G,H phases]. Principles
 COBIT can provide guidance to confirm
the compliancy of architecture with
corporate standards, policies, objectives Enabling a
Holistic
Applying a
Single
and business strategy and objectives. Approach
Integrated
Framework

14. Final Word
14
 Without having Governance in place, the possibility of
things go off-road is high, so as the risks, which can cause
you dramatic problems!
 If , for whatever reason, you don’t have governance in
place or can not have for the moment at least:
1. Start simple.
2. Create a basic questionnaire or check-list
3. Communicate it with stakeholders/teams.
4. Use it through your existing processes[SDLC and / or PM process]
to ensure the consistency/compliancy of designs / solutions with
specifications, standards, etc.
5. Review and communicate the results / outcomes.
6. Monitor & Improve.

15. References & Resources
15
 TOGAF, the open group [www.opengroup.org]
 AIEA
 COBIT 5 [www.isaca.org]