Phase G: Implementation Governance

Objectives    Approach     Inputs     Steps    Outputs

Objective

The objectives of this phase are to:

• formulate recommendations for each implementation project,
• construct an architecture contract to govern the overall implementation and deployment process, and
• perform appropriate governance functions while the system is being implemented and deployed; in particular,
• ensure conformance with the defined architecture by implementation projects and other projects

Approach

It is here that one brings together all the information for successful management of the various implementation projects. Note that in parallel with this phase there is the execution of an organizational specific development process, where the actual development happens.

This phase establishes the connection between architecture and implementation organization, through the Architecture Contract.

Project details are developed, including:

• Name, description and objectives
• Scope, deliverables and constraints
• Measures of effectiveness
• Acceptance criteria
• Risks and issues

Implementation governance is closely allied to overall Architecture Governance, which is discussed in Part IV, Architecture Governance.

A key aspect of this phase is ensuring compliance with the defined Architecture(s), not only by the implementation projects but also by other on-going projects within the enterprise. The considerations involved with this are  explained detail in Part IV, Architecture Compliance. 

Inputs

Inputs to this phase are:

• Request for Architecture Work
• Statement of Architecture Work
• Re-usable solutions building blocks (from organization's Solutions Continuum, if available)
• Impact Analysis - Detailed Implementation and Migration Plan (including Architecture Implementation Contract, if appropriate)

Steps

Key steps in this phase include:

1. Project recommendation formulation, for each separate implementation project do the following:
   • document scope of individual project in Impact Analysis
   • document strategic requirements (from the architectural perspective) in Impact Analysis
   • document change requests (such as support for a standard interface) in Impact Analysis
   • document rules for conformance in Impact Analysis
   • document time-line requirements from road-map in Impact Analysis
2. Document Architecture Contract
   • obtain signature from all developing organizations and sponsoring organization
3. On-going implementation governance and architecture compliance review.

Outputs

The output of this phase is:

• Impact Analysis - Implementation recommendations
• Architecture Contract, as recommended in Part IV, Architecture Contracts
• The architecture-compliant implemented system
  • Note: the implemented system is actually an output of the development process. However, given the importance of this output, it is stated here as an output of the architecture development method. The direct involvement of architecture staff in implementation will vary according to organizational policy, as described in Part IV, Architecture Governance.

Copyright © The Open Group, 2003