Introduction Governance Framework- Conceptual Governance Framework - Organizational
As previously explained, Phase G of the TOGAF Architecture Development Method is dedicated to Implementation Governance, which concerns itself with the realization of the architecture through change projects.
Implementation Governance is just one aspect of Architecture Governance, which covers the management and control of all aspects of the development and evolution of enterprise architectures and other architectures within the enterprise.
Architecture Governance needs to be supported by an Architecture Governance Framework, described in detail below. The governance framework described in the following is a generic framework that can be adapted to the existing governance environment of an enterprise. It is intended to assist in identifying effective processes and organizational structures, so that the business responsibilities associated with Architecture Governance can be elucidated, communicated, and managed effectively.
Conceptually, Architecture Governance is an approach, a series of processes, a cultural orientation, and set of owned responsibilities that ensure the integrity and effectiveness of the organization's architectures.
The key concepts are illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 1: TOGAF Architecture Governance Framework- Conceptual
The split of process, content and context are key to the support of the architecture governance initiative, by allowing the introduction of new governance material (legal, regulatory, standards-based or legislative) without unduly impacting the processes. This content-agnostic approach ensures that the framework is flexible. The processes are typically independent of the content and implement a proven best-practice approach to active governance.
The Architecture Governance Framework is integral to the Enterprise Continuum, and manages all content relevant both to the architecture itself and to architecture governance processes.
Governance processes are required to identify, manage, audit and disseminate all information related to architecture management, contracts and implementation. These governance processes identifies several processes that will be used to ensure that all architecture artefacts and contracts, principles and operational level agreements are monitored on an ongoing basis with clear auditability of all decisions made.
All architecture amendments, contracts and supporting information must come under governance through a formal process in order to register, validate, ratify, manage and publish new or updated content. These processes will ensure the orderly integration with existing governance content such that all relevant parties, documents, contracts and supporting information are managed and audited.
Compliance assessments against SLAs, OLAs, standards and regulatory requirements will be implemented on an ongoing basis to ensure stability, conformance and performance monitoring. These assessments will be reviewed and either accepted or rejected depending on the criteria defined within the governance framework.
A compliance assessment can be rejected where the subject area (design, operational, service level or technology) are not compliant. In this case the subject area can
Where a compliance assessment is rejected an alternate route to meeting interim conformance is provided through dispensations. These are granted for a given time period and set of identified service and operational criteria that must be enforced during the life-span of the dispensation. Dispensations are not granted indefinitely, but are used as a mechanism to ensure that service levels and operational levels are met while providing a level flexibility in their implementation and timing. The time-bound nature of dispensations ensures that they are a major trigger in the compliance cycle.
Performance management is required to ensure that both the operational and service elements are managed against an agreed set of criteria. This will include monitoring against service and operational level agreements, feedback for adjustment and reporting.
Internal management information will be considered under Environment Management.
Business Control relates to the processes invoked to ensure compliance with the organisation's business policies.
This identifies all the services required to ensure that the repository-based environment underpinning the governance framework is effective and efficient. This includes the physical and logical repository management, access, communication, training and accreditation of all users.
All architecture artefacts, service agreements, contracts and supporting information must come under governance through a formal process in order to register, validate, ratify, manage and publish new or updated content. These will processes will ensure the orderly integration with existing governance content such that all relevant parties, documents, contracts and supporting information are managed and audited.
The governance environment will have a number of administrative processes defined in order to effective a managed service and process environment. These processes will include user management, internal SLAs (defined in order to control its own processes) and management information reporting.
Architecture Governance is the practice and orientation by which enterprise architectures and other architectures are managed and controlled. In order to ensure that this control is effective within the organisation, it is necessary to have the correct organizational structures established to support all governance activities.
An Architecture Governance structure for effectively implementing the approach described in this section will typically include the following levels, which may in practice involve a combination of existing IT governance processes, organizational structures, and capabilities. They will typically include the following:
The architecture organization illustrated in Figure 2 highlights the major structural elements required for an architecture governance initiative. While each enterprise will have differing requirements, it is expected that the basics of the organizational design shown in Figure 2 will be applicable and implementable in a wide variety of organizational types.
Figure 2: TOGAF Architecture Governance Framework- Organizational
Figure 2 identifies three key areas of the architecture management - Develop, Implement, and Deploy. Each of these is the responsibility of one or more groups within the organization, while the Enterprise Continuum is shown to support all activities and artefacts associated with the governance of the architectures throughout their lifecycle.
The Develop responsibilities, processes, and structures are usually linked to the TOGAF ADM and its usage, while the Implement responsibilities, processes, and structures are typically linked to TOGAF Implementation Governance Phase.
As mentioned above, the Architecture Governance Framework is integral to the Enterprise Continuum, and manages all content relevant both to the architectures themselves and to Architecture Governance processes.
As illustrated in Figure 2, the governance of the organization's architectures provides not only direct control and guidance of their development and implementation, but also extends into the operations of the implemented architectures.
The following benefits have been found to be derived through the continuing governance of architectures:
These benefits position the TOGAF Architecture Governance Framework as an approach, a series of processes, a cultural orientation, and a set of owned responsibilities, that together ensures the integrity and effectiveness of the organization's architectures.
Copyright © The Open Group, 2003
