Before embarking upon a detailed Architecture Definition, it is valuable to understand the baseline and target capability level of the enterprise. This Capability Assessment can be examined on several levels:

• What is the capability level of the enterprise as a whole? Where does the enterprise wish to increase or optimize capability? What are the architectural focus areas that will support the desired development of the enterprise?
• What is the capability or maturity level of the IT function within the enterprise? What are the likely implications of conducting the architecture project in terms or design governance, operational governance, skills, and organization structure? What is an appropriate style, level of formality, and amount of detail for the architecture project to fit with the culture and capability of the IT organization?
• What is the capability and maturity of the architecture function within the enterprise? What architectural assets are currently in existence? Are they maintained and accurate? What standards and reference models need to be considered? Are there likely to be opportunities to create re-usable assets during the architecture project?
• Where capability gaps exist, to what extent is the business ready to transform in order to reach the target capability? What are the risks to transformation, cultural barriers, and other considerations to be addressed beyond the basic capability gap?

Typical contents of a Capability Assessment are:

• Business Capability Assessment, including:
  • Capabilities of the business
  • Baseline state assessment of the performance level of each capability
  • Future state aspiration for the performance level of each capability
  • Baseline state assessment of how each capability is realized
  • Future state aspiration for how each capability should be realized
• IT Capability Assessment, including:
  • Baseline and target maturity level of change process
  • Baseline and target maturity level of operational processes
  • Baseline capability and capacity assessment
  • Assessment of likely impacts to the IT organization resulting from execution of the architecture project
• Architecture maturity assessment, including:
  • Architecture governance processes, organization, roles, and responsibilities
  • Architecture skills assessment
  • Breadth, depth, and quality of landscape definition with the Architecture Repository
  • Breadth, depth, and quality of standards definition with the Architecture Repository
  • Breadth, depth, and quality of reference model definition with the Architecture Repository
  • Assessment of re-use potential
• Business Transformation Readiness Assessment, including:
• • Readiness factors
  • Vision for each readiness factor
  • Current and target readiness ratings
  • Readiness risks