Architecture Governance and the ADM

Question 1

Explain why Architecture Governance is beneficial.

Answer 1

Best practices for the submission, adoption, re-use, reporting, and retirement of architecture policies, procedures, roles, skills, organizational structures, and support services
• Organizational responsibilities and structures to support the Architecture Governance processes and reporting requirements
• Integration of tools and processes to facilitate the take-up of the processes, both procedurally and culturally

Question 2

List the responsibilities of an Architecture Board.

Answer 2

Providing the basis for all decision-making with regard to the architectures
Consistency between sub-architectures
Establishing targets for re-use of components
Flexibility of the Enterprise Architecture:
To meet changing business needs
To leverage new technologies
Enforcement of Architecture Compliance
Improving the maturity level of architecture discipline within the organization
Ensuring that the discipline of architecture-based development is adopted
Supporting a visible escalation capability for out-of-bounds decisions

Question 3

Briefly explain the concept of Architecture Governance.

Answer 3

Architecture Governance is the practice and orientation by which Enterprise Architectures and other architectures are managed and controlled at an enterprise-wide level.
Architecture Governance typically does not operate in isolation, but within a hierarchy of governance structures, which, particularly in the larger enterprise, can include all of the following as distinct domains with their own disciplines and processes:
• Corporate Governance
• Technology Governance
• IT Governance
• Architecture Governance

Question 4

Architecture Contracts

Answer 4

Architecture Contracts are the joint agreements between development partners and sponsors on the deliverables, quality, and fitness-for-purpose of an architecture. Successful implementation of these agreements will be delivered through effective Architecture Governance

A system of continuous monitoring to check integrity, changes, decision-making, and audit of all architecture-related activities within the organization
Adherence to the principles, standards, and requirements of the existing or developing architectures
Identification of risks in all aspects of the development and implementation of the architecture(s) covering the internal development against accepted standards, policies, technologies, and products as well as the operational aspects of the architectures such that the organization can continue its business within a resilient environment
A set of processes and practices that ensure accountability, responsibility, and discipline with regard to the development and usage of all architectural artifacts
A formal understanding of the governance organization responsible for the contract, their level of authority, and scope of the architecture under the governance of this body

Question 5

Architecture Compliance Reviews

Answer 5

1 -First and foremost, catch errors in the project architecture early, and thereby reduce the cost and risk of changes required later in the lifecycle

2- Ensure the application of best practices to architecture work
3- Provide an overview of the compliance of an architecture to mandated enterprise standards
4-Identify where the standards themselves may require modification
5-Identify services that are currently application-specific but might be provided as part of the enterprise infrastructure
6-Document strategies for collaboration, resource sharing, and other synergies across multiple architecture teams
7-Take advantage of advances in technology
8-Communicate to management the status of technical readiness of the project
9-Identify key criteria for procurement activities (e.g., for inclusion in Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) product RFI/RFP documents)
Identify and communicate significant architectural gaps to product and service providers

Question 6

Briefly describe the Architecture Compliance Review process.

Answer 6

Catch Errors in the project Architecture early
ensure thr application of best practices to Architecture work
provide an overview of compliance to mandated modification
Identtify services that are currently application specific but might be provided as part of the enterprise
infrastructure