Architecture Board

The cross-enterprise architecture board is the highest level of architecture governance and is represnted by architecture stakeholders.

Role

  • The Group of executives responsible for the review and maintenance of the architecture and to oversee the implementation of the strategy within Phase H - Architecture Change Management of the ADM.
  • Possesses identifiable and articulated responsibilities, decision-making capabilities, remit and authority limits.
  • Distinguishes between local (domain experts, line responsibility) and global (organisation-wide responsiblity) representatives in larger enterprises
  • Scope may be Global, Regional or Business Line

General Responsibilities

The board is reponsible and accountable for achieving different goals:

  • Improve the maturity level of the architecture discipline while ensuring that architecture-based development is adopted across the enterprise
  • Ensure consistency of sub-architectures and enforce architecture compliance
  • Establishes targets for re-use of components
  • Ensures the flexibility of the Enterprise Architecture regarding business needs & technologies
  • Provides a mechanism for escalation for out-of-bounds decisions

Operational Responsibilities

  • Monitors, controls and publishes the Architecture Contracts
  • Ensures the management & implementation of the architectures
  • Resolves ambiguities, issues, conflicts and provides advice, guidance and information
  • Ensures compliance of architectures and grants dispensations and exemptions
  • Considers policy changes (e.g. SLAs, Security Policies)
  • Validates services levels and cost savings

Governance Responsibilities

  • Provides a mechanism for the formal acceptance and approval of enterprise architecture
  • Provides a control mechanism for ensuring the implementation of enterprise architecture
  • Identifies divergence from approved architecture and the planning activities for re-alignment. (or dispensation)
  • Links the strategic objectives of the business, the architectural strategy objectives and the implementation of the architecture
  • Produces governance artifacts and performs governance activities

Decision Rights

Decision rights for the Target Architecture lies with the Stakeholders

  • Architecture Board owns the process & recommendations regarding completeness of the architecture work that led to the Target Architecture
  • Decision rights for the Target Architecture lie with the Stakeholders along with enforcement independent of the architecture board
  • TOGAF provides decision-tree checklists for assessment of the Target Architecture. These are to be completed by the Architects along with a non-compliance report.