The Mandate for Change

Enterprise Architecture Services

The Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 requires Federal Agencies' Chief Information Officers (CIOs) to develop information technology architectures. In 1998, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) went further--requiring that major investments in information systems be consistent with Federal, Agency, and Bureau architectures. To accomplish this, the CIO Council developed the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) framework.

The primary focus of the FEA is to be a more citizen-centered, customer-focused government that maximizes technology investments to better achieve mission outcomes. The result of this effort is the FEA framework known as the FEA Consolidated Reference Model. The FEA provides a common framework for improving business performance within and across agencies.

Daston's Approach

Daston's Enterprise Architecture team is helping agencies throughout the government address these mandates and improve the general efficiency and effectiveness of their business infrastructure. Daston starts this effort with an 'As-Is' architecture and is looking develops an Enterprise Architecture (EA) including the development of a 'To-Be' architecture, completing a gap analysis, developing a transition plan, establishing EA governance, implementing an EA communications plan, expanding the 'To-Be' through modernization blueprints and supporting CIO modernization blueprint efforts.

The Daston approach links EA with the Capital Planning Investment Control (CPIC) and acquisition review process. Daston facilitates business processes which tie together the EA work with acquisition review processes to meet these investment control requirements efficiently and effectively.

Daston's approach to EA includes:

• Aligning IT to business strategies, plans, and operations;
• Applying information assurance and infrastructure standardization across the enterprise;
• Supporting IT cost effectiveness, managing risks, and providing quality assurance; and
• Achieving compliance with legislative architecture mandates and enhancing business utility of EA processes and artifacts.

Based upon our experience in developing EAs, we have identified a number of factors that require special attention during the EA planning and execution process. We can assist a CIO by:

• Attaining and preserving senior management commitment;
• Fostering buy-in through a partnership between the CIO, agencies, business owners and other key stakeholders;
• Involving business area from the beginning and secure adequate participation by SMEs;
• Facilitating architecture-based decision making;
• Planning and using enterprise-wide governance mechanisms;
• Maintaining an EA repository that fulfills an organization's needs;
• Clearly defining the EA products and outcomes;
• Communicating plans effectively; and
• Providing actionable transition plans where needed.

Unparalleled Expertise

Daston possesses an outstanding, proven team that provides a solid mix of innovative and mature consulting skills to bring the necessary expertise and talent most directly applicable to an organization's EA and CPIC effort. We have the depth of skills necessary to support integration with specialized architecture activities such as security, data management, data engineering, segment architecture, COTS application integration, cost analysis, and business process engineering. Daston is adept at creating a blueprint for the update, consolidation, and streamlining of CIO processes and systems. We understand that integration with other facets of the organization, such as strategic and capital planning, solutions architecture, and the acquisition review process is critical to achieving positive architecture performance results.