Segment Architecture Strategy

Step Description and Purpose

This process step provides guidance for architects to define the segment scope and strategic intent, which includes the performance architecture through which achievement of strategic improvement opportunities will be measured. Since segments may be extremely broad from a function, process, product, service, and organizational impact standpoint, it is imperative that a clear understanding of the focus for the segment is defined up front. In order to define the segment's scope and strategic intent, the architect can use this process step to develop a comprehensive understanding of the relevant segment goals and desired outcomes, major strategic improvement opportunities, performance gaps, business mandates and drivers, and key common / mission services delivered to meet principal stakeholders' needs.

This process step synthesizes these factors toward establishing the context and scope that drive the remaining steps of this methodology. The gathering and analysis of stakeholder needs and business drivers contributes to identifying strategic improvement opportunities. There may be numerous business needs and strategic improvement opportunities identified in this process step and it is important that these opportunities be prioritized to a manageable number so that "analysis paralysis" does not occur in subsequent steps.

Analysis of the current business state from a strategic improvement perspective, through techniques such as Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis, provides the foundation for defining the strategic intent of the segment. The strategic intent describes the target state vision and establishes the segment performance goals.

The segment performance architecture includes the goals, key performance indicators, measures, and metrics. The performance architecture may be based on the Performance Accountability Report (PAR) and Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) report(s) for programs within the scope of the segment. An example of segment performance metrics are the consolidation, standardization and optimization metrics that are derived from the IT Infrastructure Line of Business. The segment performance architecture is used to measure overall success achieved from implementing the segment transition plan in an effort to reach the target state. By examining the cause and effect of implementing forthcoming segment recommendations (e.g., enhancing new services, retiring redundant solutions), one can maintain a clear line of sight as described in the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) Performance Reference Model (PRM).

In the subsequent steps in this methodology, the architect will deliver recommendations that are aligned directly with the segment scope and strategic intent defined in this process step. In addition, the subsequent steps of the methodology will feed back to this process step and provide further refinement of and updates to the segment's scope and strategic intent.

Note: While performing this process step, the project plan must be updated to account for the size and complexity of the segment, as defined in this process step.

Key Decisions:

* Based on the high-level problem statement, what are the strategic improvement opportunities and gaps?
* What are the major common / mission services associated with the strategic improvement opportunities?
* Who are the segment stakeholders and how do they relate to the strategic improvement opportunities?
* What is the scope of the segment architecture being developed?
* What are the current segment investments, systems, and resources?
Note: If this question can be answered with existing information, it may be answered during this process step. However, if there is no definitive answer to this question after this process step, it may be answered in the subsequent steps.
* What are the deficiencies or the inhibitors to success within the segment?
* What is the target state vision for the segment?
* What is the performance architecture for achieving the target state vision?
* What are the important security and privacy considerations for the segment?

Note that suggested analytical techniques are included for activities within the methodology to better define what is core for a complete segment architecture in the form of descriptive (not prescriptive) guidance on how to accomplish the analysis. The suggested analytical techniques provide guidance as to what outputs are core for defining a complete segment architecture.


Step 2 in the Federal Segment Architecture Method ^ TOP

Posted on 07:04:16 by LEA -

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