12.3 ADM Deliverables I: Preliminary Phase and Architecture Vision
Key Takeaways
- The Request for Architecture Work is sent from the sponsoring organization to the architecture organization to trigger the start of an architecture development cycle.
- The Statement of Architecture Work defines the scope and approach of an architecture project and is typically the document against which successful execution is measured.
- The Capability Assessment covers business capability, IT capability, architecture maturity, and business transformation readiness, and is created in Phase A and updated in Phase E.
- The Communications Plan identifies stakeholders, communication needs, key messages, mechanisms, and a timetable for targeted communication.
- The Architecture Vision provides a high-level, aspirational view of the end architecture product so stakeholders can agree the desired outcome at the outset.
12.3 ADM Deliverables I: Preliminary Phase and Architecture Vision
The final Architecture Content learning outcome asks you to briefly describe the TOGAF Standard deliverables created and consumed in different ADM phases. The syllabus lists sixteen deliverables. This section covers the seven that are created in the Preliminary Phase and Phase A and consumed across the rest of the ADM; Section 12.4 covers the remaining nine.
Remember: a deliverable is a work product that is contractually specified and in turn formally reviewed, agreed, and signed off by the stakeholders.
Summary Table
| Deliverable | Created in | Consumed in |
|---|---|---|
| Request for Architecture Work | Preliminary Phase; also from approved Change Requests (Phase H) or migration planning | Phase A |
| Architecture Principles | Preliminary Phase; confirmed and elaborated in Phase A | Phases A–H |
| Business Principles, Business Goals, and Business Drivers | Input to Preliminary; refined in Phase A | Phases A and B, and later phases |
| Capability Assessment | Phase A; updated in Phase E | Phases B–F |
| Communications Plan | Phase A | Phases B–H |
| Statement of Architecture Work | Phase A (approved) | Phases B–H |
| Architecture Vision | Phase A | Phases B–H |
Request for Architecture Work
Purpose: A document sent from the sponsoring organization to the architecture organization to trigger the start of an architecture development cycle. It can be created as an output of the Preliminary Phase, as a result of approved architecture Change Requests, or as terms of reference for architecture work originating from migration planning.
Typical contents: organization sponsors; the organization's mission statement; business goals and changes; strategic plans of the business; time limits; changes in the business environment; organizational constraints; budget information and financial constraints; external and business constraints; current business system description; current architecture and IT system description; description of the developing organization; description of resources available to it.
Architecture Principles
Purpose: Principles are general rules and guidelines, intended to be enduring and seldom amended, that inform and support the way an organization sets about fulfilling its mission. Architecture Principles govern the development, maintenance, and use of the Enterprise Architecture.
Typical contents: each principle's Name, Statement, Rationale, and Implications (Section 8.1).
Business Principles, Business Goals, and Business Drivers
Purpose: Provide context for architecture work by describing the needs and ways of working employed by the enterprise. Many factors outside the architecture discipline may have significant implications for the way architecture is developed.
Typical contents: statements of business principles, business goals, and business drivers — reused where they already exist in the enterprise, and restated or referenced in the Preliminary Phase and refined in Phase A.
Capability Assessment
Purpose: Before embarking on detailed architecture definition, it is valuable to understand the baseline and target capability level of the enterprise. This assessment is first carried out in Phase A and updated in Phase E.
Typical contents:
- Business capability assessment — capabilities of the business, baseline and target state, and performance
- IT capability assessment — maturity of change and operational processes and the capability and capacity of IT
- Architecture maturity assessment — the maturity of the architecture function and governance
- Business Transformation Readiness Assessment — readiness factors, their rating, and the actions needed
Communications Plan
Purpose: Enterprise Architectures contain large volumes of complex and interdependent information. Effective communication of targeted information to the right stakeholders at the right time is a critical success factor for EA; the Communications Plan sets out how that will happen.
Typical contents: identification of stakeholders and grouping by communication requirements; identification of communication needs, key messages, risks, and critical success factors; identification of the mechanisms to be used (such as meetings, newsletters, and repositories); and a communications timetable.
Statement of Architecture Work
Purpose: Defines the scope and approach that will be used to complete an architecture project. It is typically the document against which successful execution of the architecture project will be measured and may form the basis for a contractual agreement between the supplier and consumer of architecture services.
Typical contents: title; architecture project request and background; project description and scope; overview or outline of the Architecture Vision; managerial approach; change of scope procedures; roles, responsibilities, and deliverables; acceptance criteria and procedures; project plan and schedule; approvals.
Architecture Vision
Purpose: Created early in the project lifecycle to provide a high-level, aspirational view of the end architecture product, so that stakeholders can agree at the outset what the desired outcome should be. It is a succinct description of the Target Architecture that describes its business value and the changes that will result, serving as a boundary for detailed architecture development.
Typical contents: problem description (stakeholders and their concerns, list of issues and scenarios to be addressed); objective of the Statement of Architecture Work; summary views; business scenario (optional); refined key high-level stakeholder requirements.
How These Deliverables Work Together
The Request for Architecture Work asks for help; the Preliminary Phase principles and the business principles, goals, and drivers give context; the Capability Assessment shows how ready the enterprise is; the Architecture Vision shows what success looks like; the Statement of Architecture Work defines and approves the effort; and the Communications Plan keeps stakeholders engaged throughout.
Common Exam Pitfalls
- Placing the Request for Architecture Work in Phase A as an output. It is an input to Phase A, created in the Preliminary Phase or from change and planning activities.
- Forgetting that the Capability Assessment includes readiness. It covers business, IT, architecture maturity, and business transformation readiness.
- Treating the Architecture Vision as detailed design. It is a high-level, aspirational view and a boundary for later detail.
- Underestimating the Statement of Architecture Work. It is typically the document against which successful execution of the architecture project is measured.
Which deliverable is sent from the sponsoring organization to the architecture organization to trigger the start of an architecture development cycle?
Which deliverable is typically the document against which successful execution of the architecture project will be measured?
Which set of assessments can a TOGAF Capability Assessment contain?
What is the purpose of the Architecture Vision deliverable?