Programme managers don`t understand EA

Enterprise architects need to be salesmen, getting out of their offices and proselytising to programme managers about how the discipline of enterprise architecture (EA) can enable their agencies` missions, experts said during FCW Events` Enterprise Architecture conference.

During a town hall meeting, enterprise architects complained that agency programme managers don`t fully understand or appreciate the need for EA.

The conference`s resonating theme was the need for expert salesmanship by architects.

The New Zealand Fire Service is embarking on a three- to five-year effort to overhaul the organisation`s IT systems as a ministerial review promises far-reaching changes for the organisation.

The service is developing an enterprise architecture plan to define a blueprint for its technology, emphasising increased consolidation, reduced maintenance costs and improved integration, reports ZDNet Australia.

In May the minister for internal affairs, Rick Barker, announced he was planning a workshop to review the future shape and funding of the service. That review aims to create a more integrated brigade structure embracing fire, rescue and other services.

The "Enterprise Architecture: Leadership remains key to establishing and leveraging architectures for organisational transformation" report was issued last month, and made available through the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) Web site. The GAO looked at the state of the EA programmes at 27 major federal departments and agencies.

Government Computer News focused on the part of the report which summarised the software tools and frameworks that agencies use to build and maintain their architectures.

Looking over the findings, some usage patterns were noted. The prevailing trend seems to be this: When developing an EA, most agencies use commercial software, but when it comes to choosing a framework, they tend to go with ones tailored to government use.