Core Competences of Architects

Core competences of Architects

Danny Greefhorst ([email protected])contributions by: Toon Abcouwer, Casper van den Wall Bake, Fons Panneman and Pascal van Eck

Agenda

• Context

• Developments

• Competence frameworks

• Core activitites

• Core competences

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About Danny Greefhorst

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• Director and consultant at ArchiXL• Instructor on EA, TOGAF and ArchiMate• Chair of Via Nova Architectura• Board member of Dutch Computer Society• Honorary Medal | Dutch Architecture Forum• Author of “Architecture Principles” book

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Reason:• Overlap of sections within Dutch

Computer Association

Collaboration:• Understanding each discipline• Determining overlap and

relationships– Processes– Competences

• Papers

Collaboration within Dutch Computer Association

IT-governance

ArchitectureBusiness

informationmanagement

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High-level positioning

Businessinformation

management

Architecture

IT-governance

Control and agreements

Vision and structure

Coordination, information and meaning

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• Outsourcing and cloud computing– Shift of IT-departments from

execution to coordination– Increasing importance of IT-

governance, information management and architecture

• More focus on strategic organizational issues in information management

• Shift from IT-architecture to business architecture

• More focus on architecture principles

Relevant developments

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Competence frameworks

Competences of IT ArchitectsR. Wieringa et al.

The Open Group Certified Architect (Open CA)

The Open Group

BCS Enterprise and Solution ArchitectureBritish Computer Society

European e-Competence Framework

CEN

Enterprise Architecture – Creating Value by Informed Governance

M. Op ‘t Land et al.

Certified Information Technology Architect Foundation

IASA

TOGAFThe Open Group

Bachelor of ICT domeinbeschrijvingHBO-i

Sturen op samenhang op basis van GEA

R. Wagter

Functiegebouw RijkMin BZK

Employability Framework Informatica (EFI)

Ngi

Functie-ordeningsysteem (UFO)VSNU

The Open Group Certified IT Specialist (Open CITS)

The Open Group

Taken, Functies, Rollen en Competenties in de Informatica

Ngi

Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA)

SFIA foundation

CIGREF's nomenclature of IT job profiles

CIGREF

Advanced IT Training System (AITTS)

Kibnet

European Certification of Informatics Professionals

EUCIP

ArchitectureInform

ation TechnologyG

eneral

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Competences of architects in TOGAF

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The architect

Architecture Design in e-CF 3.0

Title and generic description• Specifies, refines, updates and makes available a formal approach to implement

solutions, necessary to develop and operate the IS architecture. • Identifies change requirements and the components involved: hardware, software,

applications, processes, information and technology platform. • Takes into account interoperability, scalability, usability and security. • Maintains alignment between business evolution and technology developments.

Proficiency levels

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Level 3Exploits specialist knowledge to define relevant ICT technology and specifications to be deployed in the construction of multiple ICT projects, applications or infrastructure improvements.

Level 4Acts with wide ranging accountability to define the strategy to implement ICT technology compliant with business need. Takes account of the current technology platform, obsolescent equipment and latest technological innovations.

Level 5Provides ICT strategic leadership for implementing the enterprise strategy. Applies strategic thinking to discover and recognize new patterns in vast datasets and new ICT systems, to achieve business savings.

Knowledge examples• architecture frameworks,

methodologies and systems design tools

• systems architecture requirements: performance, maintainability, extendibility, scalability, availability, security and accessibility

• costs, benefits and risks of a system architecture

• the company’s enterprise architecture and internal standards

• new emerging technologies (e.g., distributed systems, virtualisation models, datasets, mobile systems)

Skills examples • provide expertise to help solve

complex technical problems and ensure best architecture solutions are implemented

• use knowledge in various technology areas to build and deliver the enterprise architecture

• understand the business objectives/drivers that impact the architecture component

• assist in communication of the enterprise architecture and standards, principles and objectives to the application teams

• develop design patterns and models to assist system analysts in designing consistent applications

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Architecture Design in e-CF 3.0 (2)

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Main tasks• Devise business improvement

opportunities and create proposals • Align IT strategy and planning with the

organisation’s business goals • Streamline business processes,

functions, procedures and workflows and apply a consistent implementation approach

• Manage stakeholder engagement in the development of new processes and systems and verifies feasibility

• Conduct post-implementation reviews to evaluate benefits accrued from new processes and systems

e-Competences• IS and Business Strategy Alignment

(Level 4-5)• Business Plan Development (Level 3-4)• Architecture Design (Level 4)• Technology Watching (Level 5) • Business Change Management (Level 4-

5)

Enterprise Architect in CWA 16458 (European ICT Professional Profiles)Mission• Balances technological opportunities with business (process) requirements. Maintains

a holistic view of the organisation’s strategy, processes, information and ICT assets. Links the business mission, strategy and processes to the IT strategy.

The three disciplines in verbs

Businessinformation

manager

Inspire

Mediate

Organise

Architect

Translate

Validate

Structure

Governance consultant

Motivate

Secure

Assign

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Core activities of a business information manager

Inspire: can show the importance of information from business motivations in a socio-organizational context;

Mediate: can inform and communicate to show how IT can support the organization;

Organise: can coordinate the realisation of IT systems, building upon the governance principles.

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Core activities of an architect

Translate: translates business motivation to the desired design of organization, processes and information systems;

Validate: ensures that knowledge, ideas and opinions of individuals are properly represented in common principles, guidelines, structures and plans;

Structure: can reduce complex information at several abstraction levels to the essential structure.

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Core activities of a governance-consultant

Motivate: can properly motivate and support decisions with respect to project / asset / services portfolios quantitatively and / or qualitatively based on systematic and complete inventory of projects, assets and / or services;

Secure: can secure that the IT organization is in line with laws and regulations and that IT resources are used efficiently and effectively;

Assign: can facilitate the process in which responsibilities with respect to IT are assigned properly within the organization.

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Dublin Descriptors

Knowledge and understanding

Applying knowledge and understanding

Making judgements Communication

Learning skills

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Core competences of an architect

Knowledge and understanding• Has knowledge of the typical organization of organizations, processes and

IT and the associated advantages and disadvantages.• Has knowledge of methods and techniques for the development of

architecture principles and modeling of processes, information and IT systems such as TOGAF and ArchiMate.

Applying knowledge and understanding • Is able to determine a structured approach to determine a high-level

solution for a given problem.• Is able to determine the most appropriate decisions of how to structure

systems based on business motivations.• Is able to translate information into a model that provides a relevant

perspective on that information.

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Core competences of an architect (2)

Making judgements • Is able to determine which decisions need to be made at a certain

moment in time.• Is able to determine which information and opinions need to be collected

to support decisions.• Is able to determine “the things that matter” in information and reduce

them to the essence.

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Common competences

Communication• Is able to formulate issues, hypotheses and questions and collect the

information needed using interviews, questionnaires and workshops• Is able to identify and emphasize commonalities in conversations and

discussions and build consensus for them.• Is able to support decisions using qualitative and quantitative statements

and defend these towards (senior) management.• Is able to use verbal and written communications to convey information in

an accessible manner using the appropriate media.

Learning skills• Is able to determine which additional personal knowledge and skills are

essential at a certain moment in time and attain these in a short amount of time.

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Conclusions

• Increased importance of information management, architecture and IT-governance

• Multi-disciplinairy collaboration is necessary• Competences should be developed• Focus on core competences, use of Dublin Descriptors

Questions?

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