Critical Analysis Of Governmental Department Case Study

Question

Task: GovDept is a mid-size governmental department providing important services of a social nature to the population of a large territory. From the technology perspective, the organization can be considered as a late adopter of innovations and characterized by relative underinvestment in IT, which has certain implications for both its IT landscape and respective management practices. On the one hand, GovDept’s IT landscape is very heterogeneous and includes many legacy information systems and technologies some of which have been in use for decades. On the other hand, its IT-related management practices are also rather archaic. For instance, the relationships between business and IT leaders in the organization exhibit evident signs of “us and them” mentality, while new investments in IT are viewed by business mostly as a means to reduce costs of the existing operations. GovDept has a centralized IT department headed by the CIO and responsible for developing and supporting information systems for all its business units. The IT department employs around 250 specialists and consists of three main functions: architecture, development and service. The architecture function includes a few architects focused predominantly on specific IT solutions. GovDept previously tried to uplift the maturity of its EA practice and extend the scope of architectural planning beyond separate initiatives, but these attempts did not succeed and respective architects had been made redundant.
Then, the CIO decided to undertake another deliberate effort to evolve GovDept’s EA practice with the involvement of external consultants. For this purpose, the organization engaged a rather wellknown boutique EA consultancy to help initiate a full-fledged EA practice. The consultancy formed a project team consisting of four architects specialized in different subject areas. This consulting team acted according to a detailed engagement plan agreed with GovDept’s senior IT leadership. The plan stipulated in which sequence and when exactly various EA artifacts will be produced. In total, consultants worked for 2-3 months, analyzed the organization, interviewed numerous stakeholders and developed all the EA artifacts specified in the plan. Specifically, they started from analyzing GovDept in terms of current and desired maturity of its business capabilities and mapped existing applications to respective capabilities. Then, they captured all relevant data entities, documented all technologies used in the organization, depicted current and defined target application portfolios and created more detailed CRUD (create, read, update and delete) relationship matrices.
1. You are required developed a comprehensive roadmap specifying what projects should be executed in the next 2-3 years.
2. Discuss 5 key roles that IT will play in the GovDept if implemented.
3. Discuss 5 key EA artifacts that would be delivered in 2-3 months.
4. Explain the taxonomy of documentations that you will implement and why you have considered it important to GovDept.
5. Discuss the operating model that you will implement and why you have chosen the operating model.
6. Discuss the roles of standard and landscapes in implementation of GovDept’s EA?
7. Discuss 5 types of IT initiatives that you have considered very important to GovDept’s EA
8. Explain considerations as EA Artifacts that will be delivered in GovDept’s EA
9. Discuss 5 subtypes of visions that you used in EA artifacts implementation.

Answer

Introduction
According to the governmental department case study, GovDept is a governmental department that is responsible for providing the services of social nature to the people. The organization outlined in the governmental department case study has limited use of technology in its existing infrastructure and is also termed as the late adopted of innovation. There are also alignment issues and concerns between the IT and the business operations. The organization has a centralized IT department and the CIO is the head of the department. There are three major tasks that the IT department carries out as architecture, development, and services.

GovDept has collaborated with the external EA consultant called EA Consultancy so that the detailed EA practice can be conducted and implemented in the organization[1]. 

Comprehensive Roadmap
EA Consultancy has analysed the requirements and the current infrastructure that is associated with GovDept in terms of the IT infrastructure and the overall organizational status.

The critical analysis on governmental department case study signifies that there are three major categories of projects that are determined as a result of the analysis which shall be implemented in the next three years. The first set includes the planning, analysis, and governance projects. There are several issues identified with the existing data planning, network planning, analysis, and governance. The use and development of IT will be done by implementing an integrated IT-based project management tool[2]. This tool will include the automated handling of the GovDept projects and services and will include the automated goal setting, benefit realization, estimations, resource & risks management, communication management, etc. The second project that will be covered in this category will be the IT governance tool. The monitoring of the information sets will be essential for effective management and usage. The use an automated governance tool will be done and it will also focus on the data backups and disaster recovery. These two projects will be executed in the first year.

The next will be the technological development as observed in the governmental department case study. Data is the core unit and is a significant asset for GovDept. The data analytics and management is essential along with its security. The Big Data implementation will be done at GovDept so that it may use data in an effective manner[3]. The second will be the data security management project in which the use of technical security tools, such as network security controls, anti-malware tools, etc. will be done to improve the security of GovDept data sets. The third will be network upgrade project and it will include the network expansion and the implementation of mobile ad-hoc networks in the organization.

The last category will be specialized IT services. These will include the customer support and relationship management services, supply chain handling, maintenance services, and tracking services. These will be implemented as the improvements in the existing workflows wherein the automation will be done in the possible areas and the overall integration will be done as well. 

Key Roles – IT
IT will have major roles to play in GovDept when effectively implemented and used.

• The primary role that IT will play will be in the effective use and handling of the data sets. The social services that GovDept provides reach to a large number of people. There are various stakeholders as mentioned in the governmental department case study that are also associated with the department along with the internal resources. IT will make sure that the data from each of these areas and entities is securely stored and is effectively managed so that the associated patterns can be identified[4]. These patterns will be used in the improvement of the organization processes.
• The second role that IT will play will be in terms of introducing flexibility and agility in the organization procedures. IT will allow automation of the existing processes and the incorporation of the changes will be done in an effective manner.
• IT will also act as a governance mechanism when effectively implemented in GovDept. As stated in the governmental department case study, the tracking and monitoring of the existing services will be possible with the use of the IT tools. Also, the check on the data usage and distribution will be possible through the IT tools. This will provide the ability to carry out the governance mechanisms in an effective manner.
• IT will play the role of the communication mechanism in GovDept. The information sharing and communication can no longer be carried out using the traditional tools. The requirement of the IT tools and processes play a significant role in the communication mechanisms and the same will be exerted by the IT applications.
• IT will also play the role of security enabler as the involvement of the IT tools will be crucial in ensuring the security of the data sets. There will be technical security tools and controls that will be implemented in GovDept to ensure that the information properties are safeguarded at all times.

Key EA Artifacts
The following key artifacts illustrated in the governmental department case study evaluation will be delivered in the next three months.

• SWOT Analysis: There will be detailed analysis of the GovDept internal and external factors as provided in the respective governmental department case study to understand the strengths and weaknesses associated with the department. This will ensure that the rest of the strategies can be effective developed[5].
• Logical & Physical data models: The data requirements and classifications for GovDept will be done and it will be represented using the logical and physical data models. These will enable the understanding of the applications and improvements that shall be made for effective data usage and management.
• Workplace Plan: The information developed within this governmental department case study analysis illustrates that it will be essential that the resource requirements for the implementation of EA and IT are done in an effective manner. There may be certain resources that may be present while there may be a few resources that GovDept may be required to hire. The workforce plan will be developed and submitted for the same.
• System performance matrix: The performance evaluation of the existing systems will be done and the outcomes will be represented in the form of the matrix.
• Organization Chart: The understanding of the organization hierarchy and resources will be needed so that the planning and implementation can be done accordingly.

Taxonomy of Documentations
As per the case scenario given in the governmental department case study, the documentations will be crucial to record the activities executed, provide the guidelines, and maintain a reference point for the resources and the stakeholders. The EA artifacts and documentations will be classified in the following categories.

The classification has been done on the basis of the contents of the documents and the specific relevance of the same for the organization explored in the governmental department case study. The primary category is the strategic goals and initiatives. The understanding and clarity on the goals and strategies will be crucial so that the rest of the plans and decisions can be effectively taken. The next will be business products and services that will include the detailed information on the GovDept businesses and applications[6]. The data and information details and mechanisms will be stored in the data & application-oriented documents and the next will be systems and applications to describe more about the individual applications that will be deployed. As per the readings of governmental department case study, the network architecture and infrastructure will also be crucial and it will be covered under the network and infrastructure documents. The security, standards, and workforce will comprise of the details around these three areas to serve as the guidelines for the management and the resources.

These documentations will allow the GovDept managers and the resources to make sure that the tracking of the information and the associated activities can be done in an effective way.

Operating Model

Operating Model

The operating model that has been selected in this governmental department case study is shown in the image above. This model has been selected for implementation because the integration of all the organization areas will be crucial. For example, the focus only on the IT and the technological developments will be of no use of the resources and the organization culture does not support the changes in the technology[7]. Similarly, the implementation of the tools and technology will not be successful if the decisions made are not effective and there are not enough government interactions. Therefore, the above operating model based on the given scenario of governmental department case study ensures that the integration of all the elements is done in an effective manner. The close integration will enhance the chances of success and will also make sure that the faults and issues, if any are detected in a timely manner. This will provide the ability to keep a track of the overall processes and it will also be possible to improve the quality at all times.

What is the major role of standard & landscapes in the given scenario of governmental department case study?
The standards play a significant role in the case of GovDept examined in the governmental department case study. The department is a government department and there are services of social nature that the department provides to the people. In all of the business activities and decisions that are taken at the organizational level, it is necessary that the standardization of the services is showcased.

With the lack of standards, it is stated in this governmental department case study analysis that there can be changes that may not be possible to control. For example, in the existing workflow that is followed at GovDept, there are certain activities that are executed and there is specific order in which these activities are carried out[8]. The IT and other changes that will be done in GovDept with the EA framework will impact the existing workflows. It will be essential that the effective handling of the changes is done else the probability of the risks and failures will increase. The use of standards will make sure that the chances of success are high.

IT Initiatives
There are a number of IT initiatives that will be taken and implemented at GovDept to make sure that the effective management of the organization and the services can be done basis the governmental department case study.

• There are a few issues related to the current data arranging, network arranging, investigation, and governance. The utilization and improvement of IT will be finished by actualizing a coordinated IT-based project management device. This apparatus will incorporate the automated handling of the GovDept projects and services and will incorporate the automated objective setting, benefit acknowledgment, estimations, asset and risks management, communication management, and so on.
• The next IT initiative that will be canvassed will be the IT governance apparatus. The monitoring of the data sets will be essential for successful management and use[9]. The utilization an automated governance apparatus will be done and it will likewise concentrate on the data backups and disaster recovery.
• Data is the central unit and is a noteworthy resource for GovDept. The data analytics and management is essential alongside its security. The Big Data usage will be done at GovDept with the goal that it might utilize data in a compelling way[10].
• The subsequent will be the data security management project in which the utilization of specialized security tools, for example, network security controls, anti-malware tools, and so forth will be done to improve the security of GovDept data sets. The execution of the network upgrade project will be done it will incorporate the network extension and the usage of mobile ad-hoc networks in the association.
• The IT initiatives will also include the design and implementation of the IT services. These will incorporate the customer support and relationship management services, supply chain handling, maintenance services, and following services[11]. These will be executed as the enhancements in the current workflows wherein the mechanization will be done in the potential regions and the general coordination will be done too.

EA Artifacts 
The essential category is the strategic goals and initiatives. The comprehension and clarity on the goals and systems will be critical with the goal that the remainder of the plans and choices can be viably taken. The following will be business products and services that will remember the point by point data for the GovDept businesses and applications. The data and data subtleties and instruments will be put away in the data and application-oriented documents and the following will be systems and applications to depict progressively about the individual applications that will be conveyed[12]. The network architecture and infrastructure will likewise be pivotal and it will be secured under the network and infrastructure documents. The security, standards, and workforce will contain the subtleties around these three territories to fill in as the rules for the management and the assets. These documentations will permit the GovDept chiefs and the assets to ensure that the management of the data and the related activities should be possible in a compelling manner. There will be some of the EA artifacts that will be submitted in the initial two or three months and the rest will follow.

There will be detailed analysis of the GovDept internal and external factors done to understand the strengths and weaknesses associated with the department based on the information provided in the governmental department case study. This will ensure that the rest of the strategies can be effective developed and will be submitted as the SWOT analysis artifact. The data models will be submitted as logical and physical models to understand the data classification and flow. It will be essential that the resource requirements for the implementation of EA and IT are done in an effective manner. There may be certain resources that may be present while there may be a few resources that GovDept may be required to hire. The workforce plan will be developed and submitted for the same. The system performance matrix and the organization chart will also be submitted[13].

Sub-types of Vision
There will be certain types of vision that will be used in the EA artifacts implementation as mentioned below within this governmental department case study analysis.

• The first will be the organization vision that will include the view of the entire organization as a single unit.
• The next will be the IT vision that will focus on the technical development and innovation.
• The third will be business vision that will include the perspective and viewpoints of the stakeholders.
• The fourth will be the architecture vision in which the architectural details will be focussed upon with the consideration and adherence to the standards.
• The last will be the security vision in which the data security and properties will be prioritized and managed[14].

Conclusion
It is concluded basis the overall governmental department case study analysis that GovDept is required to make certain changes in its existing infrastructure and these changes will come in the form of IT and non-IT changes. It will be essential that the implementation of the changes and modifications is done in an effective manner. The use of the EA artifacts and mechanisms will be done for the same. The IT roles and initiatives will be of a great value in the entire process. The relevance of the EA documentations and artifacts will also be significantly high. It will be necessary that the management of all of these is done in such a way that the overall IT management is done properly.

References
Azhar S, “The Relationship between Customer Knowledge and Customer Relationship Management Towards Service Quality in Malaysia” [2015] SSRN Electronic Journal

Bachoo A, “The Uncertain Path to Enterprise Architecture (EA) Maturity in the South African Financial Services Sector” [2018] governmental department case study The African Journal of Information and Communication 97

Bente S, Uwe Bombosch and Shailendra Langade, Collaborative Enterprise Architecture?: Enriching EA with Lean, Agile, and Enterprise 2.0 Practices (Morgan Kaufmann 2015)

Cater-Steel A, Information Technology Governance and Service Management?: Frameworks and Adaptations (Information Science Reference 2019)

Catlett C and Ghani R, “Big Data for Social Good” (2015) 3 Big Data 1

Glazner CG, “Enterprise Transformation Using a Simulation of Enterprise Architecture” (2016) 1 Journal of Enterprise Transformation 231

Hongying X, “The Application of Database Technology in Information Society and Its Existing Problems” (2017) 1 Big Data and Cloud Innovation

Hsueh L, “Corporations at a Crossroads: How Multilevel Governance Interactions Shape Participation and Effort in Private Governance Regimes” [2019] Governance

Hussein SS, Mahrin MN and Maarop N, “Sustainability through Innovations Of Enterprise Architecture (EA) in Public Sector’s Management: Issues & Challenges” [2017] Journal of Southeast Asian Research 1

Kotusev S, “Enterprise Architecture and Enterprise Architecture Artifacts: Questioning the Old Concept in Light of New Findings” (2019) 34 Journal of Information Technology 102

Masuda Y and others, “Architecture Board Practices in Adaptive Enterprise Architecture with Digital Platform” (2018) 14 International Journal of Enterprise Information Systems 1

Qumer Gill A and Atif Qureshi M, “Adaptive Enterprise Architecture Modelling” (2015) 10 governmental department case study Journal of Software 628

Tambouris E and others, “Fostering Enterprise Architecture Education and Training with the Enterprise Architecture Competence Framework” (2015) 16 International Journal of Training and Development 128

Woodworth P, A Reference Architecture for Enterprise Architecture?: According to EA3, Documented in EA3 (Phil Woodworth, Naremburn, A 2015)

[1] Surya Sumarni Hussein, Mohd Naz’ri Mahrin and Nurazean Maarop, “Sustainability through Innovations Of Enterprise Architecture (EA) in Public Sector’s Management: Issues & Challenges” [2017] Journal of Southeast Asian Research 1.

[2] Avsharn Bachoo, “The Uncertain Path to Enterprise Architecture (EA) Maturity in the South African Financial Services Sector” [2018] The African Journal of Information and Communication 97.

[3] Xia Hongying, “The Application of Database Technology in Information Society and Its Existing Problems” (2017) 1 Big Data and Cloud Innovation.

[4] Lily Hsueh, “Corporations at a Crossroads: How Multilevel Governance Interactions Shape Participation and Effort in Private Governance Regimes” [2019] Governance.

[5] Svyatoslav Kotusev, “Enterprise Architecture and Enterprise Architecture Artifacts: Questioning the Old Concept in Light of New Findings” (2019) 34 Journal of Information Technology 102.

[6] Stefan Bente, Uwe Bombosch and Shailendra Langade, Collaborative Enterprise Architecture?: Enriching EA with Lean, Agile, and Enterprise 2.0 Practices (Morgan Kaufmann 2015).

[7] Phil Woodworth, A Reference Architecture for Enterprise Architecture?: According to EA3, Documented in EA3 (Phil Woodworth, Naremburn, A 2015).

[8] Efthimios Tambouris and others, “Fostering Enterprise Architecture Education and Training with the Enterprise Architecture Competence Framework” (2015) 16 International Journal of Training and Development 128.

[9] Aileen Cater-Steel, Information Technology Governance and Service Management?: Frameworks and Adaptations (Information Science Reference 2019).

[10] Charlie Catlett and Rayid Ghani, “Big Data for Social Good” (2015) 3 Big Data 1.

[11] Shazeaa Azhar, “The Relationship between Customer Knowledge and Customer Relationship Management Towards Service Quality in Malaysia” [2015] SSRN Electronic Journal.

[12] Asif Qumer Gill and Muhammad Atif Qureshi, “Adaptive Enterprise Architecture Modelling” (2015) 10 Journal of Software 628.

[13] Yoshimasa Masuda and others, “Architecture Board Practices in Adaptive Enterprise Architecture with Digital Platform” (2018) 14 International Journal of Enterprise Information Systems 1.

[14] Christopher G Glazner, “Enterprise Transformation Using a Simulation of Enterprise Architecture” (2016) 1 Journal of Enterprise Transformation 231.