Dr. Pallab Saba’s paper, “Digital transformation and the role of enterprise architecture”, provides great insights on how digital services and applications can be key enablers of digital transformation for government services and how Enterprise Architecture (EA) is central to success in this area. He lists eight high-level building blocks that together can lead in an end-to-end development cycle to transformational citizen-centric digital services. These interrelated and interdependent building blocks are: strategy, digital platform, value delivery ecosystem, digital service attributes, digital enterprise architecture, institutions and governance, citizen insights and delivery capabilities.
Of course, a foundational building block is digital enterprise architecture, which is a “whole-of-government approach to support government ecosystems by transcending boundaries to deliver services in a coordinated, efficient and equitable manner.” It is critical to help derive the requirements that will define transformation digital services. Another key building block, dependent on the use of effective enterprise architecture, is a digital platform, which is a “repository of business, data, application and technology components (reusable building blocks and distinct interfaces) that allow for rapid design, development, deployment and delivery of digital services.” It is the foundation on which to “accelerate innovation in integrated and interoperable digital solutions, enabling government to achieve its goals” with reduced risks in a more predictable, efficient and cost-effective manner.
The new U.S. Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO), in Congressional testimony from August 2020, noted how “putting customers first and improving the customer experience for internal and external customers that interact with the [agency is paramount].” She further emphasizes the importance of “digital workflows, increased self-service capabilities, and the ability to access these capabilities using mobile devices” in a secure, safe, and private way “by using modern, cloud-based IT solutions that are innovative, simple to use and flexible.”
What she did not point to as central at all in her thinking was Enterprise Architecture, so we may not see that as something high on her list of priorities as Federal CIO, instead emphasizing FITARA (the Federal IT Acquisition and Reform Act), on which CIOs are graded.
In terms of strategic direction, she will definitely be promoting digital modernization, especially given that her previous position was with the U.S. Digital Services, where she worked on the Digital Services Team at the Department of Veterans Affairs after 20 years with WebMD. She will surely be advocating that all agencies modernize their digital services to meet demanding customer needs so everyone should become familiar with the https://playbook.cio.gov/.
Given her very limited experience as a CIO or in the Federal Government, however, EA Principals encourages that successful Enterprise Architects in the private sector and government encourage her and all CIOs in the Federal Government, as well as the Government Accountability Office (GAO), to make Enterprise Architecture a key enabler of the digital modernization we all are seeking.
Authored by Dr. Steve Else, Chief Architect & Principal Instructor