Enterprise Architecture Executive Handbook - U.S. Coast Guard

Enterprise Architecture Overview
Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a way of helping leaders view business and technical information in a
simple way. When complexity is simplified, the value of the underlying information is visible and
executives can make decisions to improve efficiency and effectiveness. EA provides the information
needed by decision-makers to identify both redundancies and gaps in capability among organizational
units.
More formally, EA is the practice of aligning Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and
Information Technology (C4&IT) requirements to mission and performance goals.
The following definitions of EA, as provided by other guiding organizations, support the USCG definition
of EA while providing insight into EA implementation throughout the Federal government.
• Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) Practice Guidance, Nov 2007: EA is a management
practice that maximizes the contribution of an agency’s resources, IT investments, and system
development activities to achieve its performance goals. Architecture describes clear relationships
from strategic goals and objectives through investments to measurable performance improvements for
the entire enterprise or segment of the enterprise.
• Chief Information Officers (CIO) Council, 2001: EA establishes a roadmap to achieve an agency’s
mission through optimal performance of its core business processes within an efficient information
technology environment. Simply stated, enterprise architectures are ‘blueprints’ for systematically and
completely defining an organization’s current (baseline) or desired (target or to-be) environment.
• Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework, Sept 1999: The Federal Enterprise Architecture is a
strategic information asset base that defines the business, information necessary to operate the
business, technologies necessary to support the business operations, and transitional processes for
implementing new technologies in response to the changing needs of the business.
• Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130: An EA is the explicit description and
documentation of the current and desired relationships among business and management processes
and information technology. This definition supports the approach of optimizing the organization’s
structure and business processes before making IT investments.
Figure 1: Three-part EA Program
Figure 1: Three Stage EA Diagram
An EA includes an As-Is EA, a To-Be (Target) EA, and an Enterprise Transition Plan, as depicted in
Figure 1.
6