Architecture Repository/Process/Maturity model
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Maturity model
[edit]The architecture maturity model defines and rates architecture capabilities within a progression from initial to optimizing.
Last updated: 2023-06-14 by APaskulin (WMF)
Status: Deprecated
Dashboard
[edit]Architecture process Discussions and decisions |
Architecture development System documentation |
Architecture governance Heuristics and standards |
Architecture communication Engagement and updates |
Organizational linkage Collaboration across teams |
Senior leadership involvement Transparency and accountability |
Team & cross-functional participation Iteration and improvement |
Community participation Feedback and testing |
Capability maturity model
[edit]Capability | Maturity 1 - Initial | Maturity 2 - Developing | Maturity 3 - Defined | Maturity 4 - Managed | Maturity 5 - Optimizing |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Architecture process |
Processes are feature-focused, ad hoc and siloed. Most focus strictly on software enhancement. There is no unified architecture process between product and engineering teams. Success depends on individual efforts (martyr culture). |
Current level
Architecture process is documented. There are clear roles and responsibilities inside the architecture team and among key stakeholders. |
The architecture process is well defined and largely followed. | The architecture process is part of the culture. Quality metrics are captured and shared. | There are concerted, effective cross-functional efforts to optimize the architecture process. |
Architecture development | Architecture processes, documentation, and standards are established by a variety of ad hoc means and are localized or informal. | Architectural principles, organizational linkages and a systems view of a target architecture are identified. Architecture standards exist but are not necessarily linked to a target architecture. | Current level
Gap analysis, modeling and iterative strategy for reaching a target architecture are completed. |
Architecture artifacts are updated regularly and the depth of architectural models increases to include data, software, component relationships, tools, etc. | The architectural development process itself triggers new and innovative alternative approaches to previously-entrenched challenges. |
Architecture governance | No explicit governance of architectural standards or system-level patterns. | Governance of a few architectural standards and patterns is adopted and there is some adherence to them. | Current level
Explicitly-documented governance of the majority of system changes. |
Governance of all system changes. Formal processes for resolving tradeoffs feed back into the architecture process. | Organization-wide feedback on governance improves the standards in valuable ways. |
Architecture communication | The latest version of most architecture documents are on the web. Little communication exists about the architecture process. | Architecture documents are shared periodically and are used to document architecture deliverables. They have a loose, non-navigable structure | Current level
Architecture documents exist in an explicit, navigable structure that expresses the emerging architecture. These documents are updated regularly by people outside of the architecture team. |
Architecture documents are created, included and frequently reviewed by anyone in the organization involved in technology development. | Architecture documents are used by every decision-maker in the organization for every organizational decision that depends on technology. |
Organizational linkage | Minimal or implicit linkage between organizational goals and systems architecture practices. | Explicit linkage between organizational goals and systems architecture practices. | Systems architecture practices inform organizational goals. | Current level
Systems architecture practices anticipate and enhance organizational goals. |
Systems architecture practices generate emerging organizational goals that were not previously possible or conceived. |
Senior leadership involvement | Limited management team awareness of or support for the architecture process. | Management awareness of and limited support for architecture effort. | Senior management team aware of and supportive of the system-level architecture process. Management actively supports and encourages architectural standards. | Current level
Senior management team directly involved in the architecture review process. |
Senior management involvement optimizes architecture development and governance. |
Team and cross-functional participation | Limited acceptance of the architecture process. | Current level
Some acceptance of the architecture process and some work is underway. |
Most staff members accept or are actively participating in the architecture process. | The wider community accepts and actively participates in the architecture process. | Feedback on architecture process is used to drive architecture process improvements. |
Community participation | Current level
Community is unaware of the architecture process or need for architectural development. |
Community is aware of architecture process and begins discussing need for architectural development. | Community engages in the architecture process and adopts architectural governance when planning changes. | Community contributes meaningfully to architectural development. | Community innovates in valuable, unanticipated ways because of architectural processes and development. |
Architecture development
[edit]is an integration of ... | expressed as ... |
---|---|
discussions / decisions and the space where the systems architecture is being expressed | architecture grows beyond a series of discussions into a (digital) space where target architectures, system models, ideas, initiatives, patterns and heuristics are emerging. |
Architecture governance
[edit]is an integration of ... | expressed as ... |
---|---|
shorter term decisions and the target architecture / system as a whole | governance heuristics that are standards followed as best practice and establish a well-designed system (infused by conceptual integrity) |
Architecture communication
[edit]is an integration of ... | expressed as ... |
---|---|
architecture space and people | Leadership and teams engage with the architecture space, receive regular updates and use the tools daily, as part of the culture. |
Organizational linkage
[edit]is an integration of ... | expressed as ... |
---|---|
organizational goals and product with technology | Product and technology work as an integrated team with other subject matter experts (SMEs) to deliver the highest-value outcomes during the architecture process |
Senior leadership involvement
[edit]is an integration of ... | expressed as ... |
---|---|
the priorities of senior / executive management and the architecture under development | Effective rituals of demoing and gathering feedback that increase the value of tradeoffs and deliver a trustworthy and transparent architectural change management process |
Team and cross-functional participation
[edit]is an integration of ... | expressed as ... |
---|---|
engineering and architecture | Engineering decisions and initiatives connect to the architecture space, where iterative architectural improvements and refinements continue during development |
Community participation
[edit]is an integration of ... | expressed as ... |
---|---|
users and architecture | a structured process, relying on community subject matter experts, for gathering user feedback, testing assumptions and iteratively introducing architectural change to the community |
Levels of maturity
[edit]0 | None | No architecture to speak of |
---|---|---|
1 | Initial | Informal processes, usually disintegrated |
2 | Developing | Architectural processes are developing |
3 | Defined | Architectural artifacts give “definition” to the system and architectural processes |
4 | Managed | Architectural processes are managed (part of daily life) and measured |
5 | Optimizing | Continuous improvement of architectural processes |
Resources
[edit]Architecture Maturity Models - The Open Group Architecture Framework