Organizational Transformation: Enterprise Architecture Value Needs to Be Measured and Reported
Abstract
According to OMB, the federal executive branch plans to spend at least $75 billion on information technology (IT) investments in fiscal year 2012. In response to a statute which mandates that GAO identify duplicative activities within federal agencies, GAO previously identified enterprise architecture as a mechanism for reducing duplication and overlap in investments. An architecture is a blueprint that describes how an organization operates in terms of business processes and technology, how it intends to operate in the future, and how it plans to transition to the future state. Knowing whether architecture outcomes are being achieved requires defining the architectures goals, establishing a method and metrics to measure architecture outcomes, and periodically measuring and reporting these outcomes. To assess agencies use of architecture as a mechanism for reducing duplication and overlap, GAO committed to determine the extent to which agencies are measuring and reporting architecture outcomes and benefits. To do this, GAO reviewed relevant documentation from 27 major federal agencies, reviewed the results of a GAO survey on the benefits of using architecture, and interviewed agency officials. GAO is making recommendations to the agencies and OMB to improve measurement and reporting of architecture outcomes. In commenting on a draft of this report, OMB and most of the agencies generally agreed with the findings and recommendations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- AD1180466
Entities
People
- Catherine Hurley
- Cheryl Dottermusch
- Donald Sebers
- James Houtz
- Jennifer Stavros-turner
- Kelly Dodson
- Lee Mccracken
- Mark Bird
- Merry Woo
- Michael Holland
- Neelaxi Lakhmani
- Stuart Kaufman
- Tyler Mountjoy
- Valerie C. Melvin
- Virginia Chanley
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office