EA Office Establishment
Build the organizational home for architecture—clear mandate, right skills, governance sponsorship, and an operating rhythm that embeds EA into decision-making.
Why it matters
An EA practice only delivers value when it has visible sponsorship, defined services, the right mix of skills, and a governance forum that can enforce standards and arbitrate trade-offs. Without a formal office structure, architecture work becomes ad-hoc advice that projects can ignore. TOGAF® 10 emphasizes establishing an Architecture Capability (people, process, tools, governance) before running the ADM; for Saudi public entities, NORA expects a functioning EA unit as a prerequisite for lifecycle stages and accreditation.
How the EA Office is established
Charter & Mandate
Draft and approve an EA charter that states purpose, scope, decision rights, and escalation paths; secure executive sponsorship and link mandate to strategic objectives. (TOGAF® Architecture Capability guidance.)
Service Catalog
Define the services the EA office will provide—standards & patterns, solution reviews, roadmap input, technology radar, exception handling—and clarify what is out of scope.
Staffing & Skills Plan
Identify roles (Chief Architect, Domain Architects, Repository Analyst, etc.), competencies, and sourcing approach (hire, train, contract); map skills to TOGAF® and ArchiMate® proficiency levels.
Governance Board Setup
Establish or formalize an Architecture Review Board (ARB) with terms of reference, membership, meeting cadence, and decision-logging templates. (TOGAF® governance concepts.)
Operating Model & Processes
Document how demand flows in (intake), how reviews happen (stage-gate or continuous), how decisions are recorded, and how the repository is kept current.
Tooling & Repository Foundations
Select or confirm EA tooling (e.g., iServer, ARIS, Alfabet); define metamodel basics, naming conventions, and initial catalog structure so the office can start capturing architecture assets.
Performance Framework
Set KPIs for the EA office (e.g., standards adoption rate, review cycle time, reuse index, stakeholder satisfaction) and link to a simple dashboard.
Communication & Change Management
Launch internal comms (stakeholder map, awareness sessions, intranet presence) to position the EA office and clarify how teams engage with it.
Public-Sector Alignment (as needed)
For government entities, map the office setup to NORA expectations and readiness criteria; ensure governance signals are in place for future accreditation.
What you get
EA Charter & Mandate: Approved document stating purpose, scope, authority, and executive sponsorship.
Service Catalog: Clear list of EA services, engagement model, and SLAs.
Staffing & Skills Plan: Role definitions, competency matrix, and sourcing roadmap.
ARB Terms of Reference: Governance board setup with membership, cadence, and decision templates.
Operating Procedures: Intake, review, decision-logging, and repository-update workflows.
Tooling Foundations: Configured EA repository with starter metamodel and catalogs.
Performance Dashboard: KPIs and reporting mechanism for EA office effectiveness.
Launch & Comms Pack: Stakeholder map, awareness materials, and engagement playbook.
Ready to establish your EA Office?
Let's discuss how we can help you build a well-governed, TOGAF®-aligned Enterprise Architecture function.
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