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Maturity model

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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

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Architecture process
2/5 marks

Discussions and decisions

Architecture development
3/5 marks

System documentation

Architecture governance
3/5 marks

Heuristics and standards

Architecture communication
3/5 marks

Engagement and updates

Organizational linkage
4/5 marks

Collaboration across teams

Senior leadership involvement
4/5 marks

Transparency and accountability

Team & cross-functional participation
2/5 marks

Iteration and improvement

Community participation
1/5 marks

Feedback and testing

Capability maturity model

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Architecture Maturity Models - The Open Group Architecture Framework