The go-to guide for structuring your architecture review board is the industry standard enterprise architecture framework, TOGAF®. The Open Group made the TOGAF Framework up of essential scaffolding and guides that bring it to like. The TOGAF Library's Enterprise Architecture Governance Guide This is essentially a high-level method guide for designing, planning, implementing, and governing enterprise architectures.

Review boards are a vital part of the governing process within TOGAF. As you develop your enterprise architecture team, you should develop your enterprise architecture review board. Start with the best-practices already outlined for you in the TOGAF Standard's Enterprise Architecture Governance Guide. This will help you in your approach.

Of course, how your architecture review board is structured should be based on the needs of your organization.

Pay close attention to your organization’s size and current processes. For example, you might need to create two separate governing bodies that are unique to both global and local governance.

Typically, the optimum size of an enterprise architecture review board is about 4-5 members. Never to exceed 10. We should make the board up of people with sufficient judgment to assess the target architecture and compliance assessments following the enterprise architecture governance checklists. Look for a nice range of diversity in mindset, background, and experience. They will need to understand who has decision-making authority and be able to assess whether the decision makers understand risk, benefit and change. We often use the SABSA Domain Framework to test the quality of representation.

Five Goals for an Architecture Review Board

When you are starting your journey to adopt a modern Architecture Review Board, aim for the five goals for a successful Architecture Review Boards are:

1. Ensure the enterprise architecture team is can guide effective change
2. Ensure Target Architecture development addresses the enterprise’s deficiencies
3. Ensure stakeholders approved the target architecture
4. Ensure change leaders deliver the expected benefits within their constraints
5. Ensure the enterprise architecture governance system functions efficiently

Features of a modern Architecture Review Board

A modern Architecture Review Board will:

• Be based on decentralized decision making
• Leverage principle-based superior architecture
• Maintain Digital Transformation required Integration & Data standards
• Facilitate Enabling IT standards
• Linkage to all levels of agile development
• Focus on issues that cross authority boundaries
• Empowering creativity and innovation from implementation teams

Enterprise Architecture Governance Checklists

The architecture review board holds a wide range of governance responsibilities. Below is a checklist for you to implement so you can make sure you’re on target.

Target Enterprise Architecture Governance Checklist

1. Were the correct stakeholders identified? Yes/No
   o If yes, proceed
   o If not, send direct the architect to engage with the stakeholders appropriate to the architecture being developed
2. Were constraints and guidance from superior architecture considered? Yes/No
   o If yes, proceed
   o If not, either exercise Architecture Governance change, relief and enforcement, or direct the architect to consider guidance and constraints from superior architecture
3. Do subject matter experts agree with the facts and interpretation of the facts in the architecture? Yes/No
   o If yes, proceed
   o If not, either direct the architect to engage with the subject matter experts or develop a recommendation for the Stakeholders that they should have limitations in confidence
4. Do any constraints or guidance produced reflect the Views produced for stakeholders and any underpinning architecture models and analysis? Yes/No
   o If yes, proceed
   o If not, direct the architect to do their job
5. Do the Views produced for the Stakeholders reflect their Concerns and reflect any underpinning architecture models and analysis? Yes/No
   o If yes, proceed to the Stakeholders for approval
   o If not, direct the architect to develop Views
6. Do the Stakeholders understand the Value, and any uncertainty in achieving the Value, provided by reaching the target state? Yes/No
   o If yes, proceed
   o If not, direct the architect to develop Views and return to the Stakeholders
7. Do the Stakeholders understand the work necessary to reach the target state and any uncertainty in successfully accomplishing the work? Yes/No
   o If yes, proceed
   o If not, direct the architect to develop Views and return to the Stakeholders
8. Do the Stakeholders understand any limitations in confidence they should have in the target architecture? Yes/No
   o If yes, proceed
   o If not, direct the architect to develop Views and return to the Stakeholders
9. Has the Stakeholders approved the Views? Yes/No
   o If yes, publish the enterprise architecture in the enterprise architecture repository as approved target architecture.
   o If not, the Enterprise Architecture Board should decide either to direct the architect to re-work the architecture or cancel the architecture initiative

In Closing...

An enterprise architecture outlines the path to improve an organization to overcome shortfalls in its execution. With an architecture review board, companies that are insufficiently agile, or need to expand to a new market, or are making a digital transformation process – all benefit from governance throughout the processes.

At Conexiam, we’re a boutique shop with experience in multiple industry verticals across the US, Canada, Africa and the Middle East. Conexiam has established a sound practice of developing architecture predictably.

Understanding the purpose of the architecture engagement, and what information they require, allows Conexiam to tailor the architecture deliverables. Conexiam has developed a Predictable EA approach using fixed periods of time with known deliverables and work product.