The purpose of the Federal Enterprise Architecture and reference models
The Clinger Cohen Act (CCA) requires agencies to have an Information Technology Architecture which enables them to evolve or maintain information technology and acquiring new information technology to achieve the agencies strategic goals and information resources management goals. The CCA Information Technology Architecture concept was expanded to an EA, which includes the description of the business processes in OMB A-130 guidance.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) to facilitate efforts to transform the Federal Government to one that is citizen-centered, results-oriented, and market-based.
Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA)
A set of interrelated reference models form the core of the Federal Enterprise Architecture, as shown in the figure below.
OMB has released five reference models: the Service Reference Model (SRM), the Technical Reference Model (TRM), Performance Reference Model (PRM), and the Data Reference Model (DRM). Each provides a hierarchy of the taxonomy of information that government agencies should be building their architecture against. The example below is of the TRM Hierarchy Diagram.
The models are designed to enable cross-agency analysis, identify overlaps among systems, and uncover opportunities for collaboration within and across Federal agencies. In particular, the Reference Models help the Federal government better allocate IT funding by ensuring that it is in support of federal initiatives and focused on agency core missions. Comparisons between the models developed by different agencies will help OMB minimize or eliminate duplicative IT investments as agencies submit Exhibit 300s for large capital investments. Similarly, the FEA Reference Models provide the agencies themselves with the same opportunity as OMB to better allocate internal IT funding.
Nearly every department, agency and bureau within the federal government faces the same issues as OMB: to make IT investment decisions that support the processes and goals of the department. By applying the FEA Reference Models at the department and agency/bureau level, a department can potentially align internal IT investments with its core mission and eliminate investment overlaps and gaps across portions of their organization.
The overall result will be a sustainable capability to provide government services to citizens more efficiently and effectively.
Using the reference model hierarchies
The FEA reference models have significantly impacted enterprise architecture efforts across the federal government. Specifically, agencies are now focusing their attention on mapping their activities, services and technology to the released models from OMB, not only to be compliant with Exhibit 300, but to reap the benefits of understanding the interplay between process, technology and capability.
Each agency must determine how typical EA elements such as process and strategy, and non-IT resources such as roles and organization should be integrated with the reference models.
OMB EA assessment
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) conducts an annual assessment of the Enterprise Architecture for each agency. The EA assessment documents are available at:
Using iRMA and the explicit and implied reference models
FEA reference models are supported in System Architect by a set of models and its associated objects. Each model represents a hierarchy diagram, which consists of objects, and the underlying definitions. The relationships among the definitions are derived from the OMB Reference Model documentation and from the XML and XSD files that have been released by the OMB.
•The Business Reference Model, Service Component Reference Model, Performance Reference Model, and Technical Reference Model are supported by hierarchy diagrams in System Architect.
•The implicit Domains are derived from the Reference Model documentation along with the Exhibits 300 and 53 with their structure determined accordingly.
The integrated Reference Model Architect TM solution helps you effectively implement the FEA reference models, and generate the reference model sections of the Exhibit-300. iRMA enables you to:
•automatically import the XML file that reflects the latest Office of Management & Budget (OMB) Reference models.
•automatically generate the reference model hierarchy diagrams.
•align your architecture with the reference models.
•automatically generate Exhibit-300/53 output reports from repository information into Microsoft Word table format. These reports are for the BRM, PRM, SRM and TRM, and are generated in exact E300 format. The tables output can be pasted into the appropriate sections of the E300.
•run consistency reports for Exhibit 300/53 and enterprise architecture repository data validation.
