Under the national methodology, the EA team plans stakeholder engagement around decision-making authority and impact level, then sets communication channels and formality, frequency and timing, and the level of information to share with each stakeholder according to their role.
In brief
Where this page sits: stakeholder engagement for the EA practice (operating-model layer), using the NORA stakeholder framing.
Engaging stakeholders from organisational units inside and outside the entity is part of every stage of the EA development cycle.
Studying stakeholders covers their authority to make decisions and the level of impact they have on the change.
Engagement planning rests on four points: frequency and timing of engagement, channels and level of formality, and the level of information shared with each stakeholder.
The team picks the right channel - meeting, workshop, or survey - based on the number and mix of stakeholders and the topics on the table.
Stakeholders and suitable communication means
Stakeholders
Communication means
Senior management of the entity
Meetings to approve the development cycle scope and charter, plus periodic, high-formality reports to approve future strategic directions and the roadmap.
Business and technology stakeholders inside the entity
Detailed meetings and workshops with the Chief Enterprise Architect and domain architects to collect data and confirm requirements.
Relevant organisational units inside the entity
Sharing data-collection templates for them to fill in and return, or running workshops and meetings to work out the data needed.
External stakeholders
Communication shaped around the relationship and the goal of the engagement, with the level of information to share decided up front.
How to plan stakeholder engagement
01
Identify the stakeholders in scope
Study and identify the stakeholders covered by the scope of the EA components development cycle, both inside and outside the entity.
02
Study decision-making authority
Work out each stakeholder authority to make decisions on changes to EA components - clarifying this removes ambiguity and keeps approvals from getting stuck.
03
Determine the impact level
Understand the nature of the stakeholder impact on the change and secure their cooperation and readiness for it.
04
Set engagement frequency and timing
Decide when and how often each stakeholder is engaged, balancing the flow of their input with the cycle schedule.
05
Choose channels and level of formality
Pick suitable channels (direct meetings, workshops, surveys, and so on) and set the level of formality based on the type of information and the role.
06
Define the level of information
Decide what level of information and detail to share with each stakeholder, in line with their authority and degree of involvement.
Wrap-up
Key takeaway
The EA team picks the channel that fits best - direct meetings, workshops, or surveys - to capture stakeholders needs and requirements accurately, based on how many stakeholders there are, how varied they are, and what is on the agenda.
