EA Strategy
Building a shared vision for business and IT challenges and future requirements, and aligning EA practice with entity direction, digital transformation, cybersecurity, data, and emerging technologies.
What EA strategy is
EA strategy means creating a clear picture of the entity’s main business and IT challenges and requirements—current and future—and understanding related transformation strategies (business, automation, data, cybersecurity, emerging tech such as AI). The aim is to set strategic directions for the EA practice in line with the entity’s overall direction.
Why EA strategy matters
Defining an EA strategy helps to:
Reach a shared agreement on the goals and aspirations for applying EA in the entity and how they support the entity’s objectives.
Keep EA aligned with strategic directions and initiatives such as digital transformation, data management, and cybersecurity strategies.
Improve the operational efficiency of the EA practice by focusing efforts on the entity’s strategic priorities.
EA strategy house (main components)
Vision
Sample: Organizational excellence and digital leadership through clear, flexible enterprise architecture.
Mission
Sample: Provide a framework, standards, and technical solutions that support decision-making and spending efficiency.
Inputs / data sources
Strategy development relies on the following inputs (per DGA guide):
Entity business strategy and transformation plans (vision, mission, objectives, pillars) to understand where the entity is heading and align the EA strategy accordingly.
List of adopted strategies in the entity (digital transformation, cybersecurity, data management, IT, etc.).
Results of the DGA digital transformation measurement report to understand strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations for maturity, especially the EA criterion.
DGA digital reference frameworks and national strategic indicators to map and link to EA practice targets.
Steps to build the EA strategy
Review assessment results
Analyse current state
Benchmarking study
Analyse strategic directions in the entity
Align with national digital directions
Build the strategy house
Expected outputs
Main output: Strategic directions for the EA practice (EA strategy document).
EA scope at strategic level
The team defines entity coverage, EA domains in scope, depth per domain, and the time horizon of the strategy.
Entity coverage (e.g. whole entity, IT only, headquarters).
EA domains in scope (business, data, applications, technology, security, user experience).
Depth (e.g. logical level for all domains, conceptual for business, physical for technology).
Time horizon (e.g. two years, three years).
Strategic EA KPIs
The team defines strategic KPIs and links them to EA objectives. Examples: share of EA elements analysed with cost-reduction solutions; share of ideas and technologies that improved beneficiary experience; share of improvements to EA work; number of workshops and awareness sessions.
EA strategy document contents (checklist)
The document should include: introduction to EA strategy; inputs and data sources; strengths and weaknesses analysis; benchmarking (if any); alignment with entity strategies and goal mapping; alignment with national digital directions; sequencing of goals across business, DT, and EA strategies; strategy house; EA scope; strategic KPIs linked to objectives.