Back to NORA

What is NORA?

NORA is the national reference for adopting EA practice in Saudi Arabia.

NORA is the single national reference from DGA for adopting EA practice in the Kingdom. Controls by maturity and full guidance.

NORA in brief

6
domains
10
NORA stages
1
DGA

Reference

The national reference for adopting EA practice in the Kingdom

Domains

Six domains: business, user experience, applications, data, technology, security

Methodology

National methodology with clear phases and an EA component development cycle

Governance

EA Governance Committee linked to the Digital Transformation Committee

Maturity

Maturity levels and application controls from DGA

Authority

Digital Government Authority (DGA)

Why NORA?

A single national reference for Enterprise Architecture
Clear application controls and maturity levels
A national methodology with defined development phases
Reference models for each of the six domains
Governance and committees linked to the Digital Transformation Committee

Framework components

Guidance documents

The framework includes controls by maturity and broad guidance. EA practice outputs (NORA Requirements) include 20 documents, 8 reports, 4 decisions, minutes, evidence, and other files (guides, application controls, national methodology, general component model, reference models, governance).

Controls and maturity levels

What to do at each maturity level so you can see where you stand and improve.

Guides that cover all components

All framework components covered: the general component model, reference models, and governance.

Framework definition

Goal

NORA helps organisations set up, run, and improve their EA practice and its components.

In one line

One national reference · Controls by maturity · Guidance documents
Application controls by maturity level
Guidance covering all framework components
Single reference for government and national companies
EA component development cycle: In NORA this means the ongoing process of developing EA components (from cycle scope to roadmap), not a training course. Training programmes that teach how to apply the framework are described on a separate page.

NORA framework objectives

NORA aims to give entities a clear, complete way to adopt EA practice in line with current developments and the Kingdom's digital landscape.

1

Unified reference

One national reference for designing and running EA practice in entities
2

Controls by maturity

What to do at each maturity level so you can see where you stand
3

Practical guidance

Guidance covering methodology, establishing practice, reference models, and governance

Document purpose

The purpose of this document is to describe and elaborate on the National Overall Reference Architecture (NORA) as a guide for government agencies to develop their Enterprise Architecture, and to describe, to some extent, how NORA is linked to the National EA Framework (NEA).

National Enterprise Architecture Framework (NEA)

The National Enterprise Architecture Framework (NEA) is a core element of national digital government and is designed to support a federated approach to Enterprise Architecture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It supports the identification of reusable components and services and provides a basis for improving IT investment. It also enables more cost- and time-effective delivery of e-services through a repository of standards, principles, and reference models that help design and deliver services for citizens, residents, businesses, and inter-government collaboration.

NORA and the National EA Framework

NORA is the DGA guideline for the National Overall Reference Architecture and is linked to the National EA Framework (NEA). The document describes how NORA is used as a guide for entities to develop their EA and align it with the national framework.

NORA goals

NORA goals (DGA guideline section 1.3):

1

Goal 1

Define the scope and requirements of EA in government agencies
2

Goal 2

Help agencies implement EA well
3

Goal 3

Better EA outputs through clear processes and guidance
4

Goal 4

Align agency EA with national architecture and digital transformation plans
5

Goal 5

Spread EA use and build skills across government

NORA objectives

Objectives of the guideline (section 1.5): guide agencies, speed up EA development with quality outputs, and ensure EA is aligned with digital transformation and IT plans.

Guide

To guide government agencies in their development of EAs

Speed & Quality

To speed up EA development with quality outputs

Alignment

To ensure EA in government agencies is aligned with their digital transformation and IT plans

Features of NORA

From the NORA guideline (section 1.4):

Written from government agencies' perspective as a guide for EA development
All stages in the EA lifecycle are described in some detail to give agencies clarity
Balanced approach focusing on both processes and the production of standard artifacts or deliverables
Examples and example outputs are provided to aid understanding
Highly customizable to suit the varied requirements of different government agencies

Why do agencies develop EA?

Top reasons for embarking on the EA journey (NORA guideline section 1.6):

Implementing the digital transformation roadmap

Optimising IT investments and reducing IT costs

Aligning IT to government business

Standardising and interoperating services, applications, data, and infrastructure

Role of the Digital Government Authority

From its mandate to regulate digital government and steer government entities toward best practice and sustainable digital transformation in line with Vision 2030, DGA developed the National EA Framework to reflect current developments in EA and to raise maturity in government and national companies. The National EA Framework is linked to the regulatory framework for digital government, which includes policies, controls, standards, and guidance that incorporate NORA outputs. NORA includes outputs for designing and implementing EA practice so that entities can adopt a clear, complete mechanism with sufficient detail, in line with the latest developments and the Kingdom's digital landscape.

Document reference

National Overall Reference Architecture (NORA) guideline. Document type: Guideline. Document number: DGA-1-2-1-212, Version 1.0, 2 January 2024. Digital Government Authority (DGA).

Related topics

Six EA domains

National methodology

Governance & committees