Reference Models & Guidance
One national reference model per domain, plus DGA guides for establishing practice, sectoral offices, and maturity measurement.
National reference models are the basis for consistent structure and building blocks across entities. Guidance covers establishing practice and sectoral model development.
Why reference models?
One national reference model per domain, issued by DGA
Basis for consistent EA outputs across entities
Guidance covers establishing practice, sectoral offices, maturity, and governance
National reference models
One national reference model per domain, issued by the Digital Government Authority and used as the basis for consistent EA outputs across entities:
Business architecture
User (beneficiary) experience architecture
Applications architecture
Data architecture
Technology architecture
Security architecture
Business & User Experience
Applications & Data
Technology & Security
NEA reference models (NORA guideline section 7)
Objectives of the NEA reference models: provide whole-of-government structured information on IT and business landscapes; provide effective views for stakeholders; and provide a reference for agencies to review and design their own models. The five models and their relationships:
PRM — Performance Reference Model (PRM): outcome-focused measurement framework; sets performance standards for government and thus for the other models
BRM — Business Reference Model (BRM): classification of business functions for the whole of government; drives the Application, Data, and Technology reference models
ARM — Application Reference Model (ARM): categorisation of application systems, components, and interfaces; supports BRM in delivering business outcomes
DRM — Data Reference Model (DRM): classifies data and defines standard data structures; supplies data and information to ARM
TRM — Technology Reference Model (TRM): classifies technologies and standards; supports DRM, ARM, and agency staff (personal and office technologies). Agencies may have additional models (e.g. security, service, infrastructure).
Reference model detail (applications and data)
National reference model for applications architecture
Layers in the national applications architecture reference model:
Access layer
Administrative and organisational business applications layer
Core business applications layer
Supporting business applications layer
Integration applications layer
Data applications layer
Infrastructure applications layer
Information security applications layer
National reference model for data architecture
Data architecture components and their relationships: data vault, data entity, data attributes. The model also covers data entities linked to business capabilities, data exchange patterns, and capabilities for the data lifecycle.
Summary of the DGA reference models building guide
The guide describes for each domain: overall landscape, detailed components, and application guidance. Below is a summary of the guide content by domain.
Business architecture
Business capabilities in the reference model fall into three types:
Administrative and organisational: strategic planning, governance, risk and compliance, and performance monitoring.
Core capabilities: the entity’s main tasks and reason for being (licensing, inspection, services). Developed by sectoral EA offices per sector.
Supporting capabilities: operational (facilities, contracts, human capital) and enabling (IT, research and studies).
User (beneficiary) experience architecture
Components: beneficiary, beneficiary persona, beneficiary journey. External beneficiary categories: individuals (C), business (B), government entities (G), non-profit sector, international organisations. Internal: entity staff.
Data architecture
Three core elements: data entities linked to business capabilities (conceptual level); data exchange patterns (web services, ETL/ELT, GSN, GSB); and capabilities for the data lifecycle (acquisition to disposal).
Technology architecture
Seven layers: data centre facilities, networks, computing, storage, infrastructure services, endpoints, infrastructure management and monitoring.
Security architecture
Eight layers: infrastructure security, data security, application security, endpoint security, identity and access management, vulnerability and threat management, security operations and incident response, governance risk and compliance.
Expected outputs
Document all six domain reference models in a single document covering: overall landscape and component detail for business architecture; representation and detail for user experience; overview and layer/capability detail for applications, data, technology, and security architectures.
Building reference models
The DGA guideline for building EA reference models describes for each domain: the overall component landscape, detailed components, and guidance for application. Entities use it to build or evolve their reference models in line with the national framework.
The DGA building guide covers all six domains: business, user experience, applications, data, technology, and security. See the guidance documents for full detail.
Guidance documents
DGA-issued guides covering practice establishment, sectoral offices, sectoral models, maturity measurement, and governance:
Establishing EA practice
Establishing sectoral EA offices
Developing sectoral reference models
Measuring EA maturity
Governance of the national EA framework
Developing terms and specifications for EA practice