Powerful Icons of Change

Tank Man – The Unknown Rebel

Romeo Juliet of Sarajevo

Lovers of Sarajevo Admira Ismić (born 1968) and Boško Brkić (born 1968)

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/Bosnia/updates/9604/10/

Game Theory : The essence of Enterprise Architecture is about establishing a “Dominant Strategy”

The essence of Enterprise Architecture is about establishing a “Dominant Strategy” that best drives reaching ‘economy of scale’. The economy of scale will apply to each of the architecture design decision reached. The set of design decisions that leads the architecture planning from strategy to tactical and from tactical to execution needs to converge to a dominant strategy engaging all the stake holders lead by a cohesive mechanism of Governance.

The main goal of the Governance, is to lead the dialogue that an enterprise riddled with complexities is engaged in  towards a -“Dominant Strategy”. In many ways the array of events that Governance trigers while working towards converging the decisions to a cohesive set of results is similar to that studied in Game Theory.

When Scarcity arises – Economics is Hot

Dominant Strategy

A strategy is dominant if, regardless of what any other players do, the strategy earns a player a larger payoff than any other. Hence, a strategy is dominant if it is always better than any other strategy, for any profile of other players’ actions. Depending on whether “better” is defined with weak or strict inequalities, the strategy is termed strictly dominant or weakly dominant. If one strategy is dominant, than all others are dominated. For example, in the prisoner’s dilemma, each player has a dominant strategy.

Introduction to Game Theory

Enterprise Architecture – Fifth Discipline

Cardinal to be successful in the Enterprise Architecture area is – Personal Mastery. Like a lone Samurai one has to wander from project to project with the best intension in heart and mind. Each project with its accompanied defeats and successes comes experience that influences ‘Learning’. It is this learning that over the period of time imparts one with mastery of the subject. Most importantly all architecture related discipline can only be acquired by experiential learning. Nothing can replace experience. It is the only way to know what is salt , what is sugar, and also what is dope, when they all appear as mere white powder. And, yes EA area is full of dope. One should hazard its masquerading appearances.

With Personal Mastery comes awekening, this brings in Compassion. All these together will make one become ‘Extraordinary in an Ordinary World’.

A calm élan - Architect.

Self Discipline critical to Personal Mastery

Without ones personal usefulness there is no team work. As team work pre-supposes ‘Collaboration’. That means each member needs to bring something valuable that is intrinsic to the subject. This is not a schmoozing game.

In the following duel which is the last scene from movie Samurai Trilogy. The protagonist in the movie begins as a clumsy idiotic village bumpkin. And, he traveling through the experiences of life accompanied by human travesty learns the art of Samurai for which he has deep reverence. The constant learning of this art guided by the noble virtues of the Buddha’s teachings he emerges as a Calm élan Swordsman with compassion for his fellow men. The culmination of his mastery as a Samurai is depicted in the last duel rather very majestically. In the duel the presentation of the mastery is much filled with aesthetic sense, that the most able opponent is overcome by the  unseen deft handling  of the sword. In all awe for the Master Samurai and his swordsmanship, the vanquished warrior falls to his ever lasting sleep. The contrast between the warriors is worth noting that one is a highly schooled in one of the best traditional system, while the other is tamed by the rough edges of the experiences that the life had to offer. It was the ‘experience’ that although ruthless endowed  the wandering idiotic nincompoop with mastery of Samurai, rendering him into a Calm élan and an Aesthetic fighter.

The Five Disciplines

The five disciplines of the learning organization discussed in the book are:

• 1) Personal mastery
• 2) Mental models
• 3) Building shared vision
• 4) Team learning
• 5) Systems thinking – The Fifth Discipline that integrates the other 4

Magician behind the Reviled or Revered Magic Quadrant

Comment on if the Magic Quadrant is Reviled or Revered by the industry is very funny.

When all the ways for visualization has been explored and wasted, then you know its time to explore ‘Implicate Order Modeling’.

Chasm in Federal Enterprise Architecture : FSAM & FEAF – The dilemma of divisive decisive

The Chasm between FEAF & FASM

Following Questions arises between FEAF and FSAM :-

• Which one is Architecture – FEAF or FEA – Reference Model?
• Are reference models architecture? If not what are they?
• Is FEA – Reference Model designed based on Ontology?
• Is Taxonomy Ontology ? What is the difference between the two and which of them is of architecture significance?
• Why does FEAF exist when FEA Reference Model is recommended by OMB.
• OMB recommends using Federal Reference Models for Planning – that includes Transition Planning / Modernization Roadmaps. Can FEA – Reference Models sufficiently lend into Transition Planning?
• To accomplish Transition Planning – EA – CPIC – PMO Integration is necessary. Does FEA Reference model provide sufficient structure and  coherence to adapt it for Capital Planning and also for Program Planning and Management?
• Does FEA – Reference Model render FSAM divisive or decisive?
• To what conclusions does FEA – Reference models lead while conducting EA Assessment?

Does the above questions make Federal Enterprise Architecture a boon or bane?

Answers seems to lie in a cohesive mechanism that ‘Governance’ should achieve while  measuring and achieving the desired performance / outcomes.

The following extract from the EAAF v.30 makes it obvious that the emphasis is shifting to ‘Governance’ driven EA life-cycle management.

“Looking forward, the evolution of the EAAF is being driven by what agencies are doing to drive to outcome-focused

architecture. In particular, recognizing strategic planning, enterprise architecture (EA),

capital planning and investment control (CPIC), and performance assessment and

management are linked processes. The only way to ensure they work together towards

targeted outcomes is to ensure at each step we understand and measure process

outcomes vs. process compliance.

The scope of EAAF Version 3.0 spans planning, investment, and operations activities

required to work in concert to improve agency performance through the management

and use of information and information technology. EAAF Version 3.0 features

extensive use of key performance indicators (KPIs) measuring outcomes across

strategic planning, EA, CPIC, and performance data. To support automation and

accuracy in producing the KPIs, EAAF Version 3.0 moves agency EA submissions to a

template-based model similar to the current agency budget submission process for the

Exhibit 53 and Exhibit 300.”

LISA iTKO – Virtual Develop & Test Environment

http://www.itko.com/site/demo.html

FSAM EA Assessment Version 3.0 – Revisions / Changes

Emphasis On Results

Emphasis seems to have moved towards Outcomes / Performance achieved as a consequence of an integrative approach- EA – CPIC – PMO, rather than mere architecture work-products (artifacts). Most importantly the revised FASM seems to arrest the OMB submissions by the agencies that masquerades in meeting the compliance while the enterprise architecture integrity still remains grievously in the lacking.

EA – PMO – CPIC Integration

Unless agencies strives in working as a collaborative unit while relying on a coherent governance that is built around sound integration of EA, CPIC & PMO no clear picture can ever be achieved. Especially, all the efforts in determining the ‘Total Cost Of Ownership’ for the prioritized businesses needing IT enablement will end in inevitable futility.

More Frequent Monitoring By OMB

OMB in the proposed revision will be monitoring the EA assessment submissions more frequently. Earlier only one submission a year was needed, now it will be necessary to submit 4 times a year. What does this mean? more paper work (defeats the very purpose of eGov ). Should EA repository achieve architectural integrity, reflect accurately the state of the project and change management is efficiently maintained, then frequent submission will no more be a challenge . If inherently EA is in the lacking, then all efforts including the increased frequency in conducting EA assessment will fail in arresting the the inherent atrophy. When one begins to designs in quality, then testing and assessment will prove to be redundant functions.

Assessment of Target Architecture under FSAM

EA Assessment requirement under new FSAM

Conceptual Architecture – Important to see big picture before dwelling on smaller realities – Nelson Shanks

http://www.nelsonshanks.com/video.html

Nelson Shank emphasizes on developing abilities to see the deeper realities.

EA, is both a subject and a discipline. It is easier to discuss EA as a subject, but for one to employ EA and realize the benefits, it requires developing deeper abilities in oneself, without which EA or for that matter any architectural endeavor will be mere superficial superlatives.

Vision for Digital DC Theme City – 2D / 3D Federal Information Dissemination Network

By - Srinidhi Boray (Ingine Inc)

By syndication of both content acquisition and in delivery, Federal information can be disseminated to broad array of devices, from broad array of sources.

Federal funded Visual Digital Themes

Invigorate ecosystem by intuitive themes

Invigorate tourism (tourist attraction & museum)

Effective dissemination of citizen information

Integrate government agencies and deliver important messages

Increase active citizen participation

Promote the culture of rendering governance at public place

Integrate public-private-consumer channels

Promote dialogue and transparencies

Advertise government achievements

Promote short films on art and culture

Demonstrate effective application of art & science

State funded Digital Theme

Similar themes as federal but more localized

Schools

Invigorate the environment

Diversity rich content

Promote curriculum

Develop dormant talent by showcasing art & science from all over the world, including real time events

Intuitive public address system and teaching aids

Hospitals

Medical Centers

Doctors Office

Museums

Shopping Malls / Outlets

Implicate Order – Descriptive Mechanism for Large System(s) of Systems Behavior

Click the picture to Zoom.

When Cartesian System Breaks Down - Implicate Order Reins