Introduction
Stakeholder management is a critical discipline for successful architecture practitioners, helping them win support from key stakeholders and ensuring project success. Effective stakeholder management offers several benefits:
- Early Identification of Powerful Stakeholders: Identifying the most powerful stakeholders early allows their input to shape the architecture, ensuring their support and improving the quality of the models produced.
- Resource Allocation: Support from powerful stakeholders can help secure more resources, increasing the likelihood of the architecture engagement’s success.
- Effective Communication: Frequent communication with stakeholders ensures they understand the architecture process and its benefits, enabling them to support the architecture team more actively when necessary.
- Anticipating Reactions: The architecture team can better anticipate reactions to the architecture models and reports, planning actions to capitalize on positive reactions while addressing any negative reactions.
- Conflict Resolution: Identifying conflicting or competing objectives among stakeholders early allows the development of strategies to resolve issues.
It is essential to identify individuals and groups within the organization who will contribute to the architecture’s development, understand who will gain or lose from its introduction, and develop a strategy to manage them effectively.
Approach to Stakeholder Management
Stakeholder analysis should be conducted during Phase A (Architecture Vision) to identify key players and updated throughout each phase as new stakeholders may emerge during Opportunities & Solutions, Migration Planning, and Architecture Change Management.
Complex architectures are challenging to manage, not only in terms of the development process but also in obtaining agreement from numerous stakeholders. Just as a building architect creates different views (wiring diagrams, floor plans, elevations) for different stakeholders (electricians, owners, planning officials), an Enterprise Architect must create different architecture views for stakeholders concerned with Business, Information Systems, and Technology Architecture.
The TOGAF Standard addresses this through the following concepts:
- Architecture View: A representation of a system from the perspective of related concerns.
- Architecture Viewpoint: A specification of the conventions for constructing and using an architecture view.
- Concern: An interest in a system relevant to one or more of its stakeholders.
- Stakeholder: An individual, team, or organization with concerns related to a system.
Steps in the Stakeholder Management Process
Identify Stakeholders
The first step is to identify the key stakeholders of the Enterprise Architecture. This involves considering all individuals affected by the architecture, those with influence or power over it, and those with an interest in its success or failure. Stakeholders may include:
- Senior executives
- Project organization roles
- Client organization roles
- System developers
- Alliance partners
- Suppliers
- IT operations
- Customers
It is important to look beyond the formal structure of the organization and consider informal stakeholder groups, which can be equally powerful and influential. Most individuals belong to multiple stakeholder groups, and these groups often arise due to specific events.
Key Questions to Consider:
- Who gains and who loses from this change?
- Who controls change management of processes?
- Who designs new systems?
- Who will make the decisions?
- Who procures IT systems and decides what to buy?
- Who controls resources?
- Who has specialist skills the project needs?
- Who has influence?
Influencers, in particular, should be identified. These individuals are well-respected, participate in important meetings and committees, know what’s going on in the company, and are valued by their peers and superiors, even if they do not hold formal positions of power.
Sample Stakeholder Analysis
A sample stakeholder analysis distinguishes 22 types of stakeholders in five broad categories, as shown in Figure 1. The specific stakeholders and categories may vary depending on the architecture project.
Figure 1: Sample Stakeholders and Categories
Consider both the Visible team (those obviously associated with the project/change) and the Invisible team (those who must contribute to the project/change for it to be successful but are not obviously associated with it, e.g., providers of support services).
Classify Stakeholder Positions
Develop a thorough understanding of the most important stakeholders and record this analysis for reference throughout the project. An example stakeholder analysis is shown in Table 3-1.
Table 1: Example Stakeholder Analysis
| akeholder Group | Stakeholder | Ability to Disrupt Change | Current Understanding | Required Understanding | Current Commitment | Required Commitment | Required Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIO | John Smith | H | M | H | L | M | H |
| CFO | Jeff Brown | M | M | M | L | M | M |
Assess the readiness of each stakeholder to support the Enterprise Architecture initiative by asking the following questions:
- Is the person ready to change direction and begin moving towards the Target Architecture? If so, how ready?
- Is the person capable of being a credible advocate or agent of the proposed Enterprise Architecture initiative? If so, how capable?
- How involved is the individual in the Enterprise Architecture initiative? Are they simply an interested observer, or do they need to be involved in the details?
- Has the person made a contractual commitment to the development of the Enterprise Architecture and its role in the governance of the organization’s development?
Make a judgment on the current level of commitment and the desired future level of commitment for each critical stakeholder.
Determine Stakeholder Management Approach
After identifying the stakeholders, determine their power, influence, and interest to focus on key individuals. Map these onto a power/interest matrix to adopt an appropriate engagement strategy. Figure 2 shows an example power grid matrix.
Figure 2: Stakeholder Power Grid
Tailor Engagement Deliverables
Identify the catalogs, matrices, and diagrams that the architecture engagement needs to produce and validate with each stakeholder group. Pay particular attention to stakeholder interests by defining specific artifacts relevant to the Enterprise Architecture model. This ensures that the architecture is communicated to and understood by all stakeholders, enabling them to verify that the initiative addresses their concerns.
Template Stakeholder Map
The following table provides an example stakeholder map for a TOGAF architecture project, with stakeholders identified in Figure1.
Stakeholder Map
| Stakeholder | Key Concerns | Class | Catalogs, Matrices, and Diagrams |
|---|---|---|---|
| CxO (Corporate Functions); e.g., CEO, CFO, CIO, COO | The high-level drivers, goals, and objectives of the organization, and how these are translated into an effective process and IT architecture to advance the business. | KEEP SATISFIED | Business Footprint diagram, Goal/Objective/Business Service diagram, Organization Decomposition diagram, Business Capabilities catalog, Capability/Organization matrix, Business Capability Map, Strategy/Capability matrix, Capability/Organization matrix, Business Model diagram, Value Stream catalog, Value Stream Stages catalog, Value Stream/Capability matrix, Value Stream Map |
| Program Management Office (Corporate Functions); e.g., Project Portfolio Managers | Prioritizing, funding, and aligning change activity. An understanding of project content and technical dependencies between projects supports portfolio management decision-making. | KEEP SATISFIED | Requirements catalog, Project Context diagram, Benefits diagram, Business Footprint diagram, Application Communication diagram, Organization map, Business Capabilities catalog, Capability/Organization matrix, Business Capability Map, Strategy/Capability matrix, Capability/Organization matrix, Business Model diagram, Value Stream catalog, Value Stream Stages catalog, Value Stream/Capability matrix, Value Stream Map |
| Business Executives | Strategic alignment of the architecture with business goals and objectives. | KEEP INFORMED | Business Footprint diagram, Goal/Objective/Business Service diagram, Business Capabilities catalog, Business Capability Map, Strategy/Capability matrix, Business Model diagram, Value Stream catalog, Value Stream Map |
| Project Managers | Project planning, resource allocation, and timeline management. | KEEP INFORMED | Project Context diagram, Benefits diagram, Requirements catalog, Application Communication diagram, Organization map |
| System Architects | Technical feasibility, system integration, and compliance with architectural standards. | KEEP INFORMED | Application Communication diagram, Technology Standards catalog, System Landscape diagram, Solution Building Blocks catalog |
| IT Operations | Operational readiness, system performance, and maintenance requirements. | KEEP INFORMED | Technology Standards catalog, System Landscape diagram, Solution Building Blocks catalog, Operational Level Agreements (OLAs) |
| End Users | Usability, accessibility, and overall user experience. | KEEP INFORMED | User Requirements catalog, Use Case diagrams, User Interface Prototypes |
| Compliance Officers | Adherence to regulatory requirements and industry standards. | KEEP INFORMED | Compliance Requirements catalog, Regulatory Standards matrix, Risk Assessment diagrams |
| Security Experts | Security policies, risk management, and data protection measures. | KEEP INFORMED | Security Requirements catalog, Risk Assessment diagrams, Security Standards matrix |
| Data Architects | Data governance, data quality, and data integration strategies. | KEEP INFORMED | Data Entity catalog, Data Flow diagrams, Data Governance Framework |
| Alliance Partners | Collaboration, shared goals, and mutual benefits. | KEEP INFORMED | Partner Agreement matrix, Collaboration Framework diagram, Shared Goals catalog |
| Suppliers | Vendor management, procurement processes, and contractual agreements. | KEEP INFORMED | Vendor Management catalog, Procurement Process diagrams, Contractual Agreements matrix |
| Customers | Customer satisfaction, service quality, and feedback mechanisms. | KEEP INFORMED | Customer Requirements catalog, Customer Journey Maps, Feedback Loop diagrams |
| Developers | Development standards, coding practices, and integration processes. | KEEP INFORMED | Development Standards catalog, Coding Guidelines matrix, Integration Process diagrams |
| Quality Assurance Teams | Quality standards, testing procedures, and defect management. | KEEP INFORMED | Quality Standards catalog, Testing Procedures matrix, Defect Management diagrams |
| Financial Controllers | Budget management, cost analysis, and financial reporting. | KEEP INFORMED | Budget Management catalog, Cost Analysis matrix, Financial Reporting diagrams |
| Legal Advisors | Legal compliance, contract reviews, and legal risk management. | KEEP INFORMED | Legal Compliance catalog, Contract Review matrix, Legal Risk Management diagrams |
| Human Resources | Workforce planning, training needs, and organizational change management. | KEEP INFORMED | Workforce Planning catalog, Training Needs matrix, Organizational Change Management diagrams |
| Marketing Teams | Brand alignment, market positioning, and customer engagement strategies. | KEEP INFORMED | Brand Alignment catalog, Market Positioning matrix, Customer Engagement diagrams |
| Influencers | Well-respected individuals who participate in important meetings and committees, know what’s going on in the company, and are valued by their peers and superiors. | KEEP SATISFIED | Influencer Engagement Plan, Communication Strategy matrix, Stakeholder Engagement diagrams |
This stakeholder map helps ensure that each stakeholder’s concerns are addressed and that the architecture initiative is communicated effectively to all relevant parties. By following this comprehensive guide to stakeholder management in TOGAF ADM, architecture practitioners can ensure that their projects are supported by key stakeholders, leading to successful outcomes and effective enterprise architecture initiatives.
TOGAF ADM Resources
- TOGAF ADM Guide-Through
- This article provides an overview of TOGAF ADM, its development, and its adoption by major companies. It explains how TOGAF ADM integrates various architectural elements to meet business and IT needs1.
- Navigating TOGAF: Your Guide to the ADM Process
- This guide discusses the comprehensive framework of TOGAF and how it improves business efficiency through effective enterprise architecture. It introduces the Guided TOGAF ADM Process Map, which helps organizations navigate the ADM process and produce necessary deliverables with ease2.
- Mastering TOGAF ADM with Visual Paradigm: A Comprehensive Guide to Enterprise Architecture Success
- This comprehensive guide offers a step-by-step roadmap to understanding, applying, and excelling in enterprise architecture using TOGAF ADM. It provides tips and tricks for learning TOGAF ADM and streamlining its adoption3.
- Unlock the Power of TOGAF with Visual Paradigm’s ADM Guide-Through Process
- This article presents Visual Paradigm’s TOGAF ADM Guide-Through Process as a comprehensive roadmap for enterprise architecture projects. It includes step-by-step instructions, input references, and real-world samples to help users kick-start projects of any size4.
- Visual Paradigm TOGAF ADM Tool: Empowering Your Enterprise Architecture Teams
- This article highlights the benefits of using Visual Paradigm’s TOGAF ADM Tool, which includes innovative features, streamlined processes, enhanced collaboration, and customizable viewpoints to empower enterprise architecture teams5.
- Visual Paradigm TOGAF – Everything about TOGAF, Enterprise Architecture, ArchiMate, and more
- This article delves into the nuanced strategy required to market the Implementation and Migration Plan proposed by TOGAF, emphasizing the careful orchestration of communication, human resource considerations, and cultural nuances6.
- TOGAF ADM Tutorial
- This tutorial explains the purpose of TOGAF ADM and how it describes a method for developing and managing the lifecycle of an enterprise architecture. It also discusses the compatibility of TOGAF ADM with the ArchiMate modeling language7.
- Powerful TOGAF ADM Toolset
- This article introduces Visual Paradigm’s TOGAF ADM toolset, which provides a step-by-step approach to developing deliverables required in the TOGAF Architecture Development Methodology (ADM). It highlights the tool’s ability to streamline the architecture development process8.
- TOGAF ADM and Architecture Content Framework
- This resource explains the TOGAF ADM and the Architecture Content Framework, providing a structural model for architectural content. It discusses the process of moving from a baseline state to a target state of the enterprise and the types of architectural work products9.
- TOGAF ADM Software: Act and Generate ADM Deliverables
- This article introduces TOGAF ADM as an architecture method suggested by TOGAF. It highlights Visual Paradigm’s TOGAF ADM process navigator, which guides users through the ADM cycle and helps generate deliverables10.