GC Enterprise Architecture

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Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a conceptual blueprint that defines the structure and operation of an organization considering and aligning business, information/data, application, technology, security, and privacy domains to support strategic outcomes.

The mandate of GC EA, as part of the GC Enterprise Architecture Review Board (EARB), is to refine current architecture standards and to define target architecture standards.

EA does this by linking business and IT strategy, enabling cooperation between business and IT, and leading the enterprise response to disruption.

The use of an industry standard framework called TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework) is useful for providing a structured approach to these standards, and it has been adapted using the same building blocks, the B-I-A-T-S+P (Business - Information - Application - Technology - Security + Privacy). The "P" (Privacy) was added as an important component part of Security for Canadian public.

Business Architecture is the discipline that defines business capabilities and ensures that design is focused on outcomes for users. It also ensures systems are designed to be measurable and accountable, and delivered by multidisciplinary teams.
Information Architecture establishes a structure for data collection, management, storage, and sharing (with a focus on open sharing as per the Directive on Open Government).
Application Architecture emphasises the use of open standards and solutions, ensures reuse is maximized, and focuses on enabling interoperability.
Technology Architecture is the discipline that defines standards for using Public Cloud hosting (and related models such as Software as a Service), and designing for performance, availability, and scalability.
Security Architecture is concerned with ensuring security is implemented across all architectural layers, and categorizing data to determine appropriate safeguards.
Privacy Architecture emphasizes the need to perform a privacy impact assessment (PIA) when personal information is involved, and ensures a balance between user and business needs with proportionate security measures.

The use of the BIATS+P was codified as a set of GC Architectural Standards in the Directive on Management of Information Technology (Appendix C - Mandatory Procedures for Enterprise Architecture Assessment). These standards are used to evaluate GC initiatives and ensure alignment.

A number of GC Working Groups support the refinement of these standards and influence departments to align with the direction set in the Digital Operations Strategic Plan.

Supporting Business architecture, a working group was created based on the mandate from the DMCEPP to refine the GC Business Capability Model (GC BCM), which defines common terminology across the government for discussing business capabilities.
Supporting Information architecture, another working group called the GC Enterprise Data Community of Practice was created to discuss how to collect, store, share and manage data. An Artificial Intelligence Policy working group also supports the "Information" building block.
Supporting Application architecture, the Digital Exchange Program working group was created to discuss using APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for GC use, and publishing them in the GC API store.
The Cloud Working group was created to support Technology architecture related to Public Cloud infrastructure for Protected B workloads and below.
In Security architecture, the Sign in Canada & Pan Canadian Trust Framework working group focuses on the Enterprise Digital Identity.
Privacy architecture is supported by members of the TBS Privacy team, who worked closely with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner on the definition of the Privacy standards.
The Enterprise Architecture Community of Practice works with departments across the GC to continue refine the BIATS+P and help ensure alignment.