EA Maturity Assesment from Level 2 to 5

🏗 Realistic EA Maturity Assessment Flow (Level 2 → 5) with CXO Presentation

Step 1: Discovery & Planning

Objective: Define scope, domains, stakeholders, and assessment plan.

Activities & Tools:

1. Identify EA domains: Business, Application, Data, Technology, Security, Governance, Tools, People.

2. Conduct discovery workshops with stakeholders (Business, IT, Security, Compliance).

   • Tools: MS Teams / Zoom, Miro / MURAL

3. Identify sources of evidence: CMDB, EA repositories (LeanIX / Orbus / Mega HOPEX), Confluence, dashboards.

4. Prepare assessment plan: domain coverage, interviews, surveys, artifact verification.

   • Tools: Excel / MS Project, Confluence

5. Request tool access: CMDB, EA repository, dashboards.

Output:

• Assessment Plan & Timeline

• Stakeholder List & Tool Access Requests

Step 2: Stakeholder Interviews & Workshops

Objective: Collect qualitative insights and validate current practices.

Activities & Tools:

• Schedule meetings/workshops per domain.

• Conduct structured interviews to assess: current processes, governance adherence, challenges.

• Capture evidence: notes, screenshots, Confluence logs.

• Validate current-state diagrams in workshops.

  • Tools: Miro / MURAL, Confluence, SharePoint

Identify Stakeholders and Define Interview Objectives

Stakeholder	Objective of Discussion	Example Questions
CTO / CIO	Understand enterprise vision, digital strategy, and architectural priorities	- How do you measure the success of technology strategy? - How often are architecture decisions reviewed centrally? - How is alignment ensured between IT and business?
CISO	Understand security governance, compliance posture	- How are security policies enforced across projects? - Is threat modeling done during design phase? - Is there an automated compliance framework?
Head of Delivery	Assess delivery maturity and architecture alignment	- How is architecture compliance ensured during delivery? - Are architects embedded in agile squads? - How is technical debt tracked or reported?
Domain Architects / Solution Architects	Evaluate process adoption, standards, and tool usage	- Are reference architectures followed? - Is documentation standardized? - How do you handle architecture exceptions?
Head of Data / CDO	Data strategy and governance	- Is there a master data repository? - How do you manage lineage and data ownership? - How is data quality measured?

Output:

• Stakeholder interview notes

• Workshop outputs

• Evidence log per domain

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Step 3: Domain-Specific Questionnaires / Surveys

Objective: Capture quantitative evidence for Level 2 → 3 transition.

Use a Structured EA Maturity Questionnaire

You prepare a domain-wise assessment sheet with rating scales (1–5).Each level represents a clear maturity description.

Example – Architecture Governance

Parameter	Description	Maturity Level (1–5)	Example Evidence
EA Governance Board	Is there a formal Architecture Review Board (ARB)?	1 – No ARB 3 – Ad hoc ARB 5 – Enterprise-wide ARB with decision log	ARB minutes, review templates
Architecture Standards	Are standards published and enforced?	1 – Not defined 3 – Defined but not enforced 5 – Enforced via tooling	Architecture standards doc
Exception Management	Is there a defined exception process?	1 – No 3 – Manual 5 – Automated with traceability	Exception register, Confluence
KPI Tracking	Are EA KPIs monitored regularly?	1 – None 3 – Quarterly review 5 – Continuous dashboard	EA scorecard, dashboard

Each stakeholder rates the domain based on their area.You record observations and qualitative notes alongside scores.

Sample Domain Questions

Domain	Questions	Tool / Evidence
Business	Capability maps documented? Linked to KPIs? Standardized processes across LOBs?	MS Forms / Qualtrics, Confluence
Application	Service catalog complete? Interfaces standardized? Microservices documented?	LeanIX / ServiceNow CMDB, MS Forms
Data	Metadata catalog available? Data lineage tracked? Data quality enforced?	Collibra / Informatica, MS Forms
Technology	Infra diagrams complete? IaC templates used? Monitoring integrated?	Azure DevOps, Terraform, Power BI
Security	Policies enforced? Audit logs available? DevSecOps implemented?	ServiceNow GRC, Splunk / ELK
Governance	ARB meetings conducted? Decisions logged? Standards enforced?	Confluence, SharePoint
Tools	EA repository adoption active? Versioning maintained?	LeanIX / Mega HOPEX
People	EA roles defined? Architects trained? Architecture Guild / CoP active?	Confluence, MS Teams, Miro

Output:

• Domain dataset

• Preliminary maturity scores

Step 4: Artifact Verification & Repository Scan

Objective: Validate artifacts for evidence-based scoring.

Activities & Tools:

• Scan EA repositories / CMDB (ServiceNow, LeanIX, Orbus, Mega HOPEX)

• Verify artifacts per domain: capability maps, service catalog, data lineage, infra diagrams, audit logs, governance artifacts, training logs

• Capture screenshots, PDFs, dashboards as evidence

• Tools: LeanIX, Mega HOPEX, ServiceNow, Power BI / Tableau, Confluence / SharePoint

Validate Responses with Artifact Reviews

Once you collect responses → validate using actual deliverables (artifacts).

Domain	Artifact Examples	What to Look For
Governance	EA Charter, ARB minutes, exception logs	Existence of governance body and process adherence
Business Architecture	Business capability maps, process models	Mapping of business functions to applications
Application Architecture	Application inventory, dependency diagrams	Portfolio visibility, redundancy, reuse
Data Architecture	Data catalog, lineage diagrams, DQ scorecards	Data ownership, quality metrics, lineage completeness
Technology Architecture	Cloud reference architectures, CI/CD templates	Standardization, automation, resilience
Security Architecture	IAM policies, threat models, compliance reports	Evidence of Zero Trust, least privilege, and control monitoring

🧠 Example:If Head of Delivery says “All projects go through ARB”,→ you validate by checking if there are ARB minutes, review templates, and sign-offs in Confluence or ServiceNow.If not, you downgrade the maturity score.

Output:

• Verified Artifact List

• Evidence Repository

Step 5: Scoring, Heatmap & Gap Analysis (Level 2 → 3)

Objective: Quantify maturity, identify gaps, and define improvement plans.

Activities & Tools:

• Score each domain: 1 → Initial, 2 → Repeatable, 3 → Defined

• Identify gaps: missing processes, standards, tools, or skills

• Generate heatmaps / radar charts to visualize gaps

• Document improvement plan per domain

Sample Table (Level 2 → 3)

Domain	Current	Target	Gap	Improvement Plan	Tool / Evidence
Business	2	3	Capability maps not KPI-linked	Update maps, link KPIs, governance review	LeanIX, Confluence
Application	2	3	Interfaces not standardized	Standardize interfaces, complete catalog	ServiceNow CMDB
Data	2	3	Data lineage not tracked	Implement lineage tracking, enforce quality	Collibra / Power BI
Technology	2	3	IaC templates missing	Implement IaC templates & dashboards	Azure DevOps
Security	2	3	Partial audit logs, manual policies	Automate audit, enforce standards	ServiceNow GRC / Splunk
Governance	2	3	ARB exists but limited enforcement across LoBs.	Schedule monthly ARB, log decisions	Confluence
Tools	2	3	Repository adoption low	Training & enforcement	LeanIX / Mega HOPEX
People	2	3	Training / Guild not active	Run guild sessions & training	Confluence, MS Teams

Output:

• Heatmap & radar chart

• Gap analysis table with improvement plan

Step 6: CXO Presentation, Sponsorship & Funding

Objective: Secure executive buy-in and funding for each milestone.

CXO Presentation Slide Details

1. Slide 1: Executive Summary

   • EA maturity level summary

   • Key objectives for Level 2 → 3

   • Expected business benefits / ROI

2. Slide 2: Current Maturity (Level 2)

   • Heatmaps / radar charts for all domains

   • Evidence: screenshots, CMDB logs, dashboards

3. Slide 3: Gap Analysis & Findings

   • Domain-specific gaps

   • Missing processes, standards, tools, or skills

   • Evidence captured from tools, surveys, CMDB

4. Slide 4: Risks & Benefits

   • Risks if gaps persist (compliance, inefficiency)

   • Benefits: standardization, KPI alignment, governance maturity

5. Slide 5: Proposed Roadmap / Milestones

   • Short-term (0–6 months): quick wins, critical gaps

   • Mid-term (6–12 months): core domain improvements

   • Long-term (12–18 months): cross-domain integration, advanced automation

   • Include tools and owners per milestone

6. Slide 6: Evidence Repository & Dashboard Snapshots

   • Screenshots, dashboards, CMDB references

   • Demonstrates data-driven approach

7. Slide 7: Funding & Sponsorship Request

   • Investment needed per milestone

   • Expected ROI / business impact

   • Approval requested

Activities & Tools:

• Conduct CXO workshop / discussion

• Capture feedback and adjust roadmap

• Tools: PowerPoint, Tableau / Power BI, Confluence / SharePoint, MS Teams

Output:

• CXO-approved roadmap & funding

• Mandate for Level 2 → 3 execution

Repeat CXO presentation for Level 3 → 4 and Level 4 → 5

• Overlapping initiatives to accelerate total timeline (~2–3 years total)

Step 7: Define EA Roadmap (Short-, Mid-, Long-Term)

Activities & Tools:

• Translate gaps into domain-specific initiatives

• Assign owners, KPIs, tools

• Integrate roadmap into ARB/governance process

Sample Accelerated Roadmap Table

Horizon	Domains / Level	Milestone / Initiative	Duration
Short-term	Business, Application	Level 2 → 3: standardize catalog, capability map	6–12 mo
Mid-term	Data, Security, Tools	Level 3 → 4: automation, compliance dashboards	6–12 mo
Long-term	Technology, Governance	Level 4 → 5: predictive KPIs, enterprise-wide adoption	6–12 mo

Step 8: Monitoring & Continuous Improvement

Activities & Tools:

• Track maturity quarterly via dashboards

• Measure KPIs: adoption, compliance, skill uplift

• Adjust roadmap & improvement plan based on progress

• Tools: Power BI / Tableau, Confluence / SharePoint

Output:

• Evidence-based EA Maturity Dashboard

• Continuous Improvement Plan

🧠 KPI Examples

Area	KPI
EA Governance	% projects reviewed by ARB; avg deviation resolution time
Business Alignment	% IT investments mapped to business capabilities
Reuse	# of reused reference architectures or components
DevOps Integration	% of pipelines with policy-as-code enforcement
Tooling	# of artifacts version-controlled in EA repository
Data Governance	% of critical data with ownership defined

🧩 Tools & Frameworks Used

Purpose	Tool / Framework
EA Maturity Framework	TOGAF EA Capability Model / Gartner EA Maturity Model
EA Repository	LeanIX / Sparx EA / Bizzdesign
Surveys & Scoring	Microsoft Forms / Excel Dashboards
Workshops	Miro / Mural for visual collaboration
Governance Tracking	Confluence + Jira for ARB tickets
Visualization	Power BI or Tableau for KPI Dashboards

Interview Narrative

“We perform accelerated, evidence-based EA maturity assessments.Using stakeholder interviews, domain questionnaires, and artifact verification using tools like LeanIx,ServiceNow,PowerBI, we generate heatmaps, gap analysis with real evidence, and improvement plans.Level 2 → 3 is achieved in 6–12 months with CXO-approved roadmap, funding, and sponsorship.Level 3 → 4 and 4 → 5 initiatives run in parallel, completing full EA maturity in ~2–3 years.Each step is measurable, evidence-driven, domain-specific, and CXO-ready, exactly as real banking EA programs operate.”

We know the bank has reached Level 5 EA maturity because architecture is fully integrated into delivery, not just advisory. EA practices are embedded into CI/CD pipelines—using Policy-as-Code, OPA agents, Terraform for compliant infra provisioning, and automated exception or expedited approvals. Continuous assessment dashboards track compliance, gaps, and improvement initiatives in real time. This ensures proactive governance, measurable risk reduction, and alignment with business KPIs, which are the hallmarks of Level 5 maturity."