Enterprise Architecture the Danish Way

If the Cartoon Crisis hurt Denmark’s reputation around the world, maybe our national Enterprise Architecture (EA) program can improve it a little. After visiting a range of “EA best practice” agencies, IBM and Booz Allen Hamilton with my colleagues from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation in Washington DC last week, I am very optimistic about national EA progress. We still have some challenges with the organizational anchoring of the program in the central government, but our methodology and framework is looking better and better.
The Danish EA program was kicked off with a White paper in 2003. After that I helped co-write a Handbook on EA implementation in 2004 and we are now working on a virtual EA guide, a national EA repository and a range of reference models and patterns. One of my colleagues, Michael Bank Kjeldgaard is heading the effort. My role will be to assist him in the process of integrating our methodology, artefacts, tools and repository, best practices and consolidating our framework. Some of the things that I will be looking for are mutual dependence or interdependence between the involved groups, the quality of the shared information, getting the right EA artefacts implemented, and securing the long-term commitment of the program. It is exiting to be part of building EA the Danish way!