MARAD EA Philosophy

1. MARAD EA Philosophy Donna Seymour, MARAD CIO Jason Kruse, Stanley Associates

2. Overview Within the Federal Sector, EA is not a “nice to have”, it is required by legislation and regulatory guidance from several different perspectives. There are two paths that organizations can take based on these mandates (often unfunded). • The first path is a compliance EA which “checks the box”. • The second path, which is the path the Maritime Administration (MARAD) has chosen, is an EA that complies with the law, but also provides business value to the organization. The EA team at the Maritime Administration was recently presented with the Silver Medal for Meritorious Achievement by the Department of Transportation. MARAD has documented its Enterprise Architecture (EA) methodology, selected its EA repository tools, and developed a project plan to ensure the greatest benefit from EA practices. By integrating its EA with the Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) process and aligning with the strategic planning and budgeting processes, MARAD has established an E Government Plan and an IT Portfolio that supports its strategic goals and provides increased business value.

3. Overview The EA team at the Maritime Administration was recently presented with the Silver Medal for Meritorious Achievement by the Department of Transportation. MARAD has documented its Enterprise Architecture (EA) methodology, selected its EA repository tools, and developed a project plan to ensure the greatest benefit from EA practices. By integrating its EA with the Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) process and aligning with the strategic planning and budgeting processes, MARAD has established an E-Government Plan and an IT Portfolio that supports its strategic goals and provides increased business value.

4. Overview Key Issues • Understand the difference between “compliance EA” and EA providing business value • Learn how to start an EA without drawing attention to the fact that you are starting EA • Understand how to get business value from EA – as defined by your business users • Avoid the technology-based EA trap • Learn how the Maritime Administration aided in relief efforts supporting Katrina’s devastation, and how EA played a part in providing this support

5. About Donna Seymour About Donna Seymour Donna Seymour, CIO for the Maritime Administration, a component of the Department of Transportation, has been involved with architecture over 2 years at her current position and within the Department of the Navy prior to that. Ms. Seymour has been in the IT field for over 20 years and is an advocate of getting business value out of IT, rather than implementing IT for the sake of IT.

6. Topics • MARAD Background / Familiarization • “Compliance EA” versus “Value EA” • Understand how business users define value • Start an EA without drawing attention to EA • Avoid the technology-based EA trap • Support disaster relief with an actionable EA

7. MARAD Mission To strengthen the U.S. maritime transportation system – including infrastructure, industry and labor – to meet the economic and security needs of the Nation. MARAD programs promote the development and maintenance of an adequate, well-balanced United States merchant marine, sufficient to carry the Nation’s domestic waterborne commerce and a substantial portion of its waterborne foreign commerce, and capable of service as a naval and military auxiliary in time of war or national emergency. MARAD also seeks to ensure that the United States maintains adequate shipbuilding and repair services, efficient ports, effective intermodal water and land transportation systems, and reserve shipping capacity for use in time of national emergency.

8. MARAD Business Goals • Commercial Mobility • National Security • Environment • Organizational Excellence

9. “Compliance EA” vs. EA providing Business Value • MARAD needed the Enterprise Architecture to leverage IT to enhance the business, rather than be “shelf-ware” • Strategic areas were selected for EA Initiatives: • Prepare for migration to Departments Common Operating Environment (COE) • Implementing a new organization as a result of A-76 • Implementing OMB A-123

10. “Compliance EA” vs. EA providing Business Value • The Administrative Services Organization (ASO) won the A-76 competition as the new “most efficient organization” to take over the responsibilities of administrative services • The new organization needed to map out the business processes it was responsible for, in addition to identifying areas where IT could better support their mission • The Department is complying with OMB A-123 • MARAD was already modeling business processes for the ASO. • Added Internal Controls scope to the modeling effort. • The business modeling enabled capturing Objectives, Risks, and Controls required for A-123 compliance.

11. Starting an EA Project – without the “EA” stigma • What exists that can be leveraged for EA? • IT Strategic Plan • Technical Inventories (Y2K inventory type follow on information if nothing else) • Budget documents • IT project plans or associated information (PowerPoint briefs?)

12. Starting an EA Project – without the “EA” stigma • What exists that can be leveraged for EA? • Program / Project documentation (requirements, functional descriptions, etc.) • Configuration and build documentation (system definition documents) • Test plans , IV&V documentation, QA data • Network Operations & Support reports / technical data, etc.

13. Starting an EA Project – without the “EA” stigma • This documentation, or existing pieces, can be used to initialize an EA Initiative . . . • Build the CIO’s Toolbox of information . . . Design governance processes to utilize what exists to get to that “repository” of information that is integrated and provides the information needed to make business decisions . . . (that some people call an Enterprise Architecture behind closed doors)

14. How to get business value from EA • How does EA provide Business Value? • Spending money as smartly as possible . . . • Reusing investments to the greatest extent . . . • Providing services that are actually needed . . . • Furthering the Mission, Objectives, and Goals of the Business . . .

15. How to get business value from EA • How can we do these things? • Spending money as smartly as possible . . . • Make sure that the investments being funded are necessary, aligned with business, and provide advances over existing IT solutions in place • Reusing investments to the greatest extent . . . • After confirming that an investment is good . . . Verify that a solution doesn’t already exist in the agency, Department, or elsewhere in the Government

16. How to get business value from EA • How can we do these things? • Providing services that are actually needed . . . • Where did the NEED or REQUIREMENT come from? The Business should drive the services being developed . . . If an intranet is not accessible by external users, and the business has a large number of external users, it is doubtful that the business came up with this NEED. • Furthering the Mission, Objectives, and Goals of the Business . . . • Modeling the business, identifying what is automated and what isn’t, defining the gaps, and prioritizing the value of “filling the gaps” must map to specific areas of the Mission, Objectives, or Goals of the business

17. Avoid the EA trap – Technology! • Often, EA is seen as a purely technological effort – If it starts there, it doesn’t have to end there! • Technology, embodied in the Technology Architecture, is a necessary component of the Enterprise Architecture – make the best use of it! • The Technology Architecture is usually well defined, complex, and constantly being upgraded and advanced

18. Avoid the EA trap – Technology! • The Technology Architecture can be all consuming and be an endless money pit, if this is all that is addressed as the EA • The Technology Architecture is usually NEVER advocated for business reasons • Business users rarely see the benefits of Technology Investments

19. Early Success – USABLE EA • How the Maritime Administration aided in relief efforts supporting Katrina’s devastation • How EA played a part in providing this support

20. Points of Contact • Donna Seymour, CIO – Maritime Administration • Donna.Seymour@DOT.GOV • www.marad.dot.gov • Jason Kruse, Director, EA Services, Stanley • Jason.Kruse@DOT.GOV • 202-366-4264 • www.stanleyassociates.com