Objectives of the Federated Architecture Program

The GOC FAP will support the Strategic IM/IT Infrastructure Initiative to:

• ensure that the primary design goal for information systems is to facilitate change in business and administrative processes and the applications that enable them;

• approve Federated Architecture deliverables;

• ensure the alignment of IM/IT architecture with Government of Canada goals and objectives;

• ensure decisions are linked to high level business and information requirements;

• ensure maximum end-to-end optimization of all aspects of the IM/IT infrastructure;

• ensure a managed risk approach to technology implementation; and

• support longevity, by ensuring that the architecture is organic, evolving in response to business opportunities and threats, and extensible to incorporate emerging technologies.

The objectives of the GOC FAP are to:

• lead and facilitate federated architecture for common and shared IM/IT infrastructure through architecture teams, government-wide projects and/or strategic initiatives, cross-departmental activities, and interdepartmental committees;

• prioritize IT efforts in relation to the business requirements, reaching a common vision between the business and IT and the role of a federated enterprise-wide architecture to achieve a common IM/IT infrastructure for the GOC;

• co-ordinate the development, the implementation and the management of the elements common to GoC Departments in order to meet the objectives of the Federated Architecture and in particular the immediate support of the Strategic Infrastructure Initiative (SII);

• facilitate the Federated Architecture process, creating and maintaining deliverables, communicating architecture standards to all interested parties, and reviewing technology infrastructure projects for compliance to the architecture;

• select product standards, define standard configurations, collaborate on component architecture design principles with architecture teams, plan and execute projects;

• drive the overall FAP process, creating and maintaining deliverables, and overseeing all strategic government-wide IM/IT infrastructure projects; ensure the collaboration of business and Information Management/Information Technology groups in the development of the EA;

• facilitate consultation within the GoC, with other levels of government and the private sector regarding key aspects of the IM/IT infrastructure;

• co-ordinate education programs designed to increase senior management awareness of the strategic potential of the IM/IT infrastructure; and,

• provide a forum for the exchange of information, best practices and ideas on matters relating to the effective management and application of the IM/IT infrastructure in support of delivery of service to the public.

The initial focus of the Federated Architecture is on the Strategic IM/IT Infrastructure Initiative, particularly projects involving four identified priority domains of the Federated Architecture, namely: Internet/E-Commerce, Network/Telecom, Collaborative/Workflow, and Security.