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Methodology Development Example (2002-2008: How TAA Grew To MBT Which Grew To OMB FSAM)

Over the past 6 years it has taken several iterations of methods, application to projects that scale, application testing on programs/segments, lots of information sharing, and then promotion to develop the Federal Segment Architecture Methodology (FSAM). The FSAM is an federally-developed architecture standard that provides easy-to-use templates that expedite architecture development and maximize architecture use.  This article explains how the method got developed. Also, what training material was developed. And finally, how the FSAM team and Xentity staff went out information sharing, promoting. Then it explains how we helped to apply the standard in order to support true business transformation and modernization.

Below is a list of the Xentity staff objectives in assisting in the development of the FSAM.

Summary of Objectives

  • Covered how Xentity and partners supported the Dept of the Interior iterate/develop the “Methodology for Business Transformation”. This showed some sample deliverables, templates, and visuals.
  • Discuss how we iterated from Bureau TAA (02-03) to DOI MBT (04-06) to OMB FSAM (07-08) through maturing from bureau, to agency, to federal through not only iterative method development, but through applying in iteration. First a few blueprints at bureau, then four at agency cutting across different driven blueprints (legal, organization development, target architecture, and shared services), then improving the method, and doing more blueprints, then doing more communications and training, and finally, promotion to OMB through collaborative integration with other methods.
  • Cover lessons learned, critical success factors (i.e. framework agnostic, mapping to frameworks, culture understood, tested in 3 cycles of blueprints, breaking into services, first attempted foray into doing as NGO in 2006)
  • Pitfalls (i.e. overselling, under training, lacking certification, didn’t emphasize earlier phases, limited bureau accountability, perception and politics, moving to FSAM – losing key aspects, calling it method instead of approach, perceived waterfall and not presented situational, training/maintenance budget limits)
  • Cover things we would do now differently (i.e. wiki, more examples, more new Media communications)

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