If you have ever remodeled your home, you know how important building codes, blueprints, and city or county inspections are to successfully complete the project. The architect operates within a "framework" of building codes, preparing blueprints for each phase of the project, from the structural changes to the size and layout of the rooms. Detailed drawings specify plumbing, electrical, and building construction information for the entire structure. Enterprise Architecture works in a similar manner.

An architecture framework for Information Technology (IT) affects every aspect of the enterprise. An Enterprise Architecture framework is similar to building codes that ensure the building is soundly constructed. The IT governance bodies and procedures serve as the city and county inspectors for building improvement projects. Frameworks contain models and standards that will be used to develop IT architecture descriptions. The architecture description is the blueprint.

Customs, as well as other federal agencies and bureaus, is under increasing pressure to ensure IT investments are spent wisely and are used to improve its mission and accomplishments. The Information Technology Management and Reform Act of 1996, also known as the Clinger-Cohen Act (CCA), requires that agencies implement architectures to facilitate information exchange, increase sharing, and reduce costs by improving management of the development and acquisition of systems.

A clear picture and plan
The Technology and Architecture Group (TAG) within the Office of Information Technology (OIT) developed an Enterprise Architecture (EA) that is fully compliant with the Treasury Enterprise Architecture Framework (TEAF). The Customs EA presents a clear picture of its current mission and business enterprise, a plan for its strategic direction, and the information assets and technology to manage the transition from its current state to its desired future state. Customs employees may find the EA blueprint on the Customs Intranet site.

Customs developed the EA to establish a framework for providing a structure for organizing Customs resources, defining and managing Customs business enterprise architecture activities, and providing a plan for its strategic direction. In addition, the EA provides the assets to manage the transition from the current state (the "baseline") to the future state (the "target").

Returning to our home remodeling example, the baseline architecture is the existing structure and building standards; the target future-state architecture represents our completed remodeled home. As homeowners add on to their homes and upgrade the existing structure, blueprints, and building standards need to be kept current as building codes change and the homeowner proposes new construction projects.

IT organizations do the same on an ongoing basis, reflecting the dynamic, changing nature of the Customs business areas and the world of communications and information technologies. The alignment and assessment process used to facilitate the ongoing maintenance of the EA bureau-wide is described in the EA Blueprint document and is intrinsically tied to the Customs Investment Management Process (IMP). The Customs IMP is a formalized, business driven approach to selecting, controlling, and evaluating IT investments that uses specific project evaluation criteria regarding risks, strategic alignment, mission effectiveness, and cost-benefit analysis.

A four-step process
The TAG Architecture Team works with the Evaluation Team to complete a four-step process of alignment and assessment. Each step is highlighted below with its equivalent "proposed home improvement" process set forth in italics:

1. Assess business alignment:
   Determine if the project proposal submitted by the business process area is in alignment with strategic plans, goals, and objectives. The homeowner reviews the proposed construction project to ensure that it relates to the goals for the home.

2. Assess business case proposal:
   Examine the proposed solution, at a high level, to determine the level of impact on the Customs technology environment. In a high-level review to determine feasibility, the homeowner assesses the proposed project costs, resources, materials needed, and scheduled completion timeframe. The homeowner then does a preliminary review of local building codes and questions the financial validity of the project.

3. Assess technical compliance:
   Determine if the technology architecture of the solution proposed complies with enterprise standards and methodology as defined by the approved IT standards and products in use at Customs. The homeowner has more detailed information on the proposed improvement project and now is able to ensure that it complies with the existing architecture of the current home. The homeowner validates that the building improvement meets local building codes and can be accomplished in the projected timeframe with the required materials and resources allocated in the budget.

4. Evaluate Architecture compliance:
   Determine whether the developed system complies with the architecture components. The homeowner reviews the project once it is complete and determines whether the finished project meets the requirements and was completed in a timely manner. The homeowner assesses whether the home improvement stayed within the projected costs including resources and materials, and whether it complies with the overall architectural plan for the home and the building codes of the locality.

Look for an article on Customs Investment Management Process (IMP) in a future issue of U.S. Customs Today.

Customs Enterprise Architecture has been cited by the General Accounting Office (GAO) as a Best Practice government-wide.

Become a subject matter expert! The Customs Modernization Office is currently hiring the following detailed positions to work on the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) project: ACE Specialist (Account Manager), GS-1801-13 ACE Specialist (Field Analysis Specialist), GS-1801-11/12/13 ACE Specialist (Import Specialist), GS-1889-11/12/13 ACE Specialist (Import Specialist), GS-1889-14 ACE Specialist (Customs Inspector), GS-1890-11/12/13 ACE Specialist (Customs Inspector), GS-1890-14 ACE Specialist (Entry Specialist), GS-1894-11/12/13 ACE Specialist (Program Analyst), GS-343-14 ACE Specialist (Program Manager), GS-301-11/12/13 To obtain announcement information, visit the Office of Human Resources' Management Vacancy Announcement Information System in TPX or call Pathfinder at (800) 944-7725. Deadline for applications is July 19, 2001.