IT Architecture is a very broad
field which encompasses a wide range of skills, and no assignment is ever
exactly the same. It is challenging to know exactly which type of IT
Architecture skills are needed for any given assignment or role, and difficult to
determine if an individual possesses the right mix of IT Architecture skills.
This is an issue for organizations who employ their own architects or purchase
architecture services. These organizations will want to be sure that the
architects they select for their assignments are the best fit. and at the same
time they need to be able to describe the skills a potential architect needs to
successfully carry out the assignment.
From an individual IT Architect
perspective it is also important to be able to describe experience and skills in
order to ensure that the individual's capabilities meet the requirements of potential assignments. In this respect measuring
skills is an important factor in career development so that the individual can
understand which skills they need to strengthen in line with the type of
architect they want to be.
Certification and Profiling
A popular method which is used in
an attempt to solve this issue is to provide certification programs as a proof
of knowledge and experience. There are many certification programs which are
relevant to the field of IT Architecture and they cover a wide range of skills.
Some certifications may be directed towards specific technologies, and some
perhaps directed to towards softer skills such as leadership and management.
Many certifications are heavily based on theoretical knowledge and can be
gained after a short period of training. While theoretical knowledge based
certification gives a certain level of assurance in skills, it perhaps lacks
the assurance that comes from many years working with IT architecture
assignments. There are certification programs which not only require the
candidate to have the appropriate theoretical knowledge but also to have practical
experience in the field. This gives a stronger assurance of skills but often
requires a substantial amount of effort from the candidate and can take a
substantial number of years to gain the experience required to even enter the
certification program.
A complimentary method which can be
used for assessment and assurance of skills is profiling. While certification
poses the question ”Do you have the appropriate level of skills to gain
certification?”, profiling asks ”What level of skills does the individual
have?” or ”What kind of skills to we need for the assignment/role?”.
Certification is a more definitive method, the individual is either certified or
not certified at the end of the process. Profiling is less definitive as it perhaps
addresses a broader set of skills. An exact fit between the desired skill set
(Target Profile) and available skill set (Candidate Profile) may be difficult
to achieve. Rather than precise or definitive match, profiling looks for a
"best fit".
Profiling for IT Architects (PIA)
The following is a early draft of PIA
which can be used for profiling individuals, roles or assignments within IT
Architecture. This should be regarded as a work in progress but PIA provides a
way to easily visualize and compare profiles. The method uses the widely
accepted IASA ITABok as a source for IT Architect skills descriptions. In the
ITABok skills descriptions are formed into 5 Pillars under which there are a
series of Architecture Capabilities. It is these Architecture Capabilities
which form the foundation for the IT Architect's skill set. For more
information on these skills and their descriptions please refer to the IASAITABok.
PIA uses a Skills Level Matrix which
describes skill levels graded from 0-10. This is used to determine the
appropriate skill level for each Architecture Capability. Each Architecture Capability
is graded in terms of Theoretical Knowledge and Practical Experience. The
Skills Level Matrix for both Theoretical Knowledge and Practical Experience is shown below.
To create a profile the PIA Skill Sheet is used. Each architecture capability is filled in with the appropriate skill level using the Skills Level Matrix as a guide. After filling
in the PIA Skill Sheet a diagram is automatically generate which shows the profile of the
individual according to the 5 IASA Pillars. This diagram can be used to
visualize and compare profiles. An example diagram is shown below.
Applying PIA
We can consider two perspectives
where the use of profiling can be advantageous, the Sponsor perspective and the
Individual perspective. The Sponsor and the Individual have different interests
in using profiling and want to achieve different aims.
The Sponsor
The Sponsor is primarily interested
in either employing or allocating IT Architects to an assignment or role. Since
IT Architecture is a broad field it can be difficult to know what architecture
skills are needed for a particular assignment/role and to know if a given
individual has an appropriate skill set.
Creating a Target Profile for an
assignment/role can help to communicate the required skill set. Having
individuals create Candidate Profiles will allow the Sponsor to compare the
Candidate Profiles with the Target Profile and find a ”best fit”. The following steps can be used as a Sponsor.
The Individual
An individual IT Architect needs to
be aware of which skill sets need further development and which skills sets are
strong. Being aware of this allows the individual to plan their career
development as an IT Architect and focus effort on strengthening specific
skills.
Regular profiling can help with
career development and even allow the individual to clearly communicate their
skills to potential Sponsors for assignments. This can be an important factor
where some certification programs require a specific level of practical
experience as an entry requirement. It can sometimes take years to gain
experience and during that time it can be difficult to express skill levels and
gain assurance. Profiling can help the individual in knowing when they have
the right level of skills to enter one of the more demanding certification
programs.
Summary
Using profiling to assess IT Architecture skills can be used in many ways. It helps provide assurance of an individual's skills and can be used to facilitate the career development of IT Architects. It can also be used to assess which IT Architecture Skills are required for an assignment or role.
The PIA method provides an early draft of a profile method using IT Architecture skills definitions provided by IASA. This provides a practical method for profiling which can be used by individuals and organizations alike.
