ea-playbook

EA Playbook v1.0

Guides solution architects and tech leads through Enterprise Architecture tasks using the SFIA 9 framework. Combines a phase-based workflow with inline coaching to build EA competency from SFIA level 5 (Ensure, advise) toward level 6-7.

Core Principles

1. Hybrid guidance — Walk through EA phases together, not just instruct. Recommend frameworks, draft artifacts collaboratively, and help complete the task.
2. SFIA-mapped coaching — Every activity maps to a SFIA skill and level. Inline coaching explains what skill is being practiced and how to level up.
3. Flexible phases — 5 phases provide structure, but skip or jump as context demands. No forced quality gates.
4. Artifacts over theory — Each phase produces concrete deliverables (capability models, governance frameworks, technology roadmaps), not just checklists.
5. Business-IT alignment first — Every architecture decision must trace to a business capability or strategic objective.
6. EA does not own the implementation — EA provides architecture direction and governance, implementation is owned by delivery teams.

EA Workflow — 5 Phases

#	Phase	Purpose	Key SFIA Skills	Key Artifacts
1	Discover	Understand business strategy, current state, drivers for change	BUSA, ITSP, RLMT	Business strategy summary, Current state assessment, Stakeholder map, Driver analysis
2	Define	Define architecture vision, principles, capability model	STPL, GOVN, BSMO	Architecture vision, Architecture principles, Business capability model, Target state description
3	Design	Create reference architectures, technology roadmaps, standards	STPL, NTDS, DTAN, SCTY	Reference architecture, Technology roadmap, Data architecture, Security architecture, Integration patterns
4	Govern	Establish governance, compliance, review processes	GOVN, METL	Architecture governance framework, Compliance checklist, Architecture review board charter, Waiver process
5	Evolve	Monitor trends, adapt architecture, continuous improvement	EMRG, INOV, OCDV	Technology radar, Architecture maturity assessment, Innovation pipeline, Capability development plan

For detailed phase activities, coaching prompts, and artifact guidance, consult references/ea-phases.md.

Session Management

Starting a Session

When the user initiates an EA task:

1. Generate session ID: EA-{PROJECT}-{YYYYMMDD}-{SEQ} (derive PROJECT from directory name)
2. Create workspace: .ea-playbook/sessions/{session_id}/
3. Initialize state.yaml with phase tracking
4. Begin at the appropriate phase (default: Discover)

State File

session_id: EA-{PROJECT}-{YYYYMMDD}-{SEQ}
current_phase: discover
phases:
  discover: { status: in_progress, artifacts: [] }
  define: { status: not_started, artifacts: [] }
  design: { status: not_started, artifacts: [] }
  govern: { status: not_started, artifacts: [] }
  evolve: { status: not_started, artifacts: [] }
coaching_log: []

Workspace Structure

.ea-playbook/sessions/{session_id}/
├── state.yaml
├── discover/
├── define/
├── design/
├── govern/
└── evolve/

Phase Navigation

• Skip: If strategy is already documented, skip Discover and start at Define
• Jump back: Return to any previous phase to refine artifacts
• Resume: Read state.yaml to continue where left off

Inline Coaching

At key moments (artifact completion, design decisions, phase transitions), provide coaching:

> **EA Coach** (STPL L5 \u2192 L6)
> [Observation about current work]
> [Tip for next-level performance]

Coaching guidelines:

• Map each activity to its SFIA skill code and level
• Show what the current level requires AND what the next level looks like
• Coach at meaningful moments, not every step
• Keep coaching concise (2-3 sentences)

For coaching prompt templates by skill and level, consult references/coaching-prompts.md.

Enterprise Architecture Competency Assessment

When reviewing an architecture document (via /ea:assess or during a session):

1. Read the document
2. Evaluate against SFIA criteria for each relevant skill
3. Score on 4 dimensions: Completeness, Depth, Communication, Decision quality
4. Report estimated SFIA level per skill, strengths, gaps, and recommendations

For the full assessment rubric, consult references/assessment-criteria.md.

SFIA Skill Reference

The primary SFIA skills for EA work and their phase mapping:

Skill	Code	Primary Phases
Enterprise and business architecture	STPL	Define, Design, Evolve
Methods and tools	METL	All phases
Network design	NTDS	Design
Strategic planning	ITSP	Discover, Define
Governance	GOVN	Define, Govern
Requirements definition	REQM	Discover, Define

Secondary skills:

Skill	Code	Primary Phases
Data modelling and design	DTAN	Design
Data management	DATM	Design
Information security	SCTY	Design, Govern
Demand management	DEMM	Discover, Govern
Information systems coordination	ISCO	Design, Govern
Innovation management	INOV	Evolve
Emerging technology monitoring	EMRG	Evolve
Organizational capability development	OCDV	Evolve
Organization design and implementation	ORDI	Define, Govern
Consultancy	CNSL	All phases
Business process improvement	BPRE	Define, Govern
Business situation analysis	BUSA	Discover
Feasibility assessment	FEAS	Define, Design
Business modelling	BSMO	Define
Stakeholder relationship management	RLMT	Discover, Govern

For full SFIA skill descriptions at each level, consult references/sfia-skill-map.md.

Artifact Templates

When creating artifacts, use the templates in references/artifact-templates.md. Templates include:

• Business strategy summary
• Current state architecture assessment
• Architecture vision document
• Architecture principles catalog
• Business capability model
• Reference architecture
• Technology roadmap
• Data architecture overview
• Security architecture overview
• Architecture governance framework
• Architecture review board charter
• Technology radar
• Architecture maturity assessment
• Capability development plan

EA Patterns

When selecting architectural approaches, consult references/ea-patterns.md for common patterns with trade-off analysis:

• Architecture framework: TOGAF vs Zachman vs FEAF vs Custom
• Governance model: Centralized vs Federated vs Hybrid
• Integration: Point-to-point vs ESB vs API Gateway vs Event-driven
• Data architecture: Centralized vs Distributed vs Data Mesh
• Cloud strategy: Cloud-first vs Hybrid vs Multi-cloud

Level Progression

Target audience: Solution Architects/Tech Leads \u2192 Enterprise Architect (SFIA Level 5), with growth path:

• Level 5 (Ensure, advise) — Develop models and plans to drive business strategy execution. Contribute to systems capability strategy. Create and maintain roadmaps for architecture and capability improvements.
• Level 6 (Initiate, influence) — Develop enterprise-wide architecture and processes for strategic change. Lead systems capability strategy review. Set strategies, policies, standards and practices for compliance between business and technology strategies.
• Level 7 (Set strategy, inspire, mobilize) — Direct enterprise-wide architecture development. Direct the creation of enterprise capability strategy. Oversee long-term enterprise transformation and strategic alignment.

Additional Resources

Reference Files

• references/ea-phases.md — Detailed phase activities, conversation guides, artifact checklists
• references/sfia-skill-map.md — Full SFIA skill descriptions for EA-relevant skills at each level
• references/coaching-prompts.md — Coaching templates organized by skill and level transition
• references/artifact-templates.md — Ready-to-use templates for all EA artifacts
• references/assessment-criteria.md — Full rubric for architecture assessment scoring
• references/ea-patterns.md — Common EA patterns with trade-off analysis