IT Principles

Medium

IT principles are shared, long-lasting beliefs that guide the use of IT in constructing, transforming, and operating the enterprise by informing and restricting target-state enterprise architecture design, IT investment portfolio management, solution development, and procurement decisions. They describe the desired behaviors, and rationale, expected in all initiatives containing any elements of IT.

The principles are inter-related and must be considered as a set. The listed order does not imply prioritization or precedence. 

IT Principles

Enterprise First

Statement

  • Aim to provide maximum long-term benefits to the enterprise as a whole, while optimizing value, total costs of ownership, and risks.

Rationale

  • Solutions must aim to maximize the cumulative business benefits over their entire life-cycle
  • Enterprise priorities are above priorities of a business unit or a project
  • Value and total cost of ownership is more important than the cost to buy/build alone
  • Risk governance and management are integral elements of the state's operating model

Citizen Focused

Statement

  • User needs will be discovered from direct participation with users and evidence gathered on existing services usage. Solutions and services are designed from a consumer-centered and end-to-end digital service delivery perspective to increase the value they bring to clients.

Rationale

  • Understanding user needs and what functions and features are regularly used by them in existing services helps to prioritize and plan the delivery of new services and make changes to existing ones
  • Make sure your technology, infrastructure and systems are accessible for users

Make Good Use of Data

Statement

  • Be good data stewards.

Rationale

  • Data is a key enterprise asset and must be governed and managed accordingly
  • Enterprise-wide data governance ensures that enterprise data can be trusted and allows to maximize value from its usage

Architect for Security and Privacy

Statement

  • Information and data is safeguarded for security, privacy and confidentiality, is monitored to prevent leaks, and is protected for future generations.

Rationale

  • The security of citizen data and systems is of utmost importance
  • The citizen doesn't have a choice in state ownership of their data, so we need precautions well beyond what a normal enterprise would put in place

Reuse > Buy > Build ​

Statement

  • Maximize reuse of existing assets. Business applications, system components, and data will be reused wherever possible, purchased as commodity solutions if necessary and only built if there is a unique requirement that cannot otherwise be fulfilled.

Rationale

  • Reuse will provide increased value for money by simplifying the IT landscape, reducing data duplication and enabling common business processes

Target Simplicity and Fit

Statement

  • Choose the simplest solutions that are fit for purpose and aim to reduce operational complexity of the enterprise.​

Rationale

  • Complex solutions and high operational complexity impede reuse and interoperability, require increased effort to add, transform, or replace solution components, and result in higher life-cycle costs
  • To be effective in satisfying business needs, solutions must be fit for purpose, i.e. fully conform to both functional and non-functional requirements
  • Over-engineered solutions result in wasted budget, time, and resources and often increase operational complexity
  • Required capability levels must be maintained to enable achievement of business, IT, and capability goal
  • Higher-than-needed capability or capacity that does not have an immediate value introduced waste

Control Technical Diversity

Statement

  • Control the variety of technology platforms within the enterprise.

Rationale

  • Limiting the number of different supported technologies
  • Improves value and maintainability while reducing total cost of ownership
  • Enhances staff focus on standardized technologies and reduces staff competency requirements
  • Improves solution interoperability

Adapt and Integrate Technology

Statement

  • Seek innovative ways to utilize technology for business advantage

Rationale

  • Good integration means making sure your new technology works with existing or legacy solutions without limiting your ability to adapt to future demands or upgrade systems

Make Use of Open Standards

Statement

  • Build technology that uses open standards to improve interoperability other technology, and can easily be upgraded and expanded

Rationale

  • Closed proprietary standards restrict reuse, reduce interoperability and can create vendor lock-in that leads to unforeseen financial costs