Open AccessEnterprise Architecture Implementation Is a Bumpy Ride: A Case Study in the Norwegian Public Sector
Author(s) -
Anne Kristin Sortehaug Ajer,
Dag H. Olsen
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
electronic journal of e-government
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1479-439X
DOI - 10.34190/ejeg.17.2.002
Subject(s) - public sector , legitimacy , corporate governance , business , public relations , norwegian , process management , knowledge management , political science , computer science , politics , linguistics , philosophy , finance , law
Enterprise architecture (EA) is a widespread approach forthe development of new digital solutions in a planned and controlledway for large and complex organisations. EA is also viewed as aprerequisite for the digitalisation of the public sector. However,public sector organisations struggle to implement EA programmes, andresearch has demonstrated that organisational and managerial issuesare critical obstacles to EA implementation. This study aims toincrease our understanding of EA implementation in the public sectorby investigating the central challenges for EA initiatives and totrace the progress of current EA initiatives in the Norwegian publicsector. An additional goal is to disclose some ways to improve thesituation. We conducted three interpretive case studies in thehospital, higher education, and labour and welfare sectors. We haveidentified 28 challenges to the EA initiatives. We find thatorganisational and technical complexities, as well as a limitedunderstanding of EA and lack of formal EA governance mechanisms, aresignificant obstacles. Among others, the lack of understanding of EAand its methodology will lead to problems with anchoring the EAapproach in the organisation and facilitating the necessary EAarrangements to induce the promised benefits of EA, which arenecessary requirements to establish the EA initiative’s legitimacyand foster the organisation’s willingness to implement change. Ourstudy provides four lessons learned for planning and implementing EAinitiatives, as follows: #1. It is advisable to take small steps.#2. The use of external consultants should be carefully considered.#3. Formal architectural governance mechanisms are important forlegitimacy and enforced use. #4. Executive commitment andunderstanding of EA are crucial for achieving a sustainable EAinitiative. Finally, we find a common evolution of the EAinitiatives through the phases of optimism, resistance, decline andfinally, reconsolidation of the most persistent ones.