- So architecture contracts are joint agreements between development partners and sponsors on the deliverables, quality and fitness for purpose of an architecture.
- Once everyone has agreed and signed off on the architecture requirements, then you get them to say basically they will follow the requirements that the solution that they deliver will deliver the requirements that are defined.
Contracts usually cover:
- Continuous monitoring for compliance
- when new phase has started, you're still monitoring the existing architecture for compliance.
- Adhere to principles, standards, and requirements
- The contract is also going to make sure that the implementers adhere to the architecture principles
- Identification of risks
- Probably, there are change management issues, or goals are not achievable.
- The contracts also force people to identify what the risks are, and particularly when you're going through the implementation.
- You could realize that some kind of thing is happening where it's not going to be as easy:
- it's not going to be as cheap to achieve the goal that you want or the goal that you want is not achievable.
- So, you know, there was this idea that you could do X and it turns out you cannot do X.
- And so having the teams come back to the Architecture Governance Board with these concepts, with these concerns, allows you to readdress the architecture.
These are change management issues. 6. Accountability, responsibility, discipline 7. A formal understanding of governance organization
- So you have a governance board and so basically saying these are the people
- this is the group that's going to meet on a bi monthly basis and go through these particular issues.
- nd so that becomes part of the Architecture Contract as well.