4.5: Framework
Evaluate and Select a Framework Other Information:
As each Federal Agency embarks on this stage of the architecture process, it must select an appropriate architectural framework.
A number of well-established frameworks are successfully used throughout the Federal sector. Alternatively, an Agency may
choose to develop its own framework, although the costs, benefits, and risks of doing so should be weighed against the risks
of adopting or tailoring an existing framework. While Federal Agencies vary widely in their approach to architecture development
and implementation, established frameworks permit comparisons and analyses across Agencies. Therefore, it is recommended that
before an Agency develops a new framework (if an Agency has a mandated framework, it must be employed), it should investigate
the use of other existing Federally developed frameworks. Three Federally sponsored (and commonly accepted) architectural
frameworks are used as candidate frameworks and for descriptive purposes within this EA guide. These contain essential and
supporting products, and promote development of architectures that are complete, understandable, and integratable. The organizations
that developed these frameworks continue to tailor them to ensure parallel precepts, principles, and methodologies. The frameworks
are: • Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF) • Department of Defense (DoD) Command, Control, Communications, Computer,
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Architecture Framework • Treasury Enterprise Architecture Framework
(TEAF). Other EA frameworks exist and have been used in Government programs (e.g., Department of Agriculture's framework and
the National Institute of Standards and Technology [NIST] framework). This guide does not address these other frameworks because
most organizations have standardized on the FEAF, C4ISR, and TEAF for EA development. In addition to EA frameworks, many processes
exist that can be used to support framework development, such as the Department of Energy's corporate systems information
architecture roadmap for IT systems implementation. Since a notional process is described in this guide, other Federal Agency
EA processes are not discussed. The use of an EA framework ensures uniformity and standardization when migrating and integrating
information systems. The selected framework will depend on the intended use, scope, and characteristics of the architecture
to be developed.
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