The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is focused on helping agencies develop their Enterprise Architecture (EA) programs so that they can benefit from the results of using EA as a strategic planning tool. OMB is striving to help agencies link departmental-level EA throughout their operations, so that its value is reflected in both internal operational decision-making, as well as the identification of government-wide common solutions for improved service to citizens.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Enterprise Architecture Assessment Framework (EAAF) Version 3.0 measures planned and delivered improvements to agency performance in four ways:

• Closing agency performance gaps identified via agency performance improvement and strategic planning activities.
• Saving money and avoiding cost through:
• Collaboration and reuse;
• Process reengineering and productivity enhancements; and
• Elimination of redundancy.
• Strengthening the quality of investments within agency portfolios as reflected in critical attributes including (but not limited to): security, inter-operability, reliability, availability, end-user performance, flexibility, serviceability, and reduced time and cost to deliver new services and solutions.
• Improving the quality, validity, and timeliness of data and information regarding program performance output and outcome; program and project planning and management; and cost accounting.

Under previous versions of the EAAF, agencies have achieved, to varying degrees, a basic level of process and architectural maturity. Looking forward, the evolution of the EAAF is being driven by what agencies are doing to drive to outcome-focused architecture. In particular, recognizing that strategic planning, enterprise architecture (EA), capital planning and investment control (CPIC), and performance assessment and management are linked processes. And that the only way to insure that they work together towards targeted outcomes is to insure that at each step we understand and measure process outcomes vs. process compliance.

The scope of EAAF Version 3.0 spans planning, investment, and operations activities required to work in concert to improve agency performance through the management and use of information and information technology. EAAF Version 3.0 features extensive use of key performance indicators (KPIs) measuring outcomes across strategic planning, EA, CPIC, and performance data. To support automation and accuracy in producing the KPIs, EAAF Version 3.0 moves agency EA submissions to a template-based model similar to the current agency budget submission process for the Exhibit 53 and Exhibit 300.

EAAF Version 3.0 also changes the assessment and reporting process. Instead of a single annual assessment, Version 3.0 moves to separate submissions for each of the Completion, Use, and Results capability areas in order to better align EA with the other linked processes. Also, the thresholds for certain KPIs are being phased in over two submission cycles to allow agencies the opportunity to properly implement the changes required in the move to Version 3.0.

The EAAF supports the policy implementation assessment and enforcement for achieving the EA and related requirements set forth in OMB Circulars A-130 and A-11. EAAF Version 3.0 is closely aligned with the methodologies, reporting templates, and tools such as the Federal Transition Framework (FTF), the Federal Segment Architecture Methodology (FSAM), and VUE-IT or Visualization to Understand Expenditures in Information Technology.