A metric model for measuring the value of enterprise architecture in developing countries

Abstract

Many organisations across the world are challenged by factors of change, which manifest from different events such as technological innovations, global trends and introduction to new business processes. Some of these factors influence the alignment between business activities and its information system and technology (IS/IT) solutions. Many government organisations do not have a holistic view of their environments, which makes alignment between IS/IT and business processes difficult towards providing consistent solutions for changing needs. Such organisations have deployed enterprise architecture (EA) to manage these challenges. EA is used to manage and regulate business activities and its associated IS/IT solutions towards the attainment of its organisational goals. However, many developing countries, particularly on the African continent, are increasingly challenged with the implementation of EA because they are not able to establish and assess the value. This is due to lack of standard metrics that can be used to measure the value of EA. As a result, many governments’ institutions are losing out from the benefits that the implementation of EA offers. The lack of a metric model to measure the value of EA hinders some governments’ institutions in their attempts to employ the concept, for the purpose of improving service delivery. The aim of the study is to propose a solution through a metrics model, which can be used to measure the value and benefits of EA within governments’ institutions in developing countries. The study followed the interpretivist stance, which was supported by the qualitative method. The research design was the case study, with the government of Egypt and the government of Ghana. Data collection was documentation about EA of these government’s environments. The sociotechnical theories, Activity Theory (AT) and the Dimension of Change (DS) of the Structuration Theory (ST) were used to underpin the study. Data from the two cases were gathered and analysed, separately guided by AT, whilst DS was used to interpret the findings. Based on the interpretation, an enterprise architecture metrics model (EAMM) was developed.