Measure your agile architecture maturity

Eltjo Poort is here to help you figure out if you've struck the right balance between architecture and agile working. Eltjo explores how to measure agile architecture maturity and applied the model to help teams get more value out of their architecture function. You might recognize some of the behavior patterns.

Combining agile with architecture practices requires careful thought. CGI has developed a maturity model for agile architecture based on its ample experience tuning the architecture way of working to the agility required in different contexts. The agile architecture maturity framework measures the architecture function’s maturity in an organization by looking at 13 key behaviors in five responsibility areas: understanding context, architectural decision making, modeling, validation, and fulfillment. The value of the architectural contribution depends on the proficiency and habits of those involved. Using this model, the maturity of the architecture function in an agile or traditional context can be measured by observing evidence and counter-evidence in daily practices. This knowledge is used to identify the most beneficial areas of improvement and to establish baselines and measure progress in improvement programs. Eltjo Poort explains the principles and rationale behind this framework and reports CGI’s experiences and the lessons learned applying it in three organizations. You’ll recognize some behavior patterns Eltjo found. It turns out that it’s not easy to strike the right balance between traditional upfront architecture and the “agile overshoot.”