Motivation to blog (and model IT)

Information systems architecture at a local authority. It sounds like a bit of a niche interest or career, but I believe it really does matter. 

I've studied and practiced enterprise architecture for several years, building on a software architecture background. If it works, enterprise architecture provides a consistent, structured description of a whole organisation. That's not a complete description, but a slice through it from a certain perspective - with information at its heart. But information only works if people have the right tools that use it to help them do their jobs - that's the trinity of people, process and technology that enterprise architecture captures. A holistic model can help rationalise merging businesses, or describe how a strategic vision to do something new will work.

But my experience is in public sector where a key challenge that keeps coming up is just getting information systems working together. There may be old IT, procured in a departmental stovepipe, but services that must be delivered by staff working together. Also, improvements are needed to meet 21st century citizen expectations, whilst ensuring value for tax-payers' money - even before factoring in austerity cuts.

So how does enterprise architecture help the people who a city council serves get better services for less? I hope we'll find out as I blog here!