Enterprise Architecture

Project Background

The Enterprise Architecture Office (EAO) was looking for a way to establish the first EA program for the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). By doing so, they would not only achieve optimal compliance with state mandates, but chart a path for Health Care Innovation for the State.  

The goals of this project included:

• Ultimately creating optimal compliance with the state mandates for the EAO 
• Determining the EA and MITA maturity of the organization
• Training every member of the DHCS Enterprise Architecture office in EA certification
• Building a strategy that would accomplish their business goals 
• Organizing processes and procedures for achieving architecture improvement
• Organizing new IT capabilities
• Chartering new governance groups and task forces
  

When it came to the implementation of Enterprise Architecture, Elyon Strategies would assess the department’s architecture methods, artifacts, culture and environment, determining the EA capability maturity of the organization. 

Once determined, Elyon would: 

Along with monthly reports, Elyon planned to produce materials for: 

• CIO communications
• Executive reports such as Strategy and Roadmaps
• Federal evaluations for MITA Maturity and ultimately, justification for Federal funding
  

After this, Elyon would also train and prepare every member of the DHCS Enterprise Architecture office for their EA certification. 

Project Approach

Elyon introduced a number of best practice frameworks and methodologies into the department’s capabilities including the integration of strategy planning, PEAF, TOGAF, as well as doing comprehensive research into MITA 3.0. 

Coaching methods and executive strategies were developed for individual executives and branch chiefs. 

The Elyon team evaluated reports, assessments and project efforts for some of California's largest IT projects including: 

• Medicaid Eligibility Determination System (MEDS) 
• California Medicaid Management Information System (CAMMIS)
• Dental MMIS 
  

Elyon also advised the CIO and CEA on business improvement, information quality and technology adoption. 

During the 2015 MITA State Self-Assessment, Elyon was required to assess the systems and technical capabilities of the department and recommend a strategy for accomplishing business goals. 

Project Deliverables

Elyon successfully:

‍The Elyon team produced: 

• A governance charter
• Roles and responsibilities matrices
• Risk registers
• Principles 
• As-Is reports
• To-Be architecture
• Technology roadmaps to achieve MITA Maturity Level 3
  

The Elyon team facilitated: 

• Executive strategy interviews
• Business leadership workshops
• Organizational change
• Portfolio evaluation
• Technology Architecture Board meetings
• EA program scope sessions
  

Elyon guided division chief workshops and produced the “Health Care Innovation Strategy” which won the 2014 Excellence in EA Award from the FEAC Institute and Zachman International.  

Elyon also developed DHCS specific EA processes, such as architecture assurance assessments used on larger IT projects such as CA-MMIS System Replacement Project, and provided personal coaching for team leaders, managers and practitioners

The Elyon team worked hard to ensure project milestones and deadlines were met, no matter what. 

The Project Outcome

As part of the training, Elyon guided the EA Office through the EA program vision, principles, risk and governance model. With Elyon’s help, the Technology Architecture Board (TAB) was formed. Over the space of a year, Elyon guided TAB through:

• Capability modeling
• Maturity assessment
• Roles and responsibilities
• Vision development
• Strategy formulation 
  

The result was the award-winning “Health Care Innovation Strategy” which established vision, strategy and goals for a 5-10 year strategic plan. 

All of the results from Elyon and the Enterprise Architecture team’s efforts were compiled into technical documents explaining all the processes and procedures they went through to achieve:

• Architecture improvement
• New IT capabilities
• New governance groups and task forces 
  

Elyon wrote and published a few documents that would help unlock this desired transformation, including:

• Internal communications
• Training documents
• Guides 
  

In addition, technical standards, reference architectures, and the Health Care Innovation Strategy Implementation plan was developed to guide efforts over the next five years. 

Elyon Enterprise Strategies, Inc.

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Elyon Strategies is a management consulting firm specializing in enterprise business design. Our purpose is to see executive burdens lessened, organizational order increased, with leaders and their organizations having more hope, more success, less despair, and human need being met.

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