GAO

Building a city without a plan will likely result in confusion, increased expenditures, and sub-optimal results. Similarly, in order to build an effective and efficient IT plan across an agency or multiple government agencies, it is critical to develop a master plan. This master plan is called enterprise architecture (EA).

Which Is Harder: Blueprinting Manhattan or Building an Enterprise Architecture? Well, It Depends.   To reinvent themselves, support their missions, and improve upon day-to-day operations, government organizations are actively pursuing business transformation. This is no trivial undertaking for government agencies with complex enterprises, hundreds of business processes, and thousands of systems. To ensure compliance with regulations, save money by avoiding redundant systems, and simplify business processes, agencies are codifying their enterprise architecture.