Task: Manage Follow-up

This task describes the follow-up necessary after a review or analysis of an IT architecture perspective. This ongoing follow-up ensures that the actions agreed and assigned during the review are tracked and necessary actions completed.

Disciplines: UAM IT Architecture

Purpose

An architectural review is carried out to ensure that the perspective models are complete and well-defined, and to ensure that the system is accurately captured in the models. An architecture analysis takes a step back from the IT architecture and looks at the larger context, proposed solutions, implications of these solutions, and how it all fits into the enterprise's business strategy, IT strategy, technology and other standards, and other plans and objectives. This analysis is slightly different for each of the levels. Not only are the participants different, the focus and objectives of the analysis at the Business level are much different that those at the Technical level

Relationships

Roles	Primary Performer: Architecture Support	Additional Performers: Business Line or Domain Architect Business Unit or Project Architect Enterprise Architect
Inputs	Mandatory: Architecture Review Record	Optional: Architecture Principles Business Goals Business Mission Business Model Business Motivation Model Business Objective Business Perspective Business Strategy Business Vision Context and Objectives IT Strategy Logical Perspective Policies and Laws Project Charter Simple Logical Perspective Simple Technical Perspective Technical Perspective
Outputs	Architecture Review Record
Process Usage	IT Architecture Delivery > Review the Architecture > Review Business Perspective > Manage Results IT Architecture Delivery > Review the Architecture > Review Logical Perspective > Manage Results IT Architecture Delivery > Review the Architecture > Review Technical Perspective > Manage Results IT Architecture Processes > Review an Architecture > Manage Review Follow-up IT Architecture Processes > Analyze Models > Manage Analysis Follow-up IT Architecture Processes > Consult with Stakeholders > Manage Consultation Follow-up

Main Description

Following each review meeting, the results of the meeting should be documented in some form of Artifact: Architecture Review Record. In addition, change requests are formally recorded and assigned to someone to own and drive to resolution.

One of the most important yet surprisingly often neglected aspects of reviews is the management to resolution of the follow-up tasks or actions identified during the review. While you can usually resolve many of the identified issues during the course of the review meeting itself, be prepared to assign tasks as needed but ensure that the workload of team members is balanced.

Note that even if you can review everything you need to in a single meeting, you probably won't get approval of all your conclusions the first time. Be prepared to carry out subsequent reviews as necessary to help manage the undertaking of a large number of follow-up tasks.

Steps

Scan Review Record of Actions

Scan the list of recorded actions from the review and identify any that need to be reviewed or updated.

Get Updates to Actions

Contact the person responsible for dealing with the action and obtain an update on its status.

Update Follow-up Actions

The following updates may be done for each review record action:

Mark as completed;
Update the status and the description of the action if needed;
Update the planned date of completion if needed;
Escalate the issue or action, to the project manager or higher, if needed.

The architecture perspective review / analysis is not complete until all actions are marked as completed.

The review record is re-published once all updates are done.

More Information

Checklists	Architectural Review Business Perspective Logical Perspective Technical Perspective
Guidelines	Architecture Review Business Perspective Logical Perspective Review Options for Artifacts Technical Perspective