Abstract:
Enterprise architecture is an evolving discipline that centres around applying specific Enterprise
Architecture frameworks and methodologies, which has left a gap in identifying skill requirements for
the discipline. The skill requirements for enterprise architects centre on the framework and methodology
they employ and do not provide a complete view of the generic skill requirements to practice the
discipline effectively and efficiently.
In this paper, the top four enterprise architecture frameworks and methodologies are analysed regarding
their skill requirements to establish a generic skillset that can be applied to the discipline as a whole
and is not aligned with a single approach’s requirements. Mixed methods were used to analyse the
information, where themes within the EA frameworks and methodologies were used to identify the
relevancy of specific skills. Furthermore, key literature was datamined to tokenise skills which were all
categorised into a standardised naming convention. An initial generic skillset is provided through this
analysis that was then evaluated and refined by enterprise architecture experts from various
backgrounds.
The research provides a generic enterprise architecture skillset, classified into a four-tier importance
ranking and a layered classification to indicate the type of architectural skill. The findings of this paper
help current and prospective enterprise architecture practitioners to align their skills with the generic
requirements for the discipline and provides a deeper understanding of skill requirements for enterprise
architecture as a discipline and not just for specific implementations.
