Solution architect

You can:

• identify relevant information that can inform your architectural work, such as strategies, roadmaps, policies and technical trends
• understand how your work supports the team in enabling change​

You can:

• listen to the needs of technical and business stakeholders
• create and use different architecture representations to communicate effectively, achieving agreement with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• provide support in discussions about architectural topics within a multidisciplinary team

You can:

• show an awareness of government commercial processes
• show an awareness of legal and compliance rules

You can:

• understand the work of others and the importance of team dynamics, collaboration and feedback

You can:

• describe the reasoning behind architectural design decisions
• gather information to inform decisions
• understand architectural governance and assurance relevant to your work

You can:

• help to frame a problem characterised by managed levels of complexity, complication, or risk so that a solution can be created
• help to create options for solving problems at an appropriate level of detail

You can:

• explain how organisational objectives link to designing strategy
• describe the purpose and application of strategy, standards, patterns, policies, roadmaps, vision, and mission statements

You can:

• create technical designs characterised by managed levels of risk, impact, and complexity
• provide guidance and support to teams using technical designs throughout the life cycle
• adapt a technical design if needed during delivery
• work with well-understood technology and identify appropriate patterns

You can:

• align your work with the work being done by other architects and technical professionals
• track emerging issues, strategies, roadmaps, patterns and technologies over time to assess opportunities and risks to your work
• identify how other teams contribute to delivering outcomes through change

You can:

• lead the communication of complicated, complex or risky architecture topics with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• communicate with senior stakeholders across your organisation
• adapt your message and communication techniques to your audience
• advocate on behalf of a team to other stakeholders
• manage stakeholder expectations effectively

You can:

• understand commercial processes and the appropriate internal contacts within a government department
• understand different sourcing strategies and when to apply them

You can:

• contribute to the work of others
• motivate and empower teams
• create the right environment for teams to work in, and can identify the best team makeup depending on the situation
• recognise and deal with issues

You can:

• work with others to make architectural design decisions characterised by managed levels of risk and complexity
• identify and address architectural risks relevant to your team or domain, for example, business, data, or security
• engage with architectural governance and assurance to effectively manage decisions and risks, with support

You can:

• frame a problem characterised by medium complexity, complication, or risk so that a solution can be created
• produce architectural representations that enable different teams to have a shared understanding of problems throughout the life cycle
• describe options for solving problems so that appropriate delivery methods can be decided

You can:

• support the development of a strategy or vision that aligns with organisational objectives
• challenge requirements and assumptions, and identify opportunities to develop strategy
• support the implementation of a strategy or vision, for example, by using a roadmap or plan
• use architectural principles, patterns, and constraints when appropriate

You can:

• create technical designs characterised by managed levels of risk, impact, and complexity
• provide guidance and support to teams using technical designs throughout the life cycle
• adapt a technical design if needed during delivery
• work with well-understood technology and identify appropriate patterns

You can:

• align your work with the work being done by other architects and technical professionals
• track emerging issues, strategies, roadmaps, patterns and technologies over time to assess opportunities and risks to your work
• identify how other teams contribute to delivering outcomes through change

You can:

• lead the communication of complicated, complex or risky architecture topics with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• communicate with senior stakeholders across your organisation
• adapt your message and communication techniques to your audience
• advocate on behalf of a team to other stakeholders
• manage stakeholder expectations effectively

You can:

• understand commercial processes and the appropriate internal contacts within a government department
• understand different sourcing strategies and when to apply them

You can:

• work collaboratively in a group, actively networking with others
• adapt feedback to ensure it’s effective and lasting
• use your initiative to identify problems or issues in the team dynamic and rectify them
• identify issues through Agile ‘health checks’ with the team, and help to stimulate the right responses

You can:

• make and guide architectural design decisions characterised by medium risk and complexity
• identify and address architectural risks that affect multiple teams or domains
• use architectural governance and assurance to make design decisions and manage technical risks at the appropriate level
• contribute to the development of architectural governance and assurance

You can:

• frame a problem characterised by medium complexity, complication, or risk so that a solution can be created
• produce architectural representations that enable different teams to have a shared understanding of problems throughout the life cycle
• describe options for solving problems so that appropriate delivery methods can be decided

You can:

• support the development of a strategy or vision that aligns with organisational objectives
• challenge requirements and assumptions, and identify opportunities to develop strategy
• support the implementation of a strategy or vision, for example, by using a roadmap or plan
• use architectural principles, patterns, and constraints when appropriate

You can:

• create technical designs characterised by medium risk, impact, and complexity
• maintain appropriate quality and architectural coherence of a technical design in response to change
• use feedback to optimise and refine technical designs throughout the life cycle

You can:

• work to support wider organisational objectives beyond your immediate goals​
• track emerging internal and external issues over time that could affect the work of teams across the organisation
• take action to solve or mitigate problems by influencing colleagues across the organisation

You can:

• communicate with technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels, and across organisations, using architecture communication techniques​
• mediate between people in difficult architectural discussions
• gain support from business and technical stakeholders for architectural initiatives with high levels of risk, impact and complexity
• coach and support others in architecture communication

You can:

• identify appropriate contractual frameworks and approaches
• identify, evaluate and select appropriate suppliers

You can:

• work collaboratively in a group, actively networking with others
• adapt feedback to ensure it’s effective and lasting
• use your initiative to identify problems or issues in the team dynamic and rectify them
• identify issues through Agile ‘health checks’ with the team, and help to stimulate the right responses

You can:

• make and guide architectural design decisions characterised by medium risk and complexity
• identify and address architectural risks that affect multiple teams or domains
• use architectural governance and assurance to make design decisions and manage technical risks at the appropriate level
• contribute to the development of architectural governance and assurance

You can:

• lead the framing of a problem characterised by high complexity, complication, or risk so that a solution can be created
• coach others in defining problems and describing appropriate options for solutions
• help others challenge requirements and assumptions, and identify opportunities when defining problems and solution options

You can:

• define strategies or visions across teams that align with organisational objectives
• direct the implementation of a strategy or vision, for example, by creating roadmaps or plans
• define architectural principles and patterns
• develop or maintain strategy in response to feedback and findings

You can:

• create technical designs characterised by high risk, impact, and complexity
• lead and guide others in creating technical designs that achieve organisational objectives
• use feedback to optimise and refine standards for technical designs throughout the life cycle

You can:

• assess how trends in society and industry practices might impact the organisation
• work with people outside of your organisation to inform policies, strategies and standards
• anticipate changes to policy and build resilience through your architectural work
• coach others in identifying important trends

You can:

• communicate with technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels, and across organisations, using architecture communication techniques​
• mediate between people in difficult architectural discussions
• gain support from business and technical stakeholders for architectural initiatives with high levels of risk, impact and complexity
• coach and support others in architecture communication

You can:

• identify appropriate contractual frameworks and approaches
• identify, evaluate and select appropriate suppliers

You can:

• solve and unblock issues between teams or departments at the highest level
• understand the psychology of the team and have strong mediation skills
• coach the organisation on team dynamics and conflict resolution, while also building and growing the community

You can:

• make and guide architectural design decisions characterised by high levels of risk and complexity
• identify and address architectural risks across the organisation or wider government
• lead and evolve architectural governance and assurance
• represent architectural governance as part of wider governance, for example, legal or commercial

You can:

• lead the framing of a problem characterised by high complexity, complication, or risk so that a solution can be created
• coach others in defining problems and describing appropriate options for solutions
• help others challenge requirements and assumptions, and identify opportunities when defining problems and solution options

You can:

• define and connect strategies or visions across the organisation or wider government
• enable the implementation of strategies or visions across the organisation or wider government, for example, by advocating for resources and removing blockers

You can:

• create technical designs characterised by high risk, impact, and complexity
• lead and guide others in creating technical designs that achieve organisational objectives
• use feedback to optimise and refine standards for technical designs throughout the life cycle

Architect for the whole context

Architecture communication

Commercial perspective

Community collaboration

Making architectural decisions

Problem definition and shaping

Strategy design

Architect for the whole context

Architecture communication

Community collaboration

Making architectural decisions

Strategy design

Technical design throughout the life cycle

Community collaboration

Community collaboration

Community collaboration