MASTER Assignment
Towards a method for improving the coherence between the reference architectures within the Dutch public sector
Type : Master M-BIT
Period: Sep, 2023 - Feb, 2024
Student : Overvelde, R.M. (Remco, Student M-BIT)
Date Final project: February 8, 2024
Supervisors:
Abstract:
Within the Dutch public sector, reference architectures are used to align and improve (digital) public services. Every sector has a reference architecture that the organisations within that sector can use. Sectors are intertwined with each other, so the reference architectures also have overlaps. Most reference architectures within the Dutch public sector have their architectural knowledge published on semantic wikis. In the last few years, the number of reference architectures has increased, and therefore a growing desire for improved coherence between reference architectures has emerged. One aspect of improving coherence involves defining and establishing explicit relationships between components of reference architectures. However, no standardised approach exists for defining and establishing these relationships. This research bridges this gap by providing a method that can be used by digital architects to define and establish relationships between components of reference architectures within the Dutch public sector. The method was validated by a case study in the educational sector. It was concluded that the method is useful for defining and establishing relationships between components of educational reference architectures. While proven useful, the method may require adjustments for direct application to every reference architecture due to variations in semantic wikis and architectural knowledge.