A leader adds value to an enterprise, school included, by having a perspective that is all inclusive and holistic. Inasmuch as a leader is only as strong as the integrity of the information supplied him, in this case by an IT department head, his accountability to the purpose and vision of the enterprise, could very likely lead to a decision other than one made by the IT department exclusively. Surrendering the decision to IT means that business or education outcomes, profit or learning, respectively, could be compromised if the intentions of the IT department do not correspond well with overall enterprise goals. “Education enterprise architecture, or EEA, is a strategic framework that can provide the structure, plan and processes to achieve an education agency’s vision and goals by aligning its business and program side with information technology (IT).” (Pham, 2016, p. 1). What makes the framework strategic, is that it gives you good information on what to do next. The IT department may not have a composite view of the school, and therefore should not be expected to make the final call.
It may be that the school infrastructure technology department may be “robust, flexible, and efficient” (Weirda, 2013), but without the insight and knowledge provided by examining the entire architecture, the IT department may not have what it needs to make the best decision. Without business leaders processing the information comprehensively, IT departments are subject to decisions that follow perspectives that lack peripheral vision: spending on projects may not contribute to “further[ing] its strategy”; in an effort to satisfy the needs of a single unit or department, a separate system may be developed that clumsily communicates with the rest of the school; and ultimately, without the appropriate metrics being considered that affect the bottom line, unclear accountability can contribute to a disastrous slide. (Ross and Weill, 2002). “Enterprise Architecture is a management and technology practice that is devoted to improving the performance of enterprises by enabling them to see themselves in terms of a holistic and integrated view of their strategic direction, business practices, information flows, and technology resources.” (Bernard, 2012, Kindle Locations 497-499). School leaders should heavily consider the information and the suggestions shared by IT, realizing that it is only one face of a multidimensional situation. Allowing IT to make the decision would be risky and irresponsible, unnecessarily jeopardizing established goals. References: Bernard, Scott A. (2012-08-13). An Introduction to Enterprise Architecture: Third Edition. AuthorHouse. Kindle Edition. Ross, Jeanne W. and Weil, Peter (2002). Six IT Decisions Your IT People Shouldn't Make. Retrieved August 26, 2016, from https://hbr.org/2002/11/six-it-decisions-your-it-people-shouldnt-make. (2016). "Enterprise Architecture Frameworks" Reflection - Kay Pham. Retrieved August 26, 2016, from http://kaypham.weebly.com/edl-680/enterprise-architecture-frameworks-reflection. Orbus Software TV (2014, March 4). What is Enterprise Architecture. Retrieved August 25, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpv94Vw6R4c&index=1&list=PLrAWWpbaj-7KM0uNkxKAf2t4Kzyqr_pYy Weirda, G. (2013, April 19). Why Enterprise Architecture?. Retrieved August 25, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDI2oF1bASk&feature=youtu.be
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