IASA Develops New Architect Training
by Charlie Griefer, Staff Writer
You've scrimped and saved and budgeted and sacrificed and now you're finally ready to build that dream house by the lake. You've got the plot of land and you've got the hard-earned money. What next? You hire an architect, of course. Finding your architect will likely be a long and arduous process as you look at samples of the applicants' work and ask about their education, degree(s), and certification(s). After all, you wouldn't just take their word for it that they are actually architects, would you? Of course not. That would be foolish.
A similar scenario, if you'll indulge me. Your company has plans to build a new software application that will, in no uncertain terms, revolutionize the world of widgets. After months of interviews you've got your team in place. Mostly. Your developers have experience under their belts and have completed numerous certifications. Your project manager is a Project Management Professional (PMP) and has held that certification for years. Your Software Architect is... well, your Software Architect has experience. He's done some of this and he's done some of that. He says that he's held the title of Software Architect at numerous prior positions (although the job descriptions at each seem to vary a bit).
The role of Software Architect is arguably the most important position on the team. This is the person who will lay the foundation and design the blueprints on which the application will be built. If it's wrong at this stage, chances are it'll never be right. How do you know that this person is, in fact, a Software Architect? More to the point, how do you know that this person meets your definition of a Software Architect?
Consider this issue from a different perspective. You are a Software Architect. You know that your years of experience and knowledge qualify you for the title. But because the definition of "Software Architect" can vary so greatly from company to company, how can you prove to a potential employer that you are, in fact, a Software Architect? More to the point, how can you prove that you meet this company's definition of a Software Architect?
Paul Preiss and the International Association of Software Architects (IASA) want to remove the ambiguity. The IASA is currently developing the first IT Architect Curriculum for practicing Architects. They want to "stabilize and standardize the role" of Architect in the software industry. How would they go about doing this?
For over four years, the IASA has been building communities from all over the world, at all levels, to "survey the field". In early 2007, the IASA brought together a team of 75 Architects. This group worked to determine the specific skill sets that an Architect should possess. Architects with over ten years experience (and over five in a specific area) put together a series of "Skills Articles" that attempt to clarify the specific skill sets that an Architect needs to possess. Additionally, they surveyed 250 IASA members (all Architects themselves, by virtue of membership in the association) to corroborate their findings.
Fundamentally, the IASA sees the role of Architect as being very distinct from that of a developer. In the past, developers have seen the role of Architect as the place where "senior developers go to die". However, the two roles are comprised of very distinct skill sets, and one is not a logical progression from the other. In fact, the Software Architect and the Developer should be peers. The IASA feels that in the past, the role of Architect has traditionally been handed to middle managers who do not possess the entire skill set necessary to succeed at all of the tasks they'll need to undertake in this role.
With the role (and responsibilities) clearly defined, the IASA expects to finalize their curriculum and release 4 iterations (a total of 88 courses) in 2008. It is currently geared towards professionals who have five to ten years of experience, but gaps in their knowledge due to no previous quality training. A majority of the courses will cover what the IASA refer to as "foundation skill sets" that are shared among all Architects. The remainder of the courses will fall into specialized areas, as defined by the association. Examples of these specialty areas are:
- Information Architect - focus on the elements required to structure the information and data aspects of solutions.
- Software Architect - concerned with various software components and their relationships.
- Infrastructure Architect - focus on the design of infrastructure including servers, workstations, networks, physical facilities, etc.
In marketing their curriculum, the IASA found the response by corporate IT departments to be greater than the response by individuals. They believe that this reflects the corporation's need to clearly and accurately define the role of the Architect. Once that has been accomplished, it will be just as important for the individual to display the appropriate skill sets to fit the needs of the corporation (especially now that the organization has a greater, or at least more consistent, notion of what the role entails).
For more information visit the IASA Web Site: http://www.iasahome.org/web/home/home.
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