Technical Architecture: Roles & Responsibilities

The Technical Architect is the one person responsible for all technical aspects of a systems integration
project. The Technical Architect is responsible for:

creating the optimum technical solution in the context of the customer's environment,
requirements, and financial resources
ensuring a quality system design which provides good system performance, an effective
human-machine interface, optimal operational cost, and flexibility for future change
maximizing the productivity of the project team by installing an effective development
environment, establishing programming, design, and other technical standards, training
team members, and providing advisory and trouble-shooting support
providing a focal point for all technical issues and initiatives on the project
ensuring that all components of the technical architecture are properly implemented.
Because of the highly specialized skills required, the Technical Architect may be supported by additional
technical specialists with delegated responsibility for particular pieces of the technical architecture.
However, it is a fundamental principle that the Technical Architect retains the overall responsibility to
preserve the conceptual integrity of the technical architecture as a whole.
Ultimately, the success of the Technical Architect on a particular project will be judged by the following
criteria:

do the various pieces of the technical architecture fit together and function successfully
in production mode?
is system performance (e.g., response time) satisfactory and in line with the
performance predicted at design time?
are the overall costs of hardware, system software, and communications optimized and
in line with budgets established at design time?
is the system designed with flexibility to facilitate future change and expansion?
was the productivity of the development team maximized through the use of practical
technical standards, through the establishment of a development environment with
appropriate tools, and through the technical training and orientation of the development
personnel?
Although the details and the nature of the technical challenge vary from project to project, the general
nature of the activities and tasks that must be addressed is similar. In each project the Technical
Architect is the focal point for all information and communication concerning the technical components
of the project.The next several posts will examine each of these activities in terms of their
responsibilities, inputs, methods and deliverables.