The Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba (WCB) invites firms to submit a Proposal for the following: The supply of one (1) full-time resource to act as the Chief Enterprise Architect for an initial period of twelve (12) months with an irrevocable option to extend up to two (2) additional periods of three (3) months each, to provide expertise and support of the WCB's Enterprise Architecture capability and maturity improvements as a foundation for future transformation.
Description of Services
The Chief Enterprise Architect will proactively and holistically help guide the WCB through change and modernization initiatives, supporting the formulation of its future strategy. The Chief Enterprise Architect's scope of activities will include helping the WCB achieve targeted business outcomes related to technology modernization, optimizing costs, and mitigating legacy technology risks. The ideal candidate will focus on building relationships with business and IT stakeholders, communicating the value of enterprise architecture (EA) and the services it offers, and shaping and guiding the delivery of EA services and artifacts.
The Chief Enterprise Architect's focus is to:
a) Engage business and IT stakeholders, creating and building relationships;
b) Communicate IT strategies and enterprise architecture artifacts in clear terms;
c) Assist the WCB's Chief Technology Officer in the development of an EA practice oriented around internal management consulting;
d) Drive the evolution of the EA team's services and operating model in the support of legacy mitigation and business modernization;
e) Facilitate alignment between business and IT, and across the IT landscape; and
f) Coach and mentor EA practitioners and solution delivery teams.
The Chief Enterprise Architect will act in a management capacity to lead the formal EA practice, managing a team of internal and contract domain architects (business, information, solution, technical, cloud, security and other) in a direct capacity. The Chief Enterprise Architect will also be responsible for defining the advisory process, EA process, and architecture governance for digital modernization, and for leading the integration of those processes with related business and IT functions.
The Chief Enterprise Architect will respond to disruptive forces by helping business and IT leaders facilitate the decision-making process and providing actionable recommendations on initiatives and policies to help the WCB drive targeted business outcomes. The Chief Enterprise Architect will help business leaders enable their future-state business capabilities that, in turn, drive the WCB's targeted business outcomes through the choice of initiatives in which the organization chooses to invest.
The Chief Enterprise Architect will help the WCB's business leaders achieve business outcomes and understands, monetize and operationalize existing, new, and emerging technologies. The Chief Enterprise Architect will build and motivate the EA team, empowering domain architects with coaching and mentoring to build a creative and safe learning environment.
The Chief Enterprise Architect will lead, prioritize, and develop the overall EA approach for the WCB, and communicates architectural direction. The Chief Enterprise Architect will have purview into (and may directly manage) other architecture-related activities and the respective roles (such as business, information, solution, and technical).
The WCB will require the Contractor to supply the Chief Enterprise Architect on a full-time basis [thirty-six and a quarter (36.25) hours per week] to provide their expertise and support of the WCB's IT capability and maturity improvements as a foundation for future transformation.
The Services shall normally be performed during Business Hours. However, the WCB may request some of the Services to be performed outside Business Hours from time to time, as deemed necessary, in the unfettered discretion of the WCB. The Contractor shall not be entitled to charge overtime rates unless specified in the Fee Schedule.
The scope of responsibilities for the Chief Enterprise Architect will include, but not be limited to, the following:
a) Mature the EA Practice:
-
Implement and mature the EA practice as a core IT capability in alignment with WCB's business strategy and strategic priorities;
-
Train the enterprise, domain, and solution architects in how to create the necessary artifacts required for EA (SAD, business architecture, context diagram, SIAM, conceptual and logical architecture, etc.);
-
Coach and develop the EA team through the presentation of key artifacts during the expected gates of artifact delivery;
-
Bring new technology modernization approaches, models, and tools into the EA practice, to support the WCB's business outcomes and derive increased business value from the discipline.
b) Develop the EA Team:
-
Ensure the core EA team works closely with extended EA team members across the WCB. Plan and manage a talent pool of domain architects that works with EA and non-EA related disciplines to deliver the goals, objectives; and outcomes of the WCB's priority initiatives;
-
Develop the critical skills, competencies, and career paths for the EA team members; in particular, building the business and behavioural competencies needed to support delivery of the EA consulting services; and
-
Coach and mentor members of the EA team.
c) Connect Strategy to Execution:
-
Facilitate business and IT alignment through a collaborative, supportive, and consultative manner, driving the WCB's digital business strategies and balancing risks;
-
Translate and execute business strategy to achieve the WCB's targeted business outcomes by leading the development of an implementation roadmap for digital modernization strategies and technologies; and
-
Provide visibility into risks and issues of digital modernization planning and ensure adherence to EA blueprints, standards, patterns, and principles.
d) Work with Business and Leadership Stakeholders to Develop Strategy:
-
Understand disruptive forces and the WCB's economic and financial levers that are susceptible to digital transformation to effectively guide investment decisions;
-
Lead the analysis of business and operating models, market trends, and the technology industry to determine their potential impact on the WCB's digital direction; and
-
Provide perspective on the readiness of the WCB to change and innovate, and supports formulation of digital modernization strategy.
e) Develop, Track, and Manage Execution of Business Enablers, Trends, Disruptions, Opportunities, or Ideas:
-
Detail potential competitive threats from digital enterprises that are generally considered outside of the traditional realm of competition;
-
Run technology proof of concepts on new products and services and integrate the best of these into steady-state operations for the WCB;
-
Scan emerging technologies and the business ecosystem for major disruptive technology and non-technology trends (trendspotting) that affect business; and
-
Provide practical advice and best practices to take advantage of new, or emerging, opportunities and successfully deliver the expected business outcomes.
f) Enable Value-Based Messaging and Manage Cross-Functional Relationships:
-
Provide consultative advice to business leaders and organizational stakeholders who seek actionable recommendations to make investment decisions about the next business and operating model of the WCB, using technology to make that change happen;
-
Lead and facilitate interaction with business leaders and project teams in a business-driven conversation over the risks and implications of the product decision to the line of business, business units, and greater enterprise; and
-
Leads a collaborative 'guild' of architects and work with a strategic committee to resolve conflicts between product lines and enterprise business outcomes.
The Chief Enterprise Architect must have experience and knowledge with the following:
a) Master's or bachelor's degree in business, computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, system analysis, or a related field of study, or equivalent experience;
b) A minimum of ten (10) years' business experience in strategic and operations planning and/or business architecture;
c) A minimum of ten (10) years' experience in at least three (3) disciplines, such as business, information, solution or technical architecture, application development, middleware, information analysis, database management, or operations in a multitier environment; and
d) A minimum of seven (7) years' experience with complex technology modernization projects preferably with an insurance company.
The Chief Enterprise Architect should have experience and knowledge with legacy technology remediation and risk mitigation strategies as well as implementation of modern technology solutions and integration to third party products, e.g. integration platform, digital platform, content management system (which may be considered an asset when evaluating Proposals).
The Chief Enterprise Architect is expected to possess the following skills, competencies, and characteristics:
a) Skills:
- Knowledge of business ecosystems, software as a service (SaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), service-oriented architecture (SOA), APIs, open data, microservices, event-driven IT and predictive analytics;
- Knowledge of business models, operating models, financial models, cost-benefit analysis, budgeting and risk management;
- Familiarity with information management practices, system development life cycle management, IT services management, agile and lean methodologies, infrastructure and operations, and EA and ITIL frameworks;
- Understanding of the different types of agile principles, methodologies, and frameworks, especially those designed to be scaled at the enterprise level;
- Understanding of existing, new, and emerging technologies and processing environments;
- Experienced in managing a team of architects, designers, planners, engineers, and other professionals and being able to focus and motivate them to meet project timelines and business outcomes;
- Strong leadership skills with exceptional soft and interpersonal skills, including teamwork, facilitation, and negotiation;
- Strong consulting skills such as targeted communications, engagement management, stakeholder management, and business development;
- Knowledge of all components of EA, business, and IT principles and processes;
- Familiarity with basic graphical modelling approaches, tools and model repositories;
- Excellent analytical, planning, and organizational skills;
- Excellent written, verbal, communication, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate new ideas and concepts to technical and nontechnical audiences; and
- Experienced in meeting with clients to discuss design details and answer questions about the design process.
b) Competencies:
- Organizationally savvy, with situational and contextual intelligence of the political climate of the enterprise and how to navigate obstacles and politics;
- Balance the long-term (big picture) and short-term implications of individual decisions and organization goals;
- Estimate the financial impact of EA alternatives and applies multiple solutions to business problems;
- Rapidly comprehend the functions and capabilities of new technologies;
- Ready to think, behave, and act in an innovative consulting manner to drive the WCB's digital business strategies; and
- Understand and speak the language of the business.
c) Characteristics:
- Trusted and respected as a thought leader who can influence and persuade business and IT leaders;
- Comfortable, experienced, and accomplished at working with business executives, and able to push back in a professional and diplomatic way;
- Highly collaborative and supportive of business and of its ideals and strategies;
- Highly innovative with aptitude for foresight, systems thinking, and design thinking;
- Vendor- and technology-neutral; more interested in achieving targeted business outcomes than in personal preferences, or in vested personal preferences of other business and IT leaders;
- Composed in the face of opposition to architectural principles, governance, and standards; and
- Practical in approach to problem solving and decision making.
The Proposal should include an overview of the proposed resource(s) being offered, including profiles of work which highlight their experience performing similar projects. Vendors are expected to provide the following for each proposed resource:
a) Resource's name and identify any subcontractor relationship (i.e. if individual resource is not an employee of the Vendor);
b) Completed skills matrix identifying resource's skills and knowledge;
c) Ability to start on WCB's preferred start date or later date of availability; and
d) Resume of resource.
Final selection of a resource may be subject to an in-person, telephone, or video conference interview by the WCB.
The Contractor will not be required to have and maintain workers' compensation coverage for its workers who will be providing the Services, unless required pursuant to The Workers Compensation Act.
The Services shall normally be provided onsite at the WCB's facilities located at 333/363 Broadway in Winnipeg, Manitoba at least fifty percent (50%) of the time. Working remotely for more than fifty percent (50%) of the time may be permitted, but only as pre-approved in writing by the WCB.
It is expected the Services will be required for an initial period of twelve (12) months with a preferred start date of July 15, 2024. The WCB shall have an irrevocable option to further extend the Services on the same terms and conditions and fees for two (2) additional periods of up to three (3) months each.
The Contractor will not be permitted to participate in future WCB procurement processes directly related to its digital modernization program, core system replacement, or legacy mitigation initiatives, in order to prevent future conflicts of interest.
