The supply of one (1) full-time resource to act as the Data 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 support in the development of required artifacts for WCB's digital modernization program, as further described in this RFP and in accordance with the Instructions to Vendors.
Project Background
The WCB will be modernizing its business and technology landscape over the next five to seven (5-7) years. The planning stage of the modernization plan will require a major focus on the future state model of its business and support systems and transition architecture for the new processes and technology that will support the business of WCB for the next twenty (20) years. The IT division requires a Data Enterprise Architect to partner with other domain specialists (business architect, integration architect, data architect, security architect, and cloud architect) in the delivery of required strategies and artifacts inclusive but not limited to a SAD (software architecture document) containing a conceptual and logical architecture (physical not required until the implementation phase but will be part of the SAD), cloud strategy, data strategy, and channel strategy. Artifacts will be brought to project governing committee(s) for approval as per the WCB gating processes for all stages of the SDLC (software development life cycle).
Description of Services
The WCB requires the Contractor to supply a resource (the "Data 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 transition to the target state digital ecosystem.
The Data Enterprise Architect will be responsible for all aspects of data governance, including developing the overall data architecture strategy and creating and maintaining methodologies, standards and best practices for data provisioning, data integration, data migration, and data conversion. The Data Enterprise Architect will act as the subject matter expert within the WCB organization and be able to liaise with technical staff, management, product development teams, and implementation teams to ensure data goals and objectives are met. The Data Enterprise Architect will proactively and holistically help guide the WCB through change and modernization initiatives, taking accountability for the data domain and producing a data strategy inclusive of data governance, data retention, data cleansing, data conversion, data migration, future state data warehouse design, target state architecture (conceptual and logical), alignment of data strategy with business strategy/digital strategy, and making technology decisions for all stages of the data life-cycle from data extraction to data presentation.
The Data Enterprise Architect will be expected to deliver a data migration readiness assessment among other deliverables. The data migration readiness assessment will include a clear understanding of the following:
a) Current state data architecture;
b) Target state data architecture;
c) Define the migration scope, proposing a high level strategy, approach and planning to mitigate potential risks of data migration
d) Data migration steps in getting from current to target;
e) Gaps in ability to migrate data;
f) Steps not previously considered during further elaboration reviews; and
g) Pragmatic tasks to reduce costs and risks.
The Data Enterprise Architect will respond to disruptive forces by helping WCB 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 Data Enterprise Architect will help business leaders enable their future-state business capabilities that, in turn, will drive the WCB's targeted business outcomes through the choice of initiatives in which the WCB chooses to invest.
The Data Enterprise Architect will help business leaders achieve business outcomes and understand, monetize, and operationalize existing, new, and emerging technologies.
The Data Enterprise Architect will partner with and motivate the enterprise architecture (EA) team by empowering staff with knowledge and guidance to ensure the best results in the production of essential program artifacts.
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 Data Enterprise Architect will include, but not be limited to, the following:
a) Provide data architecture support and expertise to all major enterprise projects;
b) Ensure enterprise data is structured for ease of use;
c) Review all data/data repositories on a periodic basis and ensures data is properly classified according to use, sensitivity, and importance;
d) Accountable for the design of all data architectures at the conceptual & logical level;
e) Audit security precautions to ensure adequate protection is in place;
Provide formal authorization for data access;
g) Lead all project data migration and data conversion efforts including mapping from source to target;
h) Develop and implement data modelling standards and best practices;
i) Provide direction to solution architects to provide best solutions to meet project’s data needs;
j) Identify opportunities for data alignment and re-use;
k) Define and support ETL (extract, transform, load), data, and business intelligence architectures;
l) Implement principles, policies, standards, and guidelines for data management;
m) Facilitate business and IT alignment through a collaborative, supportive, and consultative manner, driving the WCB's data strategy and approach to ensure modernization targets are met;
n) Provide visibility into risks and issues of digital modernization planning and ensures adherence to enterprise architecture blueprints, standards, patterns, and principles;
o) Establish and support proactive process assessment and formulate preventative measures throughout the organization;
p) Run technology proof of concepts on new products and services and integrate the best of these into steady-state operations for the WCB;
q) Scan emerging technologies and the business ecosystem for major disruptive technology and non-technology trends (trendspotting) that affect business; and
r) Provide practical advice and best practices to take advantage of new, or emerging, opportunities and successfully deliver the expected business outcomes.
The Data Enterprise Architect must have experience and knowledge with the following:
a) A minimum of seven (7) years' experience in data architecture including data integration, operations, and design related disciplines;
b) Design and documentation of conceptual, logical, and physical data architectures;
c) Led a minimum of two (2) large legacy data migration/conversions to a commercial off the shelf (COTS) software package;
d) Using various mechanisms for conversion (such as automated scripts or manually generated scripts);
e) Converting code tables, master data tables, transaction tables, and balance tables;
f) Comprehensive experience with data modelling tools; and
g) Database (SQL, Oracle).
The Data Enterprise Architect should have experience and knowledge with commercial off the shelf (COTS) insurance packages and integration of a COTS package to third party products (e.g. integration platform, digital platform, content management system) which may be considered an asset when evaluating Proposals.
The Data Enterprise Architect is expected to possess the following skills, competencies, and characteristics:
a) Skills:
- Ability to apply knowledge of systems, data, and customer requirements to uncover problems and recommends solutions;
- A thorough understanding of the various legislative acts and how they impact data;
- Knowledge of data integration tools;
- Thorough understanding of project management and SDLC (software development life cycle) methodologies;
- Ability to determine long term directions, industry trends, and how they relate to the organizational needs; and
- Ability to initiate change and to communicate effectively.
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:
Resource's name and identify any subcontractor relationship (i.e. if individual resource is not an employee of the Vendor);
Completed skills matrix identifying resource's skills and knowledge;
Ability to start on WCB's preferred start date or later date of availability; and
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 be provided onsite at the WCB's facilities located at 333/363 Broadway in Winnipeg, Manitoba at least fifty percent (50%) of the time, unless otherwise agreed in writing. 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 June 1, 2023. 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.
Vendors are strongly encouraged to provide a skills matrix for each resource that is being offered for the Data Enterprise Architect position. The WCB may use the skills matrix, in addition to the Vendor's general information, and resume of the proposed resources(s), as an additional tool to evaluate the suitability of a resource for the Data Enterprise Architect position. An example of the WCB's preferred skills matrix form is the following:
REQUESTED/REQUIRED SKILLS
Resource Name(s) : RFP Requirement(s) : Experience Years/Months : Comments
ADDITION/OTHER SKILLS
Resource Name(s) : Skill : Experience Years/Months : Comments
