Architectural Thinking - Balancing Theory & Practice

Come along to the next EA User Group where Brad McCusker is going to address the central topic of public sector complexity, specifically looking at social, intuitional and information complexity.

Brad will very briefly show the set of kernel theories that were used to develop the extended architectural model that is built on Sparx Enterprise Architect. He will show how the closed loop model can be used to integrate strategic thinking, policy development, resource allocation, Governance, architecture, citizen centric service delivery, capability analysis, portfolio management and performance and outcomes framework into a single shareable knowledge repository.

Finally as both a balance and a direct connection, between the theoretical and the very practical, Brad will show some of the user friendly material and techniques that have been developed to assist architects to use architectural thinking in order to address complexity but without having to resort to using EA jargon. His experience has shown that stakeholders can and do have many of the answers to their struggle with complexity especially if there is a useful guiding artifact to use as a mud map.

Brad McCusker (http://au.linkedin.com/pub/brad-mccusker/6/90/a03)

Brad has had a 33 year career in system thinking, starting back in 1980, working for his father’s construction business, where he implemented his first integrated system combining four systems together; a point of sale system, an inventory control system, a project construction and an accounting system.

Since then he has designed systems in Genetic Engineering, logistics, banking, finance, share trading and capital markets, decision support systems for mineral extraction, geo-spatial systems and global loyalty program available in 10 languages. Over the last seven years he has been involved in an architectural capacity in a number of large Government systems including Systems for People, (DIAC), Paid Parental Leave, (DHS), Standard Business Reporting, (Treasury and ATO), JP2030, (Defence), SE Queensland Water, SA Health capability modelling and as the Enterprise Architect for ACT Government, looking at the architectural thinking for Canberra as a pre-eminent ‘digital city’. Brad is currently working for Fahcsia as an Enterprise Information Architect.

Brad is ‘nearly’ finished his Phd at the ANU, (due for submission in September ‘this’ year) after a six year part-time juggling act, holds an MBA, and is a TOGAF 9.0 Master certificated architect.

Drinks and nibbles will be provided at the conclusion of the presentation - we look forward to seeing you there!

All Welcome – No Charge

If you would like to give a presentation at the next User Group, please contact Stacy Busek or Laura Cannan. Or if you have topic ideas, feel free to post a comment below.