ITA (Information Technology Architecture)

ITA

Information Technology Architecture

1. Overview: ITA, Korea’s public-sector EA framework that structures informatization into four architecture domains

    flowchart LR
    A["Informatization scattered<br/>across agencies —<br/>redundant investment, no standards,<br/>no interoperability"] --"Structure into 4<br/>architecture domains"--> B["As-Is → To-Be → Transition<br/>ITA establishment process"] --"More efficient,<br/>higher-quality IT programs"--> C["Integrated public services<br/>on a government-wide EA basis"]

    style A fill:#FFEBEE,stroke:#D32F2F,color:#000
    style B fill:#E3F2FD,stroke:#1976D2,color:#000
    style C fill:#E8F5E9,stroke:#388E3C,color:#000

Definition: A Korean public-sector EA framework established under the “Act on the Introduction and Operation of Information Technology Architecture” (the ITA Act), under which public institutions systematically build four architecture domains — Business (BA), Application (AA), Data (DA), and Technology (TA) — and secure informatization investment efficiency and interoperability through an As-Is → To-Be → Transition Plan process.

Characteristics: (Legal basis) Overseen by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, mandatory for public institutions — grounded in the Electronic Government Act and the ITA Act. (Government-wide reference model) Based on a government-wide EA reference model that adapts FEAF and TOGAF to Korea’s public-sector environment. (Core of public governance) Linked to informatization project review, budget allocation, and audit — a core system of public informatization governance.

2. Core Structure of ITA

A. The Four ITA Architecture Domains

    flowchart TD
    subgraph R1["　"]
        direction LR
        BA["Business Architecture<br/>administrative functions,<br/>processes, organization,<br/>and service structure"]
        AA["Application Architecture<br/>information system composition,<br/>functions, inter-system interfaces"]
    end
    subgraph R2["　"]
        direction LR
        DA["Data Architecture<br/>data structure, standards, flows,<br/>shared use of administrative data"]
        TA["Technology Architecture<br/>HW/SW/network infrastructure,<br/>technology standards, platforms"]
    end

    style BA fill:#E3F2FD,stroke:#1976D2,color:#000
    style AA fill:#F3E5F5,stroke:#7B1FA2,color:#000
    style DA fill:#FFF3E0,stroke:#F57C00,color:#000
    style TA fill:#E8F5E9,stroke:#388E3C,color:#000
    style R1 fill:none,stroke:none
    style R2 fill:none,stroke:none

Architecture Domain	Core Content	Key Deliverables
Business Architecture (BA)	Defines administrative function classification, business processes, and service flows	Function classification table, process flow diagrams, service catalog
Application Architecture (AA)	Defines information system inventory, functions, and inter-system linkages	Application inventory, interface specifications
Data Architecture (DA)	Defines data structure, standard codes, data flows, and shared use	Data model, standard terms/codes, data flow diagrams
Technology Architecture (TA)	Defines hardware/software/network infrastructure and technology standards	Technical reference model, infrastructure diagrams, technology standards list

ITA Reference Model System

Reference Model	Role	Linked Domain
Business Reference Model (BRM)	Standardizes classification of administrative functions	Basis for establishing BA
Service Component Reference Model (SRM)	Catalog of shared IT service components	Reuse basis for AA
Data Reference Model (DRM)	Standard structure and shared-use basis for administrative data	Standardization basis for DA
Technical Reference Model (TRM)	Standard technology stack, platforms, and interface specifications	Standardization basis for TA

B. Establishing As-Is, To-Be, and Transition Architectures

    flowchart LR
    AS["As-Is Architecture<br/>survey of current<br/>business, systems,<br/>data, and technology"]
    GAP["Gap Analysis<br/>differences and<br/>improvement tasks between<br/>current and target"]
    TO["To-Be Architecture<br/>blueprint of the<br/>future 4-domain target state"]
    TRANS["Transition Plan<br/>phased roadmap,<br/>project priorities and schedule"]
    EXEC["Execution<br/>launch informatization<br/>projects, develop and audit<br/>per ITA compliance"]

    AS --> GAP --> TO --> TRANS --> EXEC
    EXEC -->|"Monitor performance,<br/>update architecture"| AS

    style AS    fill:#E3F2FD,stroke:#1976D2,color:#000
    style GAP   fill:#F3E5F5,stroke:#7B1FA2,color:#000
    style TO    fill:#1E3A5F,stroke:#1E3A5F,color:#fff
    style TRANS fill:#FFF3E0,stroke:#F57C00,color:#000
    style EXEC  fill:#E8F5E9,stroke:#388E3C,color:#000

Stage	Key Activity	Core Deliverable
Establish As-Is architecture	Survey and document the current state across the 4 domains	As-Is architecture definition document (BA/AA/DA/TA)
Gap analysis	Identify differences, redundancy, and inefficiency versus the target	Gap analysis report, list of improvement tasks
Establish To-Be architecture	Build a future blueprint of the 4 domains driven by vision and strategy	To-Be architecture definition document, standards-compliance plan
Establish transition plan	Plan the project roadmap and priorities to reach the target	Transition plan, informatization project portfolio
Execute and audit	Develop in compliance with ITA and conduct audits/performance measurement	Architecture compliance certificate, audit report

3. Expected Benefits and Application of ITA

Category	Key Expected Benefit	Application and Practical Use
Prevents redundant investment	Identifies duplicate system builds within and across agencies in advance	Mandatory review of similar systems via AA before launching a new project
Interoperability	Standard interfaces and data enable system linkage	Compliance with DRM/TRM lays the foundation for inter-agency data sharing
Informatization investment efficiency	Mid- to long-term project planning based on the target architecture	Use ITA deliverables in project review to justify investment feasibility
Supports digital transformation	Systematic governance for adopting new technologies like cloud and AI	Establish a cloud-native transition roadmap by updating the TRM

FEAF DoDAF