Gap analysis

Any activity that involves comparing the present state of the business with a conceptual and desired future state, with the objective of ‘closing the gap’ can be considered a gap analysis. By defining and analysing gaps, a planning team can create a roadmap to move the business forward and fill the potential gaps.

Gap analysis can also be used as a technique to assess the extent to which an agency can meet its needs using its present capabilities. The capabilities include but are not limited to:

• business services
• business processes
• employee and workforce competencies
• facilities
• information
• applications
• underpinning ICT infrastructure.

Audience

A practitioner in the context of this guideline can include one or more of the following roles:

• Enterprise architects
• Digital or ICT strategic planners
• Information managers.

Who should perform the analysis?

The development of the gap analysis should be led by an enterprise architect operating as part of an integrated planning team.

Gather information

Completing a gap analysis requires information from two sources; accurate definition of future changes, and identifying the current scenario and capability.

Accurate definition of the future changes required

This information is available in the digital vision or ICT strategy or plan as well as the target state architecture. See the following guidelines for more information:

• Digital or ICT strategy or plan
• Target state architecture

Identifying the current scenario and associated capability.

To reach ‘where the agency wants to be’, it is necessary to assess the current capability. This information can be derived from the current state analysis. See the following guidelines for activities that can help assess current capabilities.

• Current state
• Services and processes
• Information applications and technologies

Gap analysis methods

Practitioners can use the The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) gap analysis method.

Another method of representing the gap analysis is to use the target state architecture and highlight or shade the domains that represent enhancements or new capabilities. These methods can be applied at the information, application and technology layers of an architecture.

Consider potential gap areas

Once the current and future expectations are known, the gaps can be identified as the corresponding actions needed to close those gaps. Gaps can arise from a range of business areas and can include, but are not limited to:

• workforce gaps (e.g., skills and capability gaps, training requirements, recruitment or sourcing of new skills)
• process and service gaps (e.g., process inefficiencies or new or improved services)
• information gaps, where information is:
  • not sufficiently current
  • not located or available where it is needed
  • not available when needed or not the right information
  • not yet created
  • not yet consumed

• gaps in the relationships between information and data
• application gaps including applications that are impacted, eliminated or new
• technology gaps including technologies that are impacted, eliminated or new
• measurement gaps
• financial gaps
• facilities gaps (e.g., buildings or office accommodation).

The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) recommends a process of including the elements or domains of the current state architecture on the vertical axis of a matrix and elements or domains of the target state architecture on the horizontal axis of the same matrix.

Capability matches, enhancements, new capability and exclusions can be documented as part of the matrix, forming the basis of action plans and roadmaps.

Once the current state architecture, target state architecture, and gap analysis have been conducted, roadmaps can be developed that demonstrate the sequencing and priority of activities over the focus areas or planning horizons of the digital or ICT strategy or plan.

Refer to the Roadmaps guideline as your next step in the planning process.