Exemplar Statements and Maturity Model
Introduction to Exemplar Statements
Exemplar statements are key to understanding and measuring digital maturity within the Digital and Cybersecurity Pathway. Each statement represents a specific outcome or capability goal within an architecture area. These statements help organisations benchmark their current practices, set targeted improvements, and track progress as they advance through maturity levels.
Using Exemplar Statements
Exemplar statements are organised by architecture area (e.g., Business, Data, Application) and cover critical capabilities such as compliance, security controls, and data management. For each maturity level, the statements provide a standard against which organisations can assess their own processes and identify areas for improvement.
Example of Exemplar Statements by Architecture Area:
Business Architecture
Bronze Level: "The business has aligned its digital initiatives with compliance and operational goals."
Silver Level: "Digital initiatives support both compliance and performance optimisation, with oversight mechanisms in place."
Gold Level: "Digital initiatives are fully integrated with business strategy, driving both innovation and compliance at an optimised level."
Data Architecture
Bronze Level: "Basic policies for data use, privacy, and protection are established, ensuring compliance with data protection laws."
Silver Level: "Data governance and security policies are formalised, with regular data audits supporting compliance and data accuracy."
Gold Level: "Advanced data governance practices are embedded, supporting data-driven decision-making and proactive compliance."
Security Architecture
Bronze Level: "Firewalls, antivirus, and basic endpoint protection are implemented across the organisation."
Silver Level: "Incident response capabilities are formalised, with regular security updates and access controls across systems."
Gold Level: "Comprehensive cybersecurity frameworks and incident response plans are optimised and continuously improved."
These examples reflect how exemplar statements evolve from foundational capabilities at Bronze to advanced, optimised practices at Gold.
The Maturity Model: 0-3 Scale
Each architecture area and exemplar statement is assessed on a 0–3 scale, representing the progression from basic to optimised practices:
0 – Not Considered: No current practices in place for the specified capability.
1 – Defined: Initial planning or awareness is established, but formal actions are not yet in place.
2 – Managed: Policies, roles, and processes are implemented, and basic practices are being executed.
3 – Optimised: Capabilities are fully embedded, regularly reviewed, and continuously improved.
This scale enables organisations to assign a numeric score to each area, providing a measurable basis for maturity assessment. Scores can be tallied to identify the organisation’s overall maturity level (Bronze, Silver, or Gold) and indicate areas requiring further development.
Progressing Through Maturity Levels
The maturity model supports an organisation’s journey from foundational to advanced digital maturity:
Bronze Level: Emphasises establishing core digital capabilities, compliance, and basic cybersecurity measures.
Silver Level: Focuses on enhancing and managing digital and cybersecurity practices, with more formalised policies and processes.
Gold Level: Represents full integration and optimisation, where advanced digital maturity is embedded across all areas and improvement is continuous.
By consistently improving their scores, organisations can move from Bronze to Silver and eventually achieve the advanced Gold level.
How to Apply Exemplar Statements and the Maturity Model
For guidance on completing an assessment, proceed to the Assessment Guide section. The Best Practice Resources section provides practical tools and case studies to help organisations enhance their maturity level in each architecture area.
Shaping the Future Ideal State
The Digital and Cybersecurity Pathway is built around the concept of defining future ideal states—a vision of what optimal digital maturity and cybersecurity resilience look like. These states are mapped to each of the five architecture areas, ensuring a holistic approach to digital transformation.
At the heart of this process are exemplar statements: clear, measurable benchmarks that define the ideal outcomes for each architecture area and maturity level. By assessing current practices against these statements, organisations can identify gaps, prioritise improvements, and track their progress through the maturity levels of Bronze, Silver, and Gold.
How the Framework Works
Enterprise Architecture Areas The five architecture areas—Business, Data, Application, Technology, and Security—form the structural backbone of the Digital Pathway. Each area focuses on critical capabilities essential to achieving digital maturity.
Vision and Exemplar Statements Each architecture area is defined by:
Vision Statements: Broad, strategic goals outlining the ideal state for that area.
Exemplar Statements: Specific, measurable benchmarks for achieving these goals at each maturity level (Bronze, Silver, Gold).
Example:
Vision for Business Architecture: Align digital initiatives with strategic goals, driving innovation and compliance.
Exemplar Statement (Silver): "Digital initiatives support compliance and performance optimisation, with oversight mechanisms in place."
Maturity Model Organisations are ranked against a 0–3 maturity scale based on their alignment with exemplar statements:
0 – Not Considered: No current practices in place.
1 – Defined: Awareness established, but formal actions are limited.
2 – Managed: Practices are implemented and executed with consistency.
3 – Optimised: Practices are fully embedded, regularly reviewed, and continuously improved.
This model enables organisations to:
Benchmark their current maturity.
Identify gaps and improvement areas.
Progress systematically through maturity levels.
Exemplar Statements in Action
Example Exemplar Statements by Architecture Area
Business Architecture
Bronze: "The business has aligned its digital initiatives with compliance and operational goals."
Silver: "Digital initiatives support compliance and performance optimisation, with oversight mechanisms in place."
Gold: "Digital initiatives are fully integrated with business strategy, driving innovation and optimised compliance."
Data Architecture
Bronze: "Basic policies for data use, privacy, and protection are established, ensuring compliance with data protection laws."
Silver: "Data governance and security policies are formalised, with regular audits supporting compliance and data accuracy."
Gold: "Advanced data governance practices are embedded, supporting data-driven decision-making and proactive compliance."
Advancing Through Maturity Levels
Bronze Level: Establish foundational capabilities, focusing on compliance and basic security measures.
Silver Level: Enhance and formalise digital and cybersecurity practices with structured processes and policies.
Gold Level: Optimise and integrate practices, achieving advanced maturity across all architecture areas.
Organisations advance by improving their alignment with exemplar statements, addressing gaps, and embedding best practices.
What’s Next?
Start your assessment journey in the Assessment Guide to benchmark your current maturity.
Access Best Practice Resources for actionable guidance on improving each architecture area.
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