Governing architecture
Architecting complex systems

Architecture governance is the way in which different architectures are managed within a company (public or private). It is a key factor in being able to reuse the different results of the architecture process within a project, or more generally within a company for other projects.

There isn't just one level of governance, but several, each with its own disciplines and processes, depending on whether the emphasis is on strategic aspects (external when they relate to the company's business area, internal when it's a question of how the company should organize or operate), or more technical or technological aspects.

Governance is about defining rules to ensure that the company functions properly. It's less a question of strictly controlling perfect adherence to the rules, than of defining principles that enable the company's available resources...