The next version of the FTF will be released in September 2006. The new version will incorporate feedback from the agencies and the E-Gov and LoB initiatives on the pilot version of the FTF. It will also include information for more cross-agency initiatives.

OMB will release a new version of the FTF each September so agencies can use it to inform their enterprise architecture planning process. There may also be mid-year updates to the FTF Catalog to include new information for the cross-agency initiatives included in the FTF Catalog. One update will most likely follow the release of the President's Budget each year.

Each September the FTF will also be released with a new version of the EA Assessment Framework which OMB will use to assess agency enterprise architectures the following March.

At a minimum, the next version of the FTF Catalog will include updated sections for the cross-agency initiatives included in the pre- release - IPv6, IT Infrastructure, and E-Authentication. The FTF Catalog will also likely contain sections for the other new Lines of Business (LoB) initiatives - the Geospatial LoB and Budget Formulation and Execution LoB.

OMB will work with other E-Gov and LoB initiatives where a significant number of agencies are still in the process of adopting and implementing them. OMB is developing the list of cross-agency initiatives to be included in the next release of the FTF Catalog and will release that as soon as it is finalized.

While the FTF does not actually include the FEA Reference Models, the FTF is based on and extends the FEA Reference Models. The FTF has all of the same "layers" as the FEA Reference Models (e.g., performance, business, data, services, and technical) and adds one more layer for "initiative". It also uses the FEA Reference Models as the common taxonomy for mapping content for the cross-agency initiatives included in the sections of the FTF Catalog. This will make it easier for agencies to compare their own enterprise architectures to the cross-agency initiatives.

The FTF and the FEA Reference Models will be released at the same time each September using the FEA Reference Model Maintenance Process.

OMB and the CIO Council's Architecture and Infrastructure Committee (AIC) will work together to develop a process for including new content and updating existing content in the FTF Catalog. This process may be very similar to the FEA Reference Model Maintenance Process already in place for maintaining the FEA Reference Models, where the AIC provides recommended updates to OMB and OMB officially incorporates the recommendations into new versions of the models.

The FTF Catalog includes information to help agencies determine which cross-agency initiatives are applicable to them. The "Applicable Agencies" field in the "Initiative" layer in each section of the FTF Catalog identifies the agencies for which the cross-agency initiative is applicable.

OMB's EA Assessment Framework provides information on how agencies' enterprise architectures will be assessed relative to the cross-agency initiatives. It also includes guidance on the transition strategy as part of an agency's enterprise architecture and how the transition strategy is linked to other agency management processes. More information can be found in Section 1.5.5 ("E-Gov, Line of Business, and SmartBUY Alignment and Implementation"), Section 1.5.6 ("IPv6 Planning"), and Appendix B ("Transition Strategy Overview"), of the current version of OMB's EA Assessment Framework.

A "mandatory" initiative is one for which OMB has required agencies to take specific actions, such as with IPv6 and the requirement to make network backbones IPv6-compliant by June 2008. Agencies must include the "mandatory" initiatives in their target architectures and transition strategies. Agencies' enterprise architectures will be assessed against these initiatives as part of OMB's annual enterprise architecture assessment process.

"Informational" initiatives are included in the FTF Catalog for agency planning purposes. Agencies are not required to include these initiatives in their enterprise architectures and will not be assessed against them as part of OMB's annual enterprise architecture assessment process. However, agencies are encouraged to use the information included in the FTF Catalog for "informational" initiatives as soon as possible to inform their internal decision-making processes.

Agencies should pay particular attention to the "Initiative" and "Strategy and Performance" layers for each section of the FTF Catalog. This will help agencies understand the context of each cross-agency initiative, relevant guidance associated with an initiative, an initiative's intended outcomes, and any requirements placed on agencies related to an initiative. The "Initiative" layer in each section of the FTF Catalog also identifies the agencies for which the cross-agency initiative is applicable.

OMB's EA Assessment Framework provides information on how agencies will be assessed to determine the alignment between an agency's IT portfolio, enterprise architecture, and the cross-agency initiatives.

More information can be found in Section 1.4.5 ("CPIC Integration"), Section 1.5.5 ("E-Gov, Line of Business, and SmartBUY Alignment and Implementation"), and Section 1.5.6 ("IPv6 Planning") of the current version of OMB's EA Assessment Framework.

OMB Circulars A-11 and A-130 also provide guidance on how agencies should use their enterprise architecture to guide and inform their CPIC process.

Agencies should use their enterprise architecture and their transition strategy, in particular, as management tools to help them align their IT investments and programs with the cross-agency initiatives. OMB's EA Assessment Framework provides information on how agencies will be assessed to determine the alignment between an agency's IT portfolio, enterprise architecture, and the cross-agency initiatives. It also includes guidance on the transition strategy as part of an agency's enterprise architecture and how the transition strategy is linked to other agency management processes.

More information can be found in Section 1.4.5 ("CPIC Integration"), Section 1.5.5 ("E-Gov, Line of Business, and SmartBUY Alignment and Implementation"), Section 1.5.6 ("IPv6 Planning"), and Appendix B ("Transition Strategy Overview") of the current version of OMB's EA Assessment Framework.

OMB Circulars A-11 and A-130 also provide guidance on how agencies should use their enterprise architecture to guide and inform their CPIC process.

The FTF does not change any agency reporting requirements defined in existing policy, such as OMB Circulars A-11 and A-130. If agencies want to make changes to their IT investment portfolio or IT programs as a result of applying the FTF, they should treat those changes just as they normally would in terms of the information that should be reported to OMB and the conditions under which it should be reported. If agencies have questions on what they should report to OMB to document changes or proposed changes in their IT investment portfolio or IT programs, they should discuss the circumstances with their designated points of contact within OMB.

OMB is considering the development of an assessment tool for cross-agency initiatives similar to OMB's EA Assessment Framework which would complement the Lines of Business Concept of Operations (LoB CONOPS) document. The assessment tool would help OMB and the cross-agency initiatives evaluate the maturity of an initiative and identify any informational or operational gaps needing to be closed.

Until this assessment tool is in place, OMB will use the LoB CONOPS document as the basis for evaluating the completeness and consistency of the architectural work products developed by a cross-agency initiative.

Per the OMB EA Assessment Framework, agencies are required to submit their enterprise architectures annually in late February for assessment by OMB, as well as quarterly reports on their progress in achieving their enterprise architecture program milestones. Agencies' enterprise architecture documentation included as part of their annual assessment submissions to OMB should reflect the latest version of the FTF, which will generally be the version released the prior September.

OMB will use the EA Assessment Framework to assess an agency's enterprise architecture to determine alignment with the cross-agency initiatives. Under the "Results" capability area, the EA Assessment Framework includes specific criteria to assess an agency's progress in aligning and implementing its enterprise architecture in support of cross-agency initiatives, such as the E-Gov and LoB initiatives, SmartBUY, and IPv6.

More information can be found in Section 1.5.5 ("E-Gov, Line of Business, and SmartBUY Alignment and Implementation") and Section 1.5.6 ("IPv6 Planning") of the current version of OMB's EA Assessment Framework.