The Federal Transition Framework (FTF) is a single information source for cross-agency information technology (IT) initiatives using a simple, familiar and organized structure. It contains government-wide IT policy objectives and cross-agency initiatives including:
- OMB-sponsored initiatives, e.g., E-Gov and LoB initiatives
- Government-wide initiatives, e.g., Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPV6), Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD 12)
FTF Documents
FTF Release Memo
Memo from Dick Burk, Chief Architect, Office of E-Government and Information Technology, OMB on Dec. 22, 2006 announcing the release of Version 1.0 of the FTF.
Download Now (PDF, 46kb)FTF Usage Guide
Provides guidance to agency decision-makers and cross-agency stakeholders on how to apply and extend the FTF. This is the first document you should read when you start to learn about the FTF and how it should be used. This document was released in December 2006.
Download Now (PDF, 282kb)FTF Catalog: PDF Document
Provides a written description and information references for cross-agency initiatives that are included in the FTF.
Download Now (PDF, 1,115kb)FTF Catalog: XML Document
This document contains the content of the FTF Catalog in XML format. This document was released in December 2006.
Download Now (PDF, 1,088kb)FTF Metamodel Reference
Provides information on the internal structure of the FTF. This document is provided as a technical reference for architects. This document was released in December 2006.
Download Now (PDF, 1,105kb)
Content related to these initiatives is provided in one place – the FTF Catalog. The FTF Catalog is organized into sections. Each section describes a single cross-agency initiative. Information describing each initiative is organized using a standard series of layers mapped to the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) Reference Models. The catalog is published as a PDF document and will eventually be published as an XML document.
Why is the FTF Important?
Information published in the FTF Catalog is provided to support the following goals:
- Increase the alignment of agency enterprise architecture with federal IT policy decisions or other forms of official guidance
- Increase sharing and reuse of common, cross-agency business processes, service components and technology standards
- Increase collaboration through agency participation in cross-agency communities of practice
What are the Benefits of the FTF?
There are a number of benefits from the FTF, both for agencies and government-wide. Agencies can:
- Receive more consistent, complete and detailed information about cross-agency initiatives more quickly to inform their EA, capital planning and implementation activities
- Use cross-agency initiative information to make better decisions about their IT investments
- Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of IT investments to realize service improvements and cost savings
- Communicate more consistent, complete and detailed information about cross-agency initiatives more efficiently
- Increase the level and speed of adoption of cross-agency initiatives
- Improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of IT investments related to cross-agency initiatives
How is the FTF Used?
The FTF Catalog is used to provide information to agency decision makers in support of cross-agency initiative implementation, and to provide guidance to working groups developing cross-agency initiative architectures.
A major release of the FTF Catalog is published each year with the OMB EA Assessment Framework. Publication of the FTF Catalog is the first step in a three-step process to simplify the packaging and dissemination of information describing cross-agency IT initiatives.
- Step 1
The FTF Catalog is published in September of the current year (CY) with the latest version of the OMB EA Assessment Framework. The catalog describes cross-agency initiatives required to be included as an element of agency enterprise architecture.
- Step 2 Agency EA self-assessments are submitted to OMB to be reviewed and assessed in March (CY+1). Submission packages include enterprise architecture work products and an EA Transition Strategy including mandatory cross-agency initiatives related to the agency mission.
- Step 3 Agency budget submissions are submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in September (CY+1). Budget submissions are verified to ensure they reflect the agency EA Transition Strategy including relevant cross-agency initiatives.
