Architecture principles underpin the development of all architectures, designs, guidelines, and standards.
The following table outlines the health sector architecture principles:
| Principle Name | Statement |
|---|---|
| Secure by design | The architecture shall ensure security considerations are commenced from the requirement’s phase of development and are treated as an integral part of the overall system architecture. |
| Accessibility | The architecture shall provide users the minimum necessary access to systems and data to perform their duties, function or task. Authorisation for access to data will be by the primary “owners”/custodians of the data. |
| Reuse of Capabilities | The architecture shall ensure the reuse of suitable existing capabilities, within the Health Sector. Reuse is mandated over the development or acquisition of duplicative capabilities. |
| Performance and Functionality | The architecture shall ensure that the level of functionality is appropriate for the purpose that is being attained and shall provide sufficient capacity to allow the supported systems to perform as required. |
| Simplicity | The architecture shall be kept as simple as possible whilst still meeting the requirements of the business. |
| Innovative and Agile | The architecture will be innovative and agile, and shall support the incorporation of new technologies to support business and technology innovation. Architectures that increase agility & scalability and incorporate flexibility to support changing business needs shall be preferred. |
| Compliance | The architecture shall ensure information systems and processes comply with all relevant laws, policies, standards, guidelines and regulations. |
| Supportability | The architecture shall be supportable individually and as a whole. |
| Mobility | The architecture shall provide secure access to the required data and applications regardless of location or device. |
| Common Vocabulary and Data Definitions | Data is defined consistently throughout the health sector, and the definitions are understandable and available to all users. |
| User-centric | The architecture shall recognise the importance of the user, so that services and processes are effective and efficient both for the user and the system. |
| Testability | The architecture shall be designed to allow testing by simulation of the production environment to a degree appropriate for the level and type of testing. |
| Affordability | Affordability both in capital and operating expenditure is a requirement of all projects and initiatives, and a core requirement for the sector. |
| Value for Money | The architecture shall aim to achieve greatest value for money. Value for money is achieved when the “right sized” solution is selected to meet the needs. |
| Open Standards | The architecture shall provide for open standards where appropriate. |