Overview

Placement in NORA: Section II — EA Viewpoints (المناظير) used inside the methodology.
A viewpoint is a way of presenting EA components, shaped by who needs to read it and why.
Each viewpoint is built from the components, attributes, and relationships defined in the EA Content Metamodel.
Entities use viewpoints to document the current and target states inside the EA tool and to back decisions.

Viewpoint Types

Type	Description	When to use	Examples from NORA
Catalog	A list of EA components with their attributes and links to related building blocks.	When teams need a detailed inventory and a working reference on the technical and operational side.	Service catalog, application catalog, data vault catalog.
Matrix	Shows the relationships between two sets of components, where one item can link to several on the other side.	For change-impact analysis, spotting overlap between business and technology, and supporting a specific decision.	Application-to-business-service matrix, organisational unit-to-service matrix.
Visual	A single diagram that shows how a set of components connect.	When leadership and stakeholders need the full picture and a way to talk about the target state.	Business value chain, interactive model, application landscape map.

Levels of Detail

The three levels

The highest level of abstraction. Focuses on the big picture and overall direction, not on implementation. Examples: business value chain, application landscape map.

A middle layer that exposes the main attributes and relationships between components without tying them to a specific product or platform. Examples: integration map, logical network diagram.

The most granular level. Describes components as actually deployed, with versions and configurations. Examples: data vault catalog, virtual server catalog.

Main NORA viewpoints

Business value chain: lays out the entity core activities in a single flow, from inputs to the final output the beneficiary receives.

Service catalog: a list of every service the entity provides, with its description, beneficiary, and delivery channel.

Interactive model: shows how organisational units and external partners work together to deliver entity services.

Application landscape map: a single picture of the entity applications and how they relate to the business capabilities they serve.

Application catalog and integration map: a detailed inventory of applications and the data flows between them.

Data vault catalog: a full inventory of where data lives across the entity, digital and paper, including disaster recovery sites.

Data entity to application matrix: shows which application produces and consumes which data entity.

Data centre distribution map and the general network blueprint, alongside virtual server and network device catalogs.

Sharing viewpoints with stakeholders

Step	What happens
Capture requirements	Sit with each stakeholder group and understand the decision they need to make and the information behind it.
Design the viewpoint	Pick the right type and level of detail, then build the viewpoint so it answers the audience question.
Pick a sharing channel	Agree on how it reaches people: a report, a dashboard, or direct access to the EA tool.
Govern versions	Control versions and track changes so everyone knows which copy is the live one.
Improve continuously	Go back to stakeholders on a regular cadence, collect feedback, and keep the viewpoint useful.

Key Takeaway

A good viewpoint does not show everything the architect knows, it shows what the reader needs. Pick the type and the level, then test it with the audience before approving it.

General Component Model

Interactive Model

National Methodology

Overview

Placement in NORA: Section II — EA Viewpoints (المناظير) used inside the methodology.
A viewpoint is a way of presenting EA components, shaped by who needs to read it and why.
Each viewpoint is built from the components, attributes, and relationships defined in the EA Content Metamodel.
Entities use viewpoints to document the current and target states inside the EA tool and to back decisions.

Viewpoint Types

Type	Description	When to use	Examples from NORA
Catalog	A list of EA components with their attributes and links to related building blocks.	When teams need a detailed inventory and a working reference on the technical and operational side.	Service catalog, application catalog, data vault catalog.
Matrix	Shows the relationships between two sets of components, where one item can link to several on the other side.	For change-impact analysis, spotting overlap between business and technology, and supporting a specific decision.	Application-to-business-service matrix, organisational unit-to-service matrix.
Visual	A single diagram that shows how a set of components connect.	When leadership and stakeholders need the full picture and a way to talk about the target state.	Business value chain, interactive model, application landscape map.