TOGAF is documentation-heavy and linear. Scrum is iterative and lightweight. Running them together means breaking the Architecture Development Method into sprint-sized chunks instead of treating it as a single pass from Phase A to Phase H.
Mapping ADM phases to sprints
The ADM doesn’t have to run in one direction. You can treat each phase as a backlog item and pull work through in sprints.
| TOGAF Phase | Scrum equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preliminary | Sprint 0 — governance, tools, team setup |
| Phase A: Vision | Product backlog epics for the EA vision |
| Phases B-D: Business, Data, Application, Technology | One domain per sprint |
| Phase E: Opportunities & Solutions | Backlog refinement for implementation |
| Phase F: Migration Planning | Roadmap prioritisation |
| Phase G: Implementation | Delivery sprints |
| Phase H: Change Management | Sprint retrospectives |
Roles
The Enterprise Architect maps closest to Product Owner — they prioritise the architecture backlog. The Architecture Board shows up at sprint reviews. The Scrum Master facilitates the process and removes blockers.
Practical approach
Start with a Sprint 0 to set up governance and define the Architecture Vision as an epic. Each subsequent sprint delivers a piece of the architecture — business process models in one sprint, application landscape in the next. Use sprint reviews for stakeholder feedback and retrospectives to adjust the approach.
The main tension is around documentation. TOGAF wants comprehensive artefacts; Scrum wants just enough to deliver value. The compromise is “just enough” architecture per sprint, refined in subsequent sprints rather than perfected upfront.
Tools
Jira or Azure DevOps for backlog management, with TOGAF phases tagged on items. ArchiMate or Lucidchart for modelling, integrated into sprint work. EA checks embedded in sprint reviews rather than separate governance gates.