Guidance and Resources

GEA-NZ Reference Taxonomies

The 4 core GEA-NZ v3.2 reference taxonomies provide useful lists of the "what" for Government Enterprise Architecture.  The Reference Taxonomies are used to:

  • Provide common language to;
    • Promote service, information, system and technology interoperability.
    • Reduce complexity by abstracting, organising and simplifying complex information sets.
    • Improve overall consistency and cohesiveness of cross government services, shared services and common capabilities.
    • Deliver consistent and aligned views of commonly required operational and technological services. 
  • Improve the efficacy, utility and cost effectiveness of ICT across government;
    • Drive ICT efficiencies and transformation programmes through identification of opportunities for development or and reuse of common solutions.
    • Support the development and delivery of coherent AoG Common Capabilities portfolio.
    • Support the AoG Data Governance initiatives.

GEA-NZ v3.2 Taxonomies were approved by the Government Enterprise Architecture Group (GEAG) on the 25th of May 2017.

The reference taxonomies are documented and available in PDF:

The reference taxonomies are also available in Excel:

Suggestions for new elements or changes to the taxonomies can be made to GEA@dia.govt.nz

The GEA-NZ Reference Models provide the "Why" and "How" for the GEA-NZ Reference Taxonomies.

Sparx Systems EA Reference Taxonomies modelling files

GEA-NZ is modelled by the Government Enterprise Architecture team using a modelling tool from Sparx Systems called Sparx Enterprise Architect.  XMI files have been produced from the GEA-NZ v3.2 Reference Taxonomies package in our GEA-NZ v3.2 Project.  Please read the following note before importing the XMI files.

  • Please back-up before loading XMI into a model.
  • GUIDs are the same as the version 3.1 taxonomies where the taxonomy element is essentially the same; i.e. the same concept. 
    • However the elements themselves may be in different places in the taxonomy structure, and even in different lower level packages. 
    • New elements and GUID's have been used where new concepts are introduced
  • Please keep the GEA-NZ reference Taxonomy as pure reference, and use new elements to create customised local variations IF you want to update the taxonomy from future import files.
  • XMI v2.1 will just overwrite the existing elements with the same GUID, unless the "Strip GUIDs" option is selected on the XMI import dialog box.  

Sparx EA modelling files produced January 2018. These include all corrections and changes suggested since the release of the taxonomies mid 2017.

Page last updated: 12/01/2018