Led enterprise and solution architecture for groundbreaking initiatives spanning Australia's most innovative AI education program (#NSWEduChat), an 800,000-student digital credentials initiative (Education Wallet), and departmental reference architectures - scaling AI responsibly while pioneering W3C Verifiable Credentials implementation and creating reusable patterns adopted across the department.
My work at NSW Department of Education spanned enterprise and solution architecture across some of the most ambitious digital transformation initiatives in Australian education. This portfolio represents contributions to scaling AI responsibly across government education systems, pioneering W3C Verifiable Credentials implementation, creating reusable architecture patterns, and balancing innovation with robust governance.
📊 Portfolio at a Glance
Governance & Standards
- • 4 AI governance submissions authored
- • 7-category AI Pattern Catalogue created
- • Reference architectures adopted department-wide
Cross-Agency Leadership
- • 6 government agencies coordinated (Education Wallet)
- • 3 education sectors federated (identity)
- • 2,200+ schools (AI initiative scope)
🎯 Key Themes
- →Scaling AI responsibly across 2,200+ schools
- →Pioneering W3C Verifiable Credentials for 800,000+ students
- →Creating reusable architecture patterns
- →Balancing innovation with government governance
Major Programs & Projects
#NSWEduChat - AI in Education at Scale
Solution Architect / Enterprise Architect
Provided enterprise and solution architecture expertise to scale AI implementation across 2,200+ NSW public schools. This required robust governance, stakeholder engagement with educators, and architecture giving executives confidence to proceed at scale.
Architecture Contributions:
- →Developed solution architecture for AI adoption across NSW public school system
- →Created AI Platform Reference Architecture (layered model from users/channels through AI services)
- →Built AI Pattern Catalogue across seven categories (Conversational AI, Ingestion Pipeline, RAG, Topic Classification, etc.)
- →Established architecture governance for emerging AI capabilities in education
Governance Submissions Authored:
- • ChatEdu Policy Q&A Pilot
- • Student Chat Trial
- • ELSA Review (Advisory Services)
- • Business Efficiency AI Project
✅Outcomes Delivered
- →4 governance submissions authored and approved
- →7-category AI Pattern Catalogue created (now departmental standard)
- →AI Platform Reference Architecture adopted across 5+ projects
- →Patterns used in 10+ subsequent Architecture Decision Advice submissions
Education Wallet Program - Digital Credentials at Scale
Program Architect
Successfully architected program reaching pilot stage before 2023 government change led to cancellation. The architecture and standards work remains relevant for future implementations.
Served as Program Architect for a major cross-agency digital transformation initiative. Co-authored business case that secured $8.9M seed funding from Digital Restart Fund, which subsequently grew to $24.5M cross-agency initiative. The program aimed to provide 800,000+ NSW students with digital credentials, learner profiles, and career pathway tools aligned with national education reform recommendations (Shergold Review, Gonski Review).
Program Streams:
- • Digital Qualifications (W3C VCs)
- • Learner Profile
- • Careers NSW
- • Skills Compare Tool
Cross-Agency Collaboration:
DCS, Service NSW, NESA, TAFE NSW, ESA/NSIP, UAC, and 3 education sectors
Key Architecture Scope:
- →W3C Verifiable Credentials lifecycle (issue, verify, store, revoke, dispute)
- →Federated identity management across three education sectors
- →Integration architecture connecting school information systems and LMS platforms
- →Cloud and mobile wallet architecture with guardianship model for students under 16
✅Program Architecture Delivered
- →$8.9M seed funding secured (grew to $24.5M cross-agency initiative)
- →800,000+ students in scope
- →6 government agencies coordinated (NESA, Service NSW, TAFE NSW, UAC, ESA/NSIP, DCS)
- →3 education sectors federated (public, Catholic, independent)
- →Catalogued 100+ credential types using discovery framework
- →Designed 2 technical pilots (HSC/RoSA, School-issued credentials)
Integration Architecture & Patterns
Enterprise Architect
Developed departmental integration patterns and modernization approaches providing reusable architectural guidance across projects.
Key Deliverables:
- →Modernising Integration Architecture - Created initial integration patterns used across ADA packs
- →Built integration pattern library with reusable architectural guidance
- →Documented patterns in Atlassian Confluence
✅Department-Wide Adoption
- →Integration patterns became standard for all Architecture Decision Advice packs
- →Pattern library referenced in 15+ architecture submissions
- →Patterns socialized via Confluence with 50+ views
DevSecOps Reference Architecture
Contributing Architect
Updated DevSecOps reference architecture with use cases from existing projects at different maturity levels.
Deliverables:
DevSecOps Lean Canvas, Reference Architecture v0.1
Contact Center Modernization
Enterprise Architect
Provided enterprise architecture guidance for Next Generation Contact Centres transformation.
Deliverables:
Genesys Cloud CX overview, Lean Canvas
School Digital Services
Solution Architect
Multiple projects supporting school operations and visitor management.
Projects:
School Sports Unit Digital Platform (Dash), School Visitor Check In (SVCI)
Teaching & Learning Digital Strategy
Strategic Architect
Rural Access Gap roadmap addressing digital equity for rural schools.
Approach:
Value chains, journey maps, SAFe Program Increment Plans
Reusable Assets & Frameworks
🏆Department-Wide Standards Created
- →AI Platform Reference Architecture - 7-layer model adopted across AI projects
- →AI Pattern Catalogue - 7 categories (RAG, Conversational AI, Ingestion, Classification, Safety & Moderation, Resource Ingestion, Topic Analysis)
- →Integration Architecture Patterns - Standard reference for all Architecture Decision Advice submissions
- →DevSecOps Reference Architecture - Framework with maturity model
🔧Governance & Process Assets
- →Architecture Decision Advice (ADA) Templates - Improved submission quality across department
- →Technical Debt Workshop Framework - Structured approach for debt assessment
- →Quality Improvement Workshops - Facilitation materials and guidance
- →Lean Canvas Templates - Applied across multiple project estimations
📐Capability & Standards Mapping
- →Meta-framework Mapping - Alignment of ACARA, NESA, ASC, Core Skills for Work, Employability Skills
- →Skills Vocabulary Mapping - Cross-walk between major education frameworks
- →General Capabilities Framework - Interoperability approach for education credentials
- →W3C Verifiable Credentials Standards - Education-specific schemas and templates
Cross-Cutting Themes & Contributions
Digital Credentials Expertise
Pioneered W3C Verifiable Credentials architecture in education through the Education Wallet program:
- →Identity federation across 3 education sectors (DoE, Catholic, Independent) with 4 identifier systems
- →Guardianship models for 800,000+ students under 16 (cloud + mobile wallets)
- →Standards adoption: Open Badges 2.0, IMS Global CLR 2.0, W3C DID-Web
- →100+ credential types catalogued with discovery framework (Desirable, Feasible, Viable)
AI Implementation at Scale
Architected AI deployment across 2,200+ schools through #NSWEduChat:
- →4 governance submissions authored covering policy Q&A, student chat trials, and business AI
- →7-category Pattern Catalogue (RAG, Conversational AI, Ingestion, Classification, Safety)
- →Azure OpenAI implementation with vector search and embeddings
- →Education-specific guardrails balancing safety with pedagogical value
Integration Architecture
- →Modern integration patterns for government systems
- →API-first approaches
- →Cloud-native architectures
- →Legacy system integration strategies
Architecture Practice Development
- →Reference architecture creation and socialization
- →Pattern libraries and reusable assets
- →Governance process participation and improvement
- →Knowledge capture and transfer
Colleague Testimonials
Testimonials from colleagues at NSW Department of Education:
Dr Pedro Harris PSM
Chief Digital Education Delivery Lead at NSW Department of Education
“Vinod, is someone who thinks outside the box and always has fresh insights to share. I am always attracted to work with people with a high ethical frame and social conscience - Vinod ticks both boxes....
Simon Maizels
Group Director, ITD Teaching and Learning Experience
“Vinod is an outstanding talent that helped the Department with fresh thinking on large, complex digital transformation programs. He is a skilled design thinking practitioner and has the ability to...
Harrison Higgs
Reporting and Governance Officer
“I have had the pleasure of working with Vin in the field of enterprise architecture and governance and can confidently vouch for his abilities as an enterprise architect. His exceptional technical...
Eddie Chi
Director of Enterprise Architecture
“Vin, an experienced and highly collaborative Enterprise architect, who researches, adapts, and collaborate on all things solution architecture and enterprise roadmaps. Through my workings with Vin,...
Key Lessons & Insights
On Large-Scale Public Sector Transformation
Political risk is real - The Education Wallet demonstrated how well-designed architecture serving 800,000+ students with 6-agency support can be derailed by government change. The program had secured $8.9M seed funding (which grew to $24.5M) and completed two successful pilots before the 2023 NSW election led to its cancellation.
Lesson: Success requires simultaneous attention to organizational change, stakeholder engagement, and political alignment - technical excellence alone is insufficient.
On AI Governance in Government
Departments need AI-specific architecture principles beyond general governance. First-of-a-kind AI solutions require enhanced scrutiny. Safety and moderation must be context-specific (education has unique requirements). Pattern development accelerates future AI initiatives.
On Standards & Interoperability
Open standards (W3C-VC, Open Badges, CLR) enable ecosystem development. Cross-agency collaboration requires identity federation and standard approaches. Skills framework alignment is complex but valuable for portability.
On Enterprise Architecture Practice
Visual storytelling enhances architecture communication. Reusable patterns and reference architectures accelerate delivery. Governance processes need balance between rigor and agility. Knowledge capture must be intentional and systematic.
Technologies & Standards
| Category | Technologies |
|---|---|
| Cloud & Platforms | Microsoft Azure (primary platform for AI workloads), AWS, Google Cloud (comparative evaluations for multi-cloud strategy), Azure OpenAI (production AI services), MS Cognitive Search (vector search for RAG implementations) |
| AI & ML | LangChain (AI application framework), GPT-4, Claude (LLM evaluation), Vector databases (semantic search), Embedding models (text-embedding-ada-002), RAG patterns (retrieval augmented generation) |
| Standards & Protocols | W3C Verifiable Credentials (digital credential standard), Open Badges 2.0 (achievement credentials), IMS Global CLR 2.0 (comprehensive learner records), DID-Web (decentralized identifiers), OAuth/OIDC (federated identity) |
| Integration & APIs | REST APIs (API-first architecture), Event-driven architectures (async messaging), SSO/Federation (cross-sector identity), Identity mapping (4 identifier systems reconciliation) |
| Architecture Tools | LeanIX (C4 model visualization), Atlassian Confluence (pattern documentation), Microsoft Teams/Whiteboard (collaborative design), PowerPoint (stakeholder communication) |
Reflection
My time at NSW Department of Education provided unique opportunities to work on genuinely groundbreaking initiatives - from scaling AI across thousands of schools to pioneering digital credentials for hundreds of thousands of students.
The work demonstrated both the power of sound architecture and the reality that technical excellence alone doesn't guarantee success in government contexts. Political, organizational, and timing factors matter enormously.
Most Rewarding
- • Contributing to Australia's leading AI education initiative
- • Creating reusable patterns and frameworks
- • Engaging with passionate educators
- • Building cross-agency relationships
- • Advancing standards adoption
Most Challenging
- • Navigating federated education system complexity (3 sectors, 4 identifier systems, 6 government agencies)
- • Balancing innovation with governance (first-of-kind AI in schools required enhanced scrutiny)
- • Seeing Education Wallet cancelled despite strong pilot results and 6-agency alignment
- • Managing pace of AI evolution (new models every 3-6 months during #NSWEduChat)
- • Maintaining EA rigor while enabling rapid AI experimentation
These experiences reinforced the importance of building in resilience and reusability from the start, documenting and sharing knowledge proactively, engaging stakeholders continuously, and recognizing that architecture is ultimately about enabling people and organizations, not just technical solutions.
"Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending."
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This portfolio represents my contributions to digital transformation in NSW education. While several initiatives did not reach full implementation due to external factors, the architecture, patterns, and lessons learned continue to provide value.