DPW Permit Process Improvement
Background: A midsize city had a paper only permitting process, which was driven by a central permitting office. Despite typical challenges with paper processing such as increased review times, one department had significantly more delays than any other. The Department of Public Works (DPW) accounted for sixty percent of the entire review time, despite having less responsibility or technical demands than other departments. Permits were also frequently lost when they were sent to DPW, and there was no system for monitoring the permits or clear accountability for them within the department.
Process: The project team created a process map for the entire permitting process from intact to issuance based on interviews with staff. The team then followed along as permits went through the process in real life for several weeks. The team observed significant differences between the map as the process was theoretically happening and the process in practice. The team also observed numerous breakdowns in communication, tracking, and reporting.
Solution: A new process map and standard operating procedure (SOP) was created for the permit process within DPW to reflect the most efficient and effective method given the staffing, physical layout of the department (since this was still a paper process), and the requirements of the permit. Existing staff was required to review the materials and sign off that they had completed the review before processing any more permits. The physical permits were also entered into a tracking system and marked when they were received, moved between staff members, and were sent to the next department.
Results: The review times within DPW fell by more than half and there were no reports of lost permits in the subsequent six months. The increased efficiency and effectiveness improved the overall relationships between the departments within the process and the morale of the staff within DPW. The DPW team also began to participate in a larger working group to help the City transition to a digital permit system, which was implemented several years later.
