Both customers and staff in the Central Permit Office can agree that the process of getting a permit to build or renovate in the City of Syracuse can be complex. On the customer’s side, we’ve learned that knowing what materials to submit, who to talk to, and what to expect in terms of timeline and next steps for a project can be difficult to anticipate, especially for those applying for a permit for the first time. For City staff who review plans, consult with customers, and inspect buildings, we have heard many times that “no two projects are the same,” especially considering the need to navigate the complexities of local and state code, zoning, and variances, within teams comprised of staff from several different departments.
Hearing from people on multiple sides of the permitting process, it became evident that we needed a way to better communicate about the process both between City staff and with our customers. Process mapping is a tool that allows users to visualize a process by mapping out the individual steps and components in a sequential order. Process mapping can be an especially powerful tool as it allows users to visually contextualize individual steps within the scope of a larger process. After learning more about the processes that customers follow when applying for a permit, as well as the process that City staff follow to review and issue permits, we mapped out the steps of each process and are sharing them with staff and with customers. Our hope is that by allowing customers and staff to visualize the process that they follow in the permit application process, as well as the process that their counterparts follow, it will be easier to anticipate and plan for next steps.
Here is a copy of the internal commercial permit review process map. In it, the applicant is represented by yellow boxes, the Project Managers are represented by green boxes, and the permit reviewers are represented with blue boxes. This process features many elements that are new and a result of our permitting work. They include:
Triaging projects
Production boards
Hopefully this provides some clarity to the commercial permitting process. Stay tuned, because we also plan on releasing a simpler version that shows what happens from the applicants point of view.