For the last 12 months, the i-team has been working with the Central Permit Office to improve the City of Syracuse's permitting process. The year was spent discovering and engaging stakeholders, then developing initiatives that would transform the permitting process both for our staff as well as their customers.
COVID-19 created a new set of challenges for the Central Permit Office, with only essential construction allowed and the need for limited in person contact. However, the Central Permit Office rose above the challenge and renovated the process to address these issues. These renovations included allowing customers and staff to conduct virtual meetings and implementing a digital production board to replace the physical one.
We created a process map to help customers and staff to visualize the entire permitting process. Our goal was that it would provide clarity and understanding for people planning their next project or business venture. However, we recently also created a video, which not only showcases our work this year but also serves as another effective tool for people to understand the new permitting process. The video is designed to be a virtual step-by-step walkthrough of the process. It takes the viewer through the eyes of the applicant while also displaying some behind-the-scenes work from the Permit Team. The video features several new features and refined steps in action, which include:
Project registration form
Project Managers and their tasks
Intake meetings (in person and virtual)
Project triage projects
Digital production boards
Credit card payments
We hope this video and all of our work will make permitting easier and more efficient for everyone.