East Point Process Improvement

East Point is implementing steps to streamline the permitting process. The East Point Development Review Task Force met today for a presentation by Yasmine Edge, the Planning and Economic Development Project Manager, on the development review process, which broke down the most pressing issues:

·      navigation

·      permitting and development

·      communication and transparency

Ms. Edge analyzed 18,000 customer Interactions, revealing key issues, leading to proposed solutions:

• Conduct a journey map to understand applicants' user experience to improve the process.

• Develop a department-level FAQ resource for permit applicants to improve navigation in BS&A (the citywide project software used by all departments).

• Create written standard operating procedures (SOPs) describing how technical reviewers perform key tasks in BS&A and incorporate these into the monthly technical trainings.

• Design and launch a recurring monthly technical training series for technical reviewers to standardize permitting knowledge and customer service.

• Publish the training schedule in advance, with links to previous training sessions.

• Send automatic emails to applicants that include an internal point-of-contact list and realistic turnaround-time expectations for responses.

How the data was collected and the process moving forward was defined:

Department Manager Terrence Harris and Ms. Edge determined that site navigation, communication, and transparency are the issues to address first. Ms. Edge compiled data from a front desk counter log, which records all phone and walk-in interactions since 2023, to understand customer interactions and identify communication gaps. Ms. Edge presented the analysis to the department directors, Harris, and the office manager to secure buy-in on the path forward.

I am optimistic about all this.