GETTING AHEAD OF THE CURVE: SUCCESSFUL ACTIONS FOR BUILDING DEPARTMENTS TO ADDRESS PRESSURES -...

GETTING AHEAD OF THE CURVE: SUCCESSFUL ACTIONS FOR BUILDING DEPARTMENTS TO ADDRESS PRESSURES - ELECTED OFFICIALS & BUSINESS

Robert WibleAlliance for Building Regulatory Reform in the Digital Age at FIATECH & Principal, R. Wible & Associates

Oregon Building Officials Association Quarterly Business Meeting January 23, 2009 Eugene, OR

MOVING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS FORWARD

Getting & Staying Ahead of the Curve: Successful Actions by Building Departments

Share observations about forces impacting state and local government

“The Streamlining Imperative”

Actions you can take & tools from the Alliance you can

use to enhance public safety & economic development /recovery - “Down Time is the Best Time”

Examples of new tools – ePlan Review & “L.A. Basin Project” – Demonstrate interoperability in mobile field inspections – safety/damage assessments


The Alliance for Building Regulatory Reform in the Digital Age at FIATECH

A Public/Private Partnership of Associations & Government Agencies – Summer of 2001– NACo, Mayors, NGA, NASCIO, Federal Agencies HUD, DOE,

NIST…

– FIATECH, AIA, NAHB,AGC,BOMA, ….

– Wisconsin; Los Angeles; Fairfax County, VA ; Salem, OR, etc..

Share best practices to improve gov’t effectiveness & efficiency

Provide streamlining resources that, when adopted, have reduced regulatory costs by 40-60 %


The Alliance Mission

Enhance our nation’s public safety, disaster resilience and economic competitiveness…

By streamlining and applying information technology to the nation’s regulatory process…

Making it more effective and efficient.

This is not about regulatory abandonment!!!


Forces Impacting Construction And Regulation

Our world is in rapid transformation/turmoil

We live and work in unique and challenging times:– At no other time in past 30 years have economic & safety

pressures been greater on our communities & construction industry (9-11 & Katrina)

– At no other time has public impression of the competency of government been lower

– At no other time has technological change been more rapid

– Challenges of an economy in severe recession


Forces Impacting Construction, Elected Officials and Regulation

6 CHALLENGING FORCES – 1990s to Present – Now coming together in a perfect storm….

Economic– changing role of nation in global economy & now in severe recession

Reduced Resources – demands for downsizing and increased efficiency in govt.

Public Safety– greater demand from natural disasters and terrorism

Demographic– aging population & immigration

Environmental– energy costs, resource depletion & global warming

Technological– rapid changes & new technologies


Sample Forces

REDUCED RESOURCES TO GOVERNMENT - Know too well:

Tax payer & legislature limitations on revenues/expenditures Downsize government & R.I.F.s While at same time demands for greater governmental

efficiency with less resources– “Do more with nothing”

– Imperative to attract & keep businesses open

– Yet be prepared for stimulus and next economic boom!


Construction Industry Response to these Forces?


Construction Industry Response

Initial Response to Overwhelming Economic Forces Caused by Recession:

- Retrench

- Postpone projects or build elsewhere

- Home Builders - Dump land & look at higher densities for future building

- Look for and promote “shovel ready” projects for economic stimulus packages - State/Fed


Construction Industry Response –Growing Demands to

Build Safer, Faster, Better & Less Cost by:

- Building Green & Sustainable

- Applying Information & Other Technologies to Construction to reduce waste:– BIMs (Building Information Modeling) for whole

building life cycle - construction thru O & M, renovation & demolition.

– Supply chains are integrated into Virtual Building design and construction systems

– Support IT for less time in regulatory system


Government’s Response to Forces?

ELECTED OFFICIALS:

- Retrench

- Go Green

- Find ways to be

more efficient

- Promote Fed funding

for “Shovel Ready”


Pressures from Construction Industry & Elected Officials on Your Departments

Make your programs support their “Green Initiatives” - Fast track to green projects

Demand greater energy conservation enforcement out of codes depts.

Reduce Staff funding / travel/ resources Demand greater efficiency (speed) in admin &

enforcement activities & be prepared for next boom

Be ready to facilitate “shovel ready” projects


The Efficiency Imperative = A “Streamlining Imperative”

With reduced investments, credit, for construction & revenues for government

With increasing unemployment

With greater emphasis on energy conservation, sustainability & reduced waste

Can no longer afford an inefficient regulatory system that:

- Takes 60% more time than efficient systems

- Slows use of innovative technologies


Building Department Response ?

How prepared are building departments to respond to these demands?

- How Green?

- How “regulatory ready?”

- How staffed & funded ?

- How efficient ?

- What technologies in use ? Available?

- What allies to support adequate response?

A look at I.T. usage nationwide ……..


The Regulatory System Response Thru the 2008 ?

Nationwide, only 10% of 40,000 jurisdictions, adopting and enforcing building codes, use IT– Only 2% allow electronic submission of plans

– less than 1% do reviews

– Less than 4% use mobile inspection technology

Near total lack of inter-operability of building data within same jurisdiction

Virtually none between jurisdictions

Yet………


Promising Jurisdiction Responses

Statewide Responses: Oregon ePermitting project; Wisconsin looking into ePlan Review & BIM, Louisiana IT Roadmap

Regional Responses – Joint Venture in S. Bay Area of California looking at regional ePlan review

Multi-County approaches in several states

Growing number of local jurisdictions applying IT across all programs – reduce amount of time by 60 %


Example of Savings – Applying IT to All Processes - 18 mos. down to 9 mos.


So What Can Be Done to Respond & Get and Stay Ahead of the Curve?

What Can Be Done Now to Support Economy

& be “Regulatory Ready” for “Shovel Ready” Stimulus Projects?

Internal Actions Actions to be Taken Collectively Two Sample Streamlining & IT Projects


Moving from Behind the Curve to Ahead of It - Internal Actions

Addressing Perceptions vs. Realities

Turning Adversaries into Allies

Sharing Best Practices in Streamlining & Being both More Efficient & Green

Tools at your disposal now

An Agenda for Change – requiring interoperability in hardware / software


Moving from Behind to Ahead of the Curve – Internal Actions Addressing Perception vs. Reality – A Proactive

approach - more outreach now to your

external stakeholders & elected officials to:

- Share examples of efficiencies you already have achieved

- Ways in which you enhance economic development & speed to recovery from disasters

- Identify areas in need of improvement & start to work on them ahead of being directed

“Down Time” is the “Best Time” to assess & start action


Moving from Behind to Ahead of the Curve

Turning Adversaries into Allies:

- Most successful programs reach out to external stakeholders and involve them in recommending & making improvements to their programs. (Milpitas, CA’s – “Partnership to Achieve Goals”)

- Work now on staff culture – from regulator to partner in construction of safe, efficient buildings (Salem, OR – Advisory Committee)


Moving from Behind to Ahead of the Curve

Sharing Best Practices - Green & Streamlining

- Identify & publicize existing green benefits from I.T. & streamlining already done – ePermitting, remote field inspection technology,

IVR systems, etc.

- Identify & publicize streamlining efficiencies – reduced time in regulatory system, more efficient uses of staff – 40% - 60% reductions.


Alliance Streamlining Materials Help You Get & Stay Ahead of the Curve:

Work with Private Sector to act on the complex interacting forces impacting them & government

Identify & reduce barriers to streamlining

Work with stakeholders & elected officials to embrace & fund technologies & change

Successfully implement information technology to enhance effectiveness & efficiency


Available Alliance Resources

Alliance for Building Regulatory Reform in The Digital Age - now at FIATECH identifies barriers, shares & promotes best practices to eliminate by producing:– Surveys, Guides & Information on Streamlining & I.T. for

Elected Officials

• Model Procurement Requirements• Demonstration of Interoperability• E-Plan, Remote Field Inspection, etc.• ROI Data for Jurisdictions• Streamlining Toolkit• Guides on IT Tools & How to Fund & Apply • Top 10 Reasons Why IT Not Used


Tools You Can Use with Elected Officials & Stakeholders / Customers

Streamlining Toolkit


Tools You Can Use – Two Examples: ePlan Review & Interoperability

• White PapersePlan Submission/Review/Tracking & Storage

• New White Paper:From Paper to Digits – Steps to Move Your Community into the Digital Age


Specific Benefits of Electronic Plan Submittal, Review, Tracking & Storage

Speed building construction at reduced cost Significantly reduce number of errors in design

& construction Significantly reduce energy used in repeated

trips to building department / paper consumed, storage space

Speed reconstruction after a disaster Prepare community for future – BIM, first

responder database of “as-builts”


Immediate Green Benefits

Using e-Plan Submission/Review, a jurisdiction issuing 3,000 permits/year saves :

– 312,00 miles of driving & 20,800 gallons of gas & $57,200 in fuel costs

– 457,600 lbs of carbon dioxide emitted

– 192,000 lbs of paper (239 trees)

– Paper storage for 12,000 lbs of drawings


How to Move from Paper to Digits& or Apply Other IT

Perform Self-Assessment using Work Group comprised of internal & external stakeholders (White Paper Checklist)

– Work flow & work load

– Personnel & Organizational issues

– Operating Budgets

– Technical expertise & existing technology

– Communications & Coordination


How to Move from Paper to Digits

Step by Step Process for Acquisition & Implementation including:

– Access lessons learned

– Build & maintain stakeholder support

– How to work with Staff

– Funding & RFP issues

– Hardware (monitors) & software


Successful Efforts to Move from Paper to Digits

Phasing in: Submission, Tracking, Storage, & then Electronic Plan Review


Successful Efforts to Move From Paper to Digits

Lesson’s Learned by Communities that have added electronic plan submission, review, tracking & storage.

Case studies & information on other contacts:

– Maricopa County, AZ

– Osceola County, FL

– Bend, OR


Collective Actions We Can Take to Move Ahead of the Curve (OBOA)

Share your successes & lessons with others – including media, industry & elected officials

Look Ahead, Learn About and Support:

- integration of BIM into ePlan systems

- ICC’s SMARTcode initiative & use

Require interoperability in future procurements


An Agenda for Change: Requiring Interoperability in Hardware / Software

Alliance Model Procurement Requirements

Available on website: www.natlpartnerstreamline.org

Second Streamlining Example: The L.A. Basin Project – demonstration interoperability in hardware / software used in safety/disaster damage assessment reports – remote field inspections – Funded by U.S. DHS


The Problem

In the aftermath of a disaster

what can be done to speed:

- Conducting of safety/damage

Inspections?

- Getting inspection results

Into central database to understand magnitude?

- Completion & submission of ATC forms to get victims & Federal disaster assistance funds?


Lesson From Katrina

Mobile inspection technology

can significantly speed

conducting & compiling

safety/damage assessments & immediately enter results onto forms to speed claims / recovery - 120,000 homes in 6 weeks!

L.A. Basin Project – Can we apply this in California with diverse hardware/software on a regional and then statewide basis?


L.A. Basin Project

In 2007 - CA OHS support, CA OES $125,000 grant from U.S. DHS to:

Work in L.A. Basin to “Demonstrate Regional Interoperability of Mobile Safety/Damage Assessment & Inspection Technologies” to prove concept CA & local govts can build:

- a regional

- a statewide network of safety/damage assessment inspectors to speed disaster reporting & recovery


Demonstrating Interoperability in Remote Field Inspections- L.A. Basin

10 month project with CA OES to:

- Study feasibility of getting diverse hardware/software used in remote field inspection (damage assessment reports) to exchange data. - Survey of Region

- Pilot demonstration project with 4 jurisdictions – Gardena, Glendale, San Dimas & Santa Clarita

- Implement in regional disaster drill


Demonstrating Interoperability in Remote Field Inspections- L.A. Basin

Diverse hardware: Lap tops , PDA’s, with diverse software (Accela, Infor/Hansen, Selectron, etc.)

Damage assessment data migrate immediately into FEMA forms

When successful expand to full L.A. Basin departments & then statewide

Start: May – June –Survey Demos: August & November


Phase II - Pilot Demonstration

Pilot Demonstration:

- Design methodology to use / link diverse

hardware &

software &

get it to

compile data

& send to

central point

INTERNET or VPN

JURIDATA STAGED and

INSPECTION DATA

IVR and MOBILE

DEVICES with PROPAGATED

DATA

PAPER-BASEDFORMS

FEMAFORMS


Outcome of Pilot Demonstration

August 27, 2008: 4Jurisdictions

8 different devices 3 different software systems & all: pulled down addresses, conducted inspections, uploaded to central data point & downloaded inspection results onto ATC – 20 forms


Expanded Demonstration During Golden Guardian – 7.8 Quake

Revised Methodology - Expand number of jurisdictions but also:

- Test under realistic disaster conditions - “Grab and go” - Use more IVR - Use paper inspection forms – scan to

upload - Central data point in GG SOC Sacramento - Mockup actual building – LAUSD Middle

School #3 S. Shatto Place, L.A.


Lessons Learned

Simulated & actual

damage conditions

were successful test

of technologies Paper-based & IVR

inspections strengthen

future system Inspection of mocked up school beneficial Need to simplify all aspects of technology


Recommendations to California

Regional Network can be readily built using mobile technology, IVR & paper

Keep system simple

Work on issue of address uniformity

Work on interoperability standard to go into future procurements of IT

Build Regional & then Statewide Network

Share outcome from Phase II with other states to consider similar compatible networks (SAP)


Next Steps – Phase III & IV with California - Under Development

Phase III – Build

first network in

S. California – 2009

Phase IV – Expand

Network Statewide –

2010 -2011 & expand

to other states - Oregon ? April ’09 –”Cascadia Peril” ?


Additional Resources to Help You Get & Stay Ahead of the Curve

ALLIANCE at FIATECH - Membership

- Monthly conference calls / webinars on streamlining & IT issues with construction industry & IT Community

- Share best practices & develop new streamlining & I.T. materials

Also see article in December issue of ICC’s “Building Safety Journal”


For More Information

Contact me:• 703-568-2323• [email protected] / [email protected]

Visit our websites• www.natlpartnerstreamline.org• www.fiatech.org

I am located here in Oregon in Hillsboro 30% of time if you want to meet!


Questions?

GETTING AHEAD OF THE CURVE: SUCCESSFUL ACTIONS FOR BUILDING DEPARTMENTS TO ADDRESS PRESSURES -...

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