Transcript Document

GETTING AHEAD OF THE
CURVE: SUCCESSFUL
ACTIONS FOR BUILDING
DEPARTMENTS TO ADDRESS
PRESSURES - ELECTED
OFFICIALS & BUSINESS
Robert Wible
Alliance 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
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
MOVING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS FORWARD
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 %
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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!!!
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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
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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
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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!
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Construction Industry Response to
these Forces?
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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
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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
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Government’s Response to Forces?
 ELECTED OFFICIALS:
- Retrench
- Go Green
- Find ways to be
more efficient
- Promote Fed funding
for “Shovel Ready”
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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
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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
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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 ……..
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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 interoperability of building
data within same
jurisdiction
 Virtually none between
jurisdictions
 Yet………
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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 %
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Example of Savings – Applying IT to All
Processes - 18 mos. down to 9 mos.
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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 THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS FORWARD
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 THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS FORWARD
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 THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS FORWARD
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)
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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.
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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
MOVING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS FORWARD
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
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Tools You Can Use with Elected Officials
& Stakeholders / Customers
 Streamlining Toolkit
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Tools You Can Use – Two Examples:
ePlan Review & Interoperability
• White Papers
ePlan Submission/
Review/Tracking
& Storage
• New White Paper:
From Paper to Digits –
Steps to Move Your
Community into the
Digital Age
MOVING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS FORWARD
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”
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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
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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
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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
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Successful Efforts to Move from Paper
to Digits
 Phasing in: Submission, Tracking, Storage, &
then Electronic Plan Review
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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
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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
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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
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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?
MOVING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS FORWARD
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?
MOVING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS FORWARD
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
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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
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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
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Phase II - Pilot Demonstration
 Pilot Demonstration:
- Design methodology to use / link diverse
hardware &
software &
IVR and MOBILE
INTERNET or VPN
JURI
DATA
STAGED and
INSPECTION
DATA
get it to
compile data
& send to
central point
FEMA
FORMS
PAPER-BASED
FORMS
DEVICES with
PROPAGATED
DATA
MOVING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS FORWARD
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
MOVING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS FORWARD
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.
MOVING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS FORWARD
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
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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)
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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” ?
MOVING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS FORWARD
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”
MOVING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS FORWARD
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!
MOVING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS FORWARD
Questions?
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