Planning for Tomorrow: How Digitization is Changing Municipal Services Today

As cities and municipalities strive to modernize their operations, digitizing planning and permitting services has become a top priority. At Perry Group, we've had the privilege of working with numerous municipalities to help them transform their development approval processes. Through these experiences, we've learned valuable lessons that can guide others on similar journeys.

One of the most significant benefits of digitizing planning and permitting services is the ability to provide staff with powerful tools that automate repetitive administrative tasks. By leveraging technology, municipalities can free up staff time, allowing them to focus on more strategic and value-added activities. This not only improves efficiency but also enhances job satisfaction and employee retention.

Another key lesson is the importance of facilitating hybrid working arrangements. By implementing digital solutions, municipalities can enable their staff to work remotely when necessary, while still maintaining productivity and collaboration. This flexibility is particularly valuable in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has accelerated the need for remote work capabilities.

Digitization also improves workload planning, distribution, and monitoring. By having a centralized system that tracks all development applications and permits, municipalities can better manage their workloads, distribute tasks more effectively, and monitor progress in real-time. This transparency helps identify bottlenecks, optimize resource allocation, and ensure timely processing of applications.

One of the most significant advantages of digitizing planning and permitting services is the ability to build transparency into the approval process. By providing online access to development application status, municipalities can keep the public, applicants, agencies, and other stakeholders informed by default. This transparency fosters trust, reduces inquiries, and streamlines communication.

Another important lesson is the need to rethink and redesign how municipalities provide planning services today. By adopting a service design approach, municipalities can integrate internal and external processes involved in the end-to-end development process, such as Engineering, Parks Planning, Building, Finance, Clerks, and various permits. This holistic approach ensures a seamless experience for both staff and applicants.

At Perry Group, we believe in providing city-owned data to customers, rather than asking for it and then correcting or reviewing it. For example, municipalities can provide legal descriptions, roll numbers, current zoning, and official plan designations upfront, reducing the burden on applicants and ensuring accuracy from the start.

Digitizing planning and permitting services is not just about implementing new software - it's about transforming the way municipalities operate. By embracing a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, municipalities can harness the power of technology to enhance service delivery, improve customer experience, and drive economic growth.

The lessons learned from digitizing planning and permitting services are clear: empower staff, facilitate hybrid work, improve transparency, re-design services, and provide city-owned data. By applying these lessons and working with experienced partners like Perry Group, municipalities can successfully navigate the digital transformation journey and reap the benefits of modernized planning and permitting services.