Starting from scratch can be overwhelming, even for code enforcement professionals with decades of experience. Yet it is not uncommon for code enforcement officers to start a new role and find themselves faced with vaguely defined processes, little pre-existing framework, or disorganized operations.

Whether you’re new to running an established department, taking on the work of setting up an entirely new department, or stepping into an “army of one” situation, creating a framework for your department’s operations will set you up for success in your new role.

In this post we offer a step-by-step guide on how to allocate existing resources and establish new processes and operating procedures to ensure a successful future.

Scope out existing activities and resources.

Before you do anything else, it’s imperative to first understand the situation as-is, from your agency’s current state of affairs with ordinance violation enforcements to pre-existing resources.

Understand the status of existing cases.

Even if you are forming a new department, your municipality or county has a previous history with how ordinance violations have been handled in the past, and likely will have current open or pending cases.

If you have no other colleagues to ask, search for an existing database of code enforcement cases. This could be physical files in a cabinet, an Excel spreadsheet on the department hard drive, or an internal case management system.

Talk to senior management or leadership about case priorities. They may prefer that you work on currently open and pending cases, or shift focus to new cases. If open/pending cases are the priority, speak to colleagues and other stakeholders to determine if there are any high-visibility cases that should be your initial focus.

Take inventory of current tools and resources.

What tools are already available to help you succeed in this new role? Tools include both physical assets, such as equipment, as well as documents or processes. Look for:

• Hardware: tablets (iPad, Surface Pro), digital camera, Wi-FI hotspot

• Software: login credentials to access your county assessor’s GIS database; Microsoft Office credentials to help create notices in Word or reports in Excel

• Code-specific tools: Process documentation, updated list of municipal codes, ordinances, and/or violations, templates for notices and other documents

Determine budget.

Does your department have a separate budget, or does your function fall within another group within the city? Understanding where your budget comes from can help determine the level of additional resources available to help you achieve your vision.

Establish standard operating procedures.

If you are establishing a new department or walking into a pre-existing one without standard operating procedures (SOPs), now is the time to create them. SOPs are essentially just a written-down system or flowchart that the department will use to respond to calls, make investigations, get in touch with violators and successfully resolve a situation.

Even if you don’t write them out, your new department will eventually establish procedures based on repeated patterns of behavior that occur as you perform daily tasks. However, clearly defining processes and policies will help your department establish the criteria for success moving forward.

As you clearly define your department’s processes and policies, consider:

Case Initiation: Will your agency be proactive or reactive? Will you actively seek out code violations by dedicating time each week to “going on the beat,” or will you primarily take new cases via submissions from citizens or internal stakeholders?

Intake Channels: What processes and methods will you use to take public submissions? Will you primarily receive submissions from phone or email, or will you utilize a software tool like a CRM or 311 app?

Inspections: What processes and timelines will you use for verification inspections and follow-up inspections?

Compliance Periods: How long will you give violators to comply before escalating the case for further action? As you determine compliance periods, consider the urgency of violation types and whether they pose a nuisance, a threat to public safety, or somewhere in between.

Notice Escalation: Determine what criteria you will use to escalate a case between different levels of warning or notification. What would constitute a verbal warning vs. a written warning? What criteria will you use to move the notice further along with citations, municipal court orders, etc.

Related Reading: Creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in Code Enforcement

Establish a reporting schedule.

Senior management or executive roles such as a city manager or city council will routinely want to see reports on code enforcement activity. Reporting is not only a great way to show the value of code enforcement for your community, but can also be leveraged internally to determine where to best allocate your resources – or to make the case for additional resources in the future.

First check with your leadership to determine if there is an existing reporting framework for recurring delivery of data to managers, executives, and/or council.

If Yes, adopt the existing framework and propose improvements based on your review of any gaps.

If No, collect opinions from important stakeholders on what kind of data they would value and how often they would like to receive it. Propose issuing your first recurring reports after 30, 60 or 90 days of service, depending on what is most feasible for you given the department’s current resources and caseload.

Related Reading: Reporting in Code Enforcement: 3 Challenges and How to Solve Them

Reporting KPIs

Key performance indicators are a quantifiable measure that can be used to evaluate success and help demonstrate the value of code enforcement. If you are starting a reporting schedule from scratch and aren’t sure what data points would be best to include, consider the following:

• Open cases each month

• Average time to close a case

• Public comments

• Time frame from case initiation to first inspection

• Total number of confirmed violations

• Violations resolved voluntarily

• Violations resolved via forced compliance

• Violations remedied without court

• Violations that require court proceedings

• Average fines collected

Related Reading: The Value Of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in Code Enforcement

Create a vision statement for the Code Enforcement department.

Present this to your manager and the executives at your agency to get feedback and sign off on your proposed vision. Seek permission to distribute this to staff members across your agency so colleagues know what your vision is and what they can expect from you in subsequent interactions.

While this might seem like an unnecessary step when you consider the amount of work you will have to do to set a new department up from scratch, establishing a vision for how you want code enforcement to run will help set the stage for every other step you take in the set-up process.

Invest in Resources

As you establish a framework for your department’s operations, you may identify some gaps that need to be filled to ensure the department’s future success. To fill these gaps, you may need to invest in resources, such as:

Field Equipment: Supplying the department with the tools they need to be mobile capable can maximize productivity in the field.

• Ex: tablets (iPad, SurfacePro), cell phones, mobile printers

Software: Code enforcement-specific software allows officers to better track and manage open cases, as well as quickly create reports to provide to leadership.

• Ex: Comcate Code Enforcement Manager software

Training: No matter how advanced we are in our careers, there is always room to learn more or sharpen our skills. Perhaps your municipality struggles with a recurring issue that evades solution, or maybe you feel lost in creating SOPs from scratch. Whether it’s better understanding a subset of code enforcement you haven’t experienced before or discovering new ways to manage a department efficiently, investing in training or consulting services is always worthwhile.

Ex:

• Code Enforcement Skill Building Courses

  • Metric One Training & Consulting

  • Sonya Shearer Consulting Services

  • GMS Presentations and Training

• Specialty Program Consulting

  • 4LEAF, Inc.

Schedule a Meeting with Comcate Today!

Learn how Comcate can help make government delivery simple, and offer a modern digital experience to help you increase transparency, efficiency, and performance across your departments. If you have any questions about implementing our software, please fill out the form below or call us directly at (415) 632-1248.

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