Reporting in Code Enforcement: 3 Challenges and How to Solve Them
Code enforcement officers deal with challenges everyday on the job, from stubborn homeowners to excessive workloads. Despite the challenges that occur in the field, for many code enforcement officers, one of the most daunting tasks is actually reporting.
Reporting is an essential part of the job. It demonstrates the value of code enforcement to leadership, and can be crucial in obtaining much-needed resources for those departments that are overworked. For many code enforcement professionals, however, reporting is a task that creates a lot of stress and anxiety. From not knowing what metrics to share or how to best present them to struggles with actually gathering the data, there are a lot of hurdles to putting together a good report. Here’s a look at 3 common challenges for reporting in code enforcement – and how to successfully find solutions to each.
Understanding what key performance indicators (KPIs) leadership wants to see from code enforcement reporting is a major challenge for many departments.
Challenge #1: No Clear Understanding of What Data Leadership Wants to See
This is a problem we hear all the time from the code enforcement professionals we work with. Leadership asks to see a report…but doesn’t specify what they want to see. “You’re the professional; you tell me what the report should include” isn’t an uncommon sentiment to hear. For many code enforcement professionals, that lack of direction puts them in the stressful position of not knowing where to begin with compiling a report.
Solution: The only way to understand what leadership wants is by sharing examples, getting feedback, and having honest and open conversation. You can only start with what you have, so begin by gathering any data you already have, and presenting it to leadership. If you feel the data or report itself is inadequate, rather than stress about it, see it as an opportunity to start a conversation with leadership about the resources you would need in order to provide them what they are looking for.
Keep in Mind: Pressure trickles down. It’s important to understand that while leadership may be putting pressure on you to provide visibility through reporting, they are also under pressure from the media, their constituents, or council members to provide updates on what is happening in the city and how local government is responding to concerns. By providing updates on department KPIs, you are not only better equipping your city manager, police chief or other leadership figure to answer the demands on them, but helping to build a stronger relationship with them, which in turn can benefit your department.
Pro Tip: For more on code enforcement KPIs, check out the blog post “The Value Of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in Code Enforcement.”
Challenge #2: No Well-Defined Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are extremely important to all aspects of code enforcement – including reporting. SOPs are essentially just a written-down system or flowchart that your department uses to respond to calls, make investigations, get in touch with violators and successfully resolve a situation. Every code enforcement department has an SOP – it’s just a matter of having it “formally” put on paper or not.
SOPs are beneficial in many ways – from training new employees to improving efficiency – but they can also help make reporting easier. In an SOP, you’ll have a category for each step of the process: intake, inspections, issuing notices, etc. By having a well-defined outline for each step in the code enforcement process, you’re setting yourself up to track activity in each of these areas – and when you can track activity in segments like that, you make it easier to report on that activity.
Solution: If your department doesn’t have a well-defined SOP, there’s no better time to put one down on paper! Start by putting together a draft of 8-10 bullet points of your department’s processes for your work, then share it with your team to start collaborating. Getting everyone onboard with your department’s SOP can uncover other benefits, too. You may discover that not everyone in the department uses the same procedure, which can help clear up accountability issues, or you may even uncover efficiencies that can help reduce workload for the whole department.
Challenge #3: You Lack the Tools for Efficient Data Collection
A report doesn’t have to be fancy so long as the data is good – but if you lack the tools to collect and aggregate the data, obtaining the good data necessary to compile a good report becomes a lot harder to accomplish. This is especially true for departments that rely on pen, paper and filing cabinets for case management. There are many intricacies to reporting in code enforcement, and if your first stop is hand-pulling files, that puts extra mental pressure on the preparer to remember to grab all relevant cases. Utilizing code enforcement-specific software can not only make the data collection process easier, but often provides the ability to generate reports with a single click of a button.
For departments that are already strapped for time and resources, however, getting access to the tools they need to make reporting easier sounds like an insurmountable challenge – but it doesn’t have to be.
Solution: The easiest place to start is by having a conversation with IT. It’s not unheard of for another department to have extra iPads in storage – or even software with unlimited licenses that could allow code enforcement to stake a claim. Unlikely? Maybe – but you’ll never know unless you ask. (Aside: We’ve worked with municipalities where both of these situations were true!)
After you’ve exhausted current resources with IT, the next step is to take it to leadership. If you are already touching base to get feedback on what KPIs they would like to see, you already have a good opportunity to broach the subject. Sometimes these conversations are eye-opening for leadership in terms of understanding what resources code enforcement does and does not have.
Pro Tip: If you’re asking for additional resources, it can seem natural to lead with the problems or what things you don’t already have. While this is obviously necessary to prove your case for additional resources, don’t forget to include the good things your department is already doing to demonstrate the value of code enforcement to your community. Show them what you are already doing – and what more you could do with some new tools.
Additional Resources for Reporting in Code Enforcement
If you’re interested in learning more about overcoming challenges for reporting in code enforcement, check out the webinar “Reporting with Confidence to Build Alignment with Leadership.” In addition to more in-depth information on these challenges, you’ll also find examples of other departments’ SOPs, examples of different types of reports, and an example of a monthly calendar for reporting.
If your department needs help establishing SOPs and ensuring compliance is met, check out the Code Enforcement Services from the consultants at 4LEAF.
If you’re in need of tools to help make reporting easier, check out Comcate’s Code Enforcement Manager. By streamlining case management and consolidating data, our cloud-based software makes it easy to find, filter and review cases – and assemble KPI reports with a click of a button. If you’re interested in learning more about code enforcement software – or need to be pointed in the right direction for who can best help you with your challenges – fill out the form below to speak with one of our consultants!
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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