|
In 2021, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Bloomberg Philanthropies announced a partnership aimed at transforming the District Government’s digital landscape.
 Mayor Bowser meets with (Left-to-Right) Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation Digital Director Mai-Ling Garcia, Bloomberg Innovation Program Officer Roland Persaud, Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation Executive Director Amanda Daflos and MOPI Director Jenny Kessler.
 MOPI, Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation & Philanthropies meet.
Along with five cities from across the globe, the District received a three-year grant to launch an innovation team (i-team) to focus on digital transformation. The i-team is housed in the Mayor's Office of Policy & Innovation (MOPI). The Philanthropies’ funding and technical expertise supports the i-team in its mission to design new processes and methods to further improve public services and provide a better digital experience for all District residents.
The i-team's first project focuses on evaluating the current approval process for building construction permits and designing new tools and creating additional efficiency that would spur and support the District’s small businesses.
In a recent survey commissioned by the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), small business owners identified the following as top interventions that could improve business resilience:
- 42% of respondents indicated simplification of regulatory requirements, fees, and fines; and
- 32% indicated technical assistance.
Inefficient processes and systems put the biggest burden on small businesses, which are the types of businesses most frequently owned by Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs.
 Journey maps created to display permitting process at key District agencies at 1st Advisory Board mtg.
 Advisory Board members provide insight and input into improving permitting process at October board mtg.
 Advisory Board members offer input for improving permitting process.
 The i-team's Advisory Board November mtg.
Since October, more than a half dozen District Government agencies with a role in reviewing and approving building construction permits have come together to form an Advisory Board to the i-team. The District’s regulated utilities, and small business owners from each of the District’s eight Wards are also among the members of the i-team's Advisory Board. The work of this group of subject matter experts and end users includes one-on-one interviews, targeted focus groups, and comprehensive collaboration meetings. Input from these stakeholders has guided the i-team in developing ideas for implementation.
The District Government agencies participating in this review of permitting procedures are the Departments of Transportation (DDOT), Health (DOH), Energy and Environment (DOEE), Department of Buildings (formerly DCRA), Housing and Community Development (DHCD), Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD), and the Office of Planning (OP).
 Ms. Wanda Henderson, Southeast D.C. small business owner, meets with innovation team Chief Data Scientist Matt Gerken and Project Manager Dr. Lindsay Quarles.
The i-team's data analysis of the complexities of D.C.’s building construction permitting process is sourced from:
- Interviews with District Government agencies.
- Interviews with 5 utilities – Pepco, Verizon, DC Water, Washington Gas, and Comcast.
- Interviews and focus groups with 3 key permit stakeholders - American Institute of Architects (DCAIA), DC Building Industry Association (DCBIA), Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC).
- Interviews with peer cities – Denver, Colorado; Appleton, Wisconsin; Syracuse, NY; and Frisco, Texas.
- 5 interviews with small businesses.
- Survey of 89 small business owners
Data analyses, stakeholder interviews, focus groups and surveys are key tools that the i-team is actively relying on.
 An early Fall survey originated by the i-team sought to understand the experiences of the District’s small business owners with permitting, and to learn first-hand what improvements these important stakeholders believe should be prioritized.
75% of respondents recorded that they had experience navigating the permitting process with either the Department of Buildings (formerly DCRA) or the District Department of Transportation (DDOT).
2/3 of respondents shared that they have gone through the District’s permitting process since the start of the pandemic.
40% of respondents sought permits involving internal renovations.
½ of all respondents interacted with one or two agencies during their most recent permitting experience. In two cases, respondents went through 7 District government agencies.
More than ½ of the respondents identified as African American/Black and other racial/ethnic identities.
Respondents identifying as female were equally represented by respondents identifying as male. Two small business owners identify as non-binary completed the survey.
All eight Wards were fairly represented in survey responses.
|
