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CAO deploys Tiger team to fix Acela permitting rollout; July hearing set for status update
Summary
After widespread complaints about the city's permitting system, CAO Faith P. Leach said a civic-design Tiger team will map workflows and recommend fixes; the administration committed to a July update to the council.
City Administrator Faith P. Leach told the Ways and Means Committee the Acela permitting implementation did not go as intended and the administration has launched a Tiger team to diagnose configuration, data migration and workflow problems and recommend fixes.
Leach said the Tiger team will use civic designers, technologists and process mapping to analyze the permitting flows and prioritize changes to the system configuration and user experience. "What we're gonna do with our Tiger team, much like they did with 3-1-1, they're already in the process of going in, doing that process mapping, understanding the workflows, and making recommendations around changes to the workflows as well as changes to the technology," she said.
Why it matters: Multiple council members reported constituents and contractors are unable to get permits or consistent status updates, which they said delays rehabs, safety work and economic activity.
What the administration will do
- Rapid assessment and process mapping: The Tiger team will analyze Acela configuration and the migration of legacy data, identify misaligned workflows and propose configuration or process changes.
- Customer experience and training: The effort will pair civic designers with digital-services staff to redesign user journeys and expand training for permit office staff and reviewers.
- Near-term milestones: Leach committed to a status update at a council hearing in July and said the Tiger team's initial findings will be reported at that time.
Council reaction and next steps
Council members pressed for faster fixes and more staffing while acknowledging deeper structural problems (data migration, staffing and business processes) require a staged approach. The CAO said stabilization measures and a public follow-up hearing in July are immediate priorities.
