IAS Accreditation for L&I Building Operation
The Department of Licenses and Inspections was recently reaccredited by the International Accreditation Services (IAS). The Department has been accredited by IAS since 2013, demonstrating the Department’s competency and commitment to public safety based upon nationally recognized standards.
Our triennial reassessment took place during the week of September 11th. A team of expert building code officials from across the country conducted an in-depth review of our permitting process. They shadowed our staff in every stage of permitting and inspections, conducting interviews with key stakeholders, assessing standard policies and procedures, and evaluated overall performance.
This accreditation renewal is a testament to the Department’s continued excellence in code enforcement. Thank you to all our stakeholders who participated in these interviews and congratulations to our L&I staff.
L&I information sessions
The Department of Licenses and Inspections is offering regular information sessions to assist stakeholders in navigating L&I processes and keeping them informed of code changes. A list of current offerings is provided below. Customers can also sign-up for this and future webinars under the “Events” section of the L&I homepage (www.phila.gov/li).
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L&I eCLIPSE Q&A session – The Department of L&I will be hosting a 90-minute open Q&A session to address specific permit application questions for users with some experience using eLCIPSE. This session will be held on Thursday, October 5th, from 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. via Zoom. Please register if your are interested in attending this information session.
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Short Term Rental webinar - L&I will be conducting a 60-minute public training session on the license and permit requirements for Short Term Rental properties. In 2021, Mayor Kenney signed Bill No. 210081, changing the zoning and licensing requirements for owners or renters that offer their properties as short-term rentals in Philadelphia. This information session will explain these new requirements. The session will be held on Tuesday, October 17th, from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. via Zoom. Please register if you are interested in attending this information session.
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Remote Inspections webinar – Learn more about the Department’s pilot program for virtual inspections on certain construction permits. This information session will provide details around planned implementation for specific permit and/or inspection types, explanation of procedure, and demonstration from the contractor’s perspective. This session will be held on Tuesday, October 24th, from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. via Zoom. Please register if you are interested in attending this information session.
Note: Capacity is limited and to accommodate all stakeholders, we ask that you only register if you plan on attending the session and, if your circumstances change, please cancel your registration.
Focus group summary
The Department recently conducted annual focus group sessions to garner feedback and identify potential improvement initiatives. Thanks to your support and feedback, we were better informed over this year to make some important improvements:
- Permit Navigator pilot design
- Expanded remote support operations, including increased hours for chat and increased virtual appointments
- More webinar offerings
- Development of eCLIPSE enhancements, including plan review comment summary and hold status, both of which are expected to launch in early 2024.
Feedback:
This year you took the time to again provide feedback that we can use for the coming year. The feedback received during this year’s sessions include the following:
- Would appreciate further efforts to improve communication of code requirements both between inspectors and end users
- Virtual sessions are great; it’s nice not having to wait for hours for an in-person appointment
- eCLIPSE takes getting used to, but is improving every year
- The Chat function, informational webinars, and newsletters are great
- Would like if L&I included better support for people who don’t speak very much English
Department Action:
In the coming year, the Department will continue to focus on improvements to process, communications, and technology to better serve you. Again, this is because of your continued commitment to helping us make Philadelphia the premier city for business. Areas of focus include:
- Continued improvement to language access
- Transparency and clarity of property or project specific information on both the public website and eCLIPSE portal
- Enhancements to chat functionality to better direct your inquiries
- Expansion of permit navigator
- More effective response in addressing project specific roadblocks
- Continued commitment to those initiatives that you found helpful, including virtual assistance, newsletters, and webinars
We thank you for sharing your experiences and helping us to better serve all stakeholders. We look forward to continuing to improve our services and hope you join us for our Focus Group feedback session next year!
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