PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management held a grand opening for its new Permit Application Center (PAC) this morning at its Promenade Street Headquarters in Providence. The effort is an outgrowth of DEM's "Lean Government" initiative that began in 2011, and is aimed at improving business processes to provide better customer service.
The PAC was designed based on feedback from Department-wide efforts to improve customer service and efficiency in permitting programs, and resolves a problem that was identified by staff during the lean government process improvement reviews. As a result, DEM scientists and engineers spend more time using their skills and expertise to protect the environment and help customers meet their needs in a clear and reasonable way.
"Regulatory reform and better customer service have been goals of my administration since I took office," noted Governor Lincoln D. Chafee. "This Permit Application Center is an excellent example of an agency taking that direction to heart and changing the way they do business."
The PAC serves as a single point of entry into DEM for all permit applications, whether they arrive by mail or are hand-delivered. Immediately after an application is submitted, DEM's Office of Customer and Technical Assistance staff perform an administrative review to determine the completeness of the application and follow up with applicants within one business day. Customers who submit applications get feedback from DEM within 24 hours as to whether their application is complete and has been passed on for technical review, or whether something is missing or incorrect.
The PAC also provides a welcoming reception area for customers visiting DEM's Promenade Street Headquarters, and is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. File review requests, as well as pre-application assistance for businesses and individuals seeking environmental permits, are also coordinated by PAC staff.
"The Permit Application Center is a visible commitment to customer service and offers a welcoming gateway to the Department for our clients and the public," noted DEM Director Janet Coit. "Improving the services we provide to Rhode Island businesses is a top goal at DEM. This initiative provides tangible benefits to customers across the board, with 24-hour turn-around on completeness of applications. It's also a great example of a public/private partnership in action, as DEM works with the RI Foundation to change the way we do business."
The project was partially funded with a $47,000 grant from the Rhode Island Foundation through its Make It Happen RI economic development initiative.
"Making it easier for customers to grow and do business in Rhode Island will pay dividends for the companies that pass through here and for the state in general. Demonstrating that positive change is happening makes people more optimistic about the direction our state is headed. This is the kind of momentum and engagement we need to move Rhode Island forward," said Neil Steinberg, the Foundation's president and CEO.
In 2011, under the leadership of Director Janet Coit, DEM developed an innovative approach to improving customer service that included implementation of a lean government initiative to provide clear, predictable and reliable processes. The effort was designed to improve the overall quality of permit applications, integrate a culture of continuous process improvement into the Department, and improve overall relationships with the regulated community and permit applicants. DEM's leadership in lean government has led to a statewide contract for lean support services and similar initiatives growing in the Department of Administration, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Health, and the Emergency Management Agency.
"Congratulations to DEM for the opening of the Permit Application Center. Streamlining the application and permitting process is critical to supporting Rhode Island businesses and encouraging job growth," said Marcel A. Valois, executive director of the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation. "Making regulations work better and establishing a seamless permitting process is not easy. It's not glamorous work, but it is vital to helping to create the conditions for businesses to thrive and to promoting Rhode Island's long-term economic health and prosperity."
"The opening of the Permit Application Center is not only a step in the right direction of making it easier to do business, but a giant leap in ensuring that businesses doing business in Rhode Island have a partner in the Department of Environmental Management," noted Leslie Taito, senior vice president at Hope Global. "They are doing what it takes to grow our economy. Director Coit and her excellent team have taken a play from the business playbook and worked diligently to listen to the concerns of their customers and taken bold action to enhance and streamline permitting processes. This center will allow for a quick and effective response to permitting concerns and applications, enable business to make decisions in a timely and effective manner and will allow for the ever important protection of our environment."
Bob Baldwin, past president of the RI Builders Association said, "The PAC represents a monumental first step in fixing the over-regulation and fragmented permit system that exists throughout Rhode Island. Director Coit's leadership has provided both a change in culture and people thinking 'outside the box' to create the PAC, with the PAC being an example for other state departments and municipalities to follow."