Too many cooks in the kitchen??
I spend a lot of time thinking about efficiencies that can be gained in council’s resource consent processes. Probably too much time!
With the spotlight on ‘red tape’, and overhauling the RMA (again), we can be distracted from the day-to-day realities for how resource consents play out on the ground.
We can point fingers at law-making, but is it always a problem with the law??
Sometimes, sure. But not always. Or at least that’s my view.
We all want faster resource consent processes. And I believe that no planner shows up for work each day with the intention of trying to slow the world down.
So how can we make things more effective and efficient?
Make sure people know what they are doing and why.
The consenting planner needs to have a clear understanding of their role in the planning system. They need to understand where it fits, and that a consents job isn’t to fix all the environmental problems in the world.
Empower consent planners to make decisions and to not sweat the small stuff.
We need planners to be able to look at a consent and understand pretty quickly if it’s a no-brainer that can be dealt with quickly or one that is going to need more detailed consideration. This first step is key. And yes it takes time to build experience, but this is something that planners can be taught early in their consent processing career.
And we need to empower planners to make these sorts of calls. Sure, they might not get it right 100% of the time but that is what the internal sign-off process is for so that those ones will get picked up a more senior staff member and can be tidied up. And they will learn from these and then hopefully get them right next time.
Look critically at your consenting processing and approval processes.
How many people do you have involved in a consent? Are subject matter technical experts called in for all consents? Or just for some things?
Are seniors and team leaders both reviewing a consent before it is signed off? Or just one decision maker?
Have you got too many cooks in the kitchen that are adding unnecessary costs and time to the consenting process?
I’m a firm believer that the last piece of the puzzle, the sign-off process shouldn’t rehash the whole consent process. If a planner is trained up right, and doing their job well, we don’t need to have multiple peer reviews being done before it gets out the door. The planner’s recommendation should be on-point, well-written and ready for the decision-maker to rely on with confidence.
Take the time to reflect
If you’ve read this and thought hmmmm, not sure we’re nailing this in our team, then take the time to have a look at your processes. I implore you to be bold, cut out unnecessary steps and support, equip and empower your planners to make good decisions. Make sure you’re concentrating your efforts on the stuff that matters.
That is what we need to get more efficient and effective consent processes.
Amanda de Jong – September 2024
