1. Purpose

The AE (Architect and Engineer) Pass Rate Incentives program goal is to support A&E's by moving them up in the plan review process because they take the profession and the OnSchedule process seriously, and have earned resulting high pass rates.  Conversely, those professionals who abuse the OnSchedule process will move back, until they improve.

A summary of the 2008 Proposed Commercial Plan Review Revisions is posted on meckpermit.com under "What's New."  A key component of the January 15, 2008 report summary is the development of a program grading A/E's on their plan review pass/fail performance.  The Department began grading contractors in 1999, and that program proved very successful in driving inspection pass rates up, improving process efficiency and lowering service cost to both customers and the Department.  We believe we can achieve the same improvement in plan review.

2. How the program will work (this is a draft and will be refined as the program matures)

• Commercial Technical Assistance Center (CTAC) and Mega projects (as defined in the Building Development Commission Ordinance) are exempt from the program, but the Program applies to all other OnSchedule submissions.
• A/E seal holders will collect pass/fail events individually:
  • Architects will collect only their failures on "A" sheets; whereas, the Electrical Engineers will collect only their failures on the "E" sheets, etc.
  • Non AE seal holders (interior design, et al) will register with the Department, collecting failure events against an assigned Dept registration number.
• The Dept will record, tabulate and post results on a quarterly basis (Jan 1, April 1, etc).
  • Graded A/E's will receive notice on or before the 10^th day of the following quarter of their standing in the A/E pass rate program.  So, for grades collected January 1 thru March 31, the A/E will receive notice of standing on or before April 10.
  • A/E grades will be posted on meckpermit.com for public reference, similar to the contractors failure rate program.
• A/E's will be placed in one of three categories on a quarterly basis:
  • Superior performer: plan review pass rates of 85% or better
  • Average performer: plan review pass rates between less than 85% and 50%
  •  Poor performer: plan review pass rates of less than 50%.
• The OnSchedule A/E Grade Driven Service Summary chart will be applied to all graded Architects and Engineers.
• Other details
  • Grading is cumulative based on the most recent 7 to 14 plan review cycle events.
    • A Plan Review Cycle event will be defined as including all activities involved in a Building/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing submittal, including Approved As Noted and Interactive Review.
    • At the program start, all A/E's will be given credit for 3 (free) passing review cycles.
    • Thereafter, A/E's who are new to the program (new seal holders or out of town Architects) will be given credit for 3 (free) passing review cycles..
  • A/E's with less than 7 review cycle events will be graded as average, until they reach their 7^th review event.
  • Each review cycle is a pass/fail review, grading event for the involved discipline.
    • A failed review consists of any plan review deficiency, not able to gain resolution through either Interactive Review or Approved as Noted (AAN).
    • Any B/E/M/P deficiencies identified in plan review, not able to gain resolution through either Interactive Review, or Approved as Noted (AAN), accumulate in the current quarter's tabulation, to be reported to the A/E on the 1st day of the following quarter.
    • The Department and A/E community have agreed to a list of "plan review failures that are not really failures" (final draft 12/5/08) to be posted on meckpermit.com.  Any item on this list, though noted in the plan review, will not be considered a plan review deficiency (will not count).
    •  The Department has the option of weighting plan review failures for project size and complexity, by a defined publicly posted method that is uniformly applied to all projects.
  • The program applies to reviews for NC State Building Code compliance in building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing.
    • Until further notice, the program does not apply to local ordinance or fire review.
  • Projects will be classed by A/E team, with the lowest grade of the team seal holders determining the grade of the overall team, and also determining the application of the OnSchedule A/E Grade Driven Service Summary chart.
  • A/E team grades will be assigned at the time of OnSchedule application.  If the A/E's grade status changes during the plan review process, their grade status at OnSchedule application will continue for that project scope of work only, through completion of all cycles of that project component.
    • Further clarifying, later project subcomponents or later phases will assume the new grading status.
    • This program defines the permit application process as beginning with the application for OnSchedule review.
• A/E's may rotate off the "poor performer" list by the following options:

a) A/E's may study their way off the poor performer list by attending and successfully completing either:

•  An NC level III Code Officials Class in their discipline (successful completion means passing the class test).
• Or other code classes of similar rigor, defined by the Department.

3. Timeline; schedule moving forward

• July 1, 2009-September 30, 2009 grades will be collected. 
• October 1st, 2009 grades will be posted based on the data gathered during the trial period.  These grades are used only to show what a grade would have been based on the trial period data to give sealholders a sense of how the program will perform.
• October 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009 grading will begin.  Initially, everyone will begin in the average category, with 3 passes.  As actual data is collected, A/E's will move into different categories based on pass rate. Sealholders will start the grading process with 3 free passes.  The next 4 actual events will be paired with the 3 free passes to determine an actual grade for the quarter.  Once 7 events are in place, the oldest event will drop off with every new event, with the 7 most recent events determining the grade.
• January 1, 2010, the program will start, with the A/E's placed in categories.  Based on these categories, incentives will be offered to Superior Performers, Average Performers will have access to all regular services and Poor Performers will have disincentives with opportunities to improved their grade.(see above) 

4.  More information

Please visit, www.meckpermit.com, Architect's and Engineers, AE Pass Rate Incentive for full details on the program or contact Patrick Granson, 704-432-0081, Patrick.Granson@mecklenburgcountync.gov, or Willis Horton, 704-336-4301, Willis.Horton@mecklenburgcountync.gov.

Supporting Documentation:

AE Performance Level Chart

AE Pass Fail Rate Incentive Program Description

AE Pass Fail Rate Public Informational Letter

AE Pass Rate-Failures not really Failures list

AE Pass Rate Brochure