Ensuring Consistent, High-Quality Plan Review Comments
LDS Quality Performance
TARGET
≤10%
CURRENT
11%
The LDS Plan Review Quality Control (QC) Program is a continuous improvement initiative focused on maintaining high-quality, consistent, and customer-focused plan review comments across the department.
Routine quality audits evaluate completed site and building reviews against established standards to ensure comments clearly identify deficiencies, provide actionable guidance, reference applicable regulations, and promote consistency among reviewers. Results are used to provide coaching opportunities, reinforce best practices, and monitor overall program performance.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
- Clarity – Comments are concise and grammatically correct
- Specific – Identifies exact deficiencies and their locations
- Actionable – Provides clear correction instructions
- Reference – Cites applicable regulations or policies
- Non-repetitive – Avoids redundancy across documents
CURRENT STATUS
As the QC program has matured, performance is now measured against an established quality target rather than historical trends, allowing leadership to quickly determine whether the department continues to meet its quality objectives.
The most recent comment quality audit recorded an 11% failure rate, falling short of the program goal of maintaining a failure rate at or below 10%.
Latest LDS Performance Review Summary
| Current QC Review Batch | 8 |
| Total Comments Audited | 3,935 |
| Current Failure Rate | 11% |
| Target | ≤10% |
| Status | Not Meeting Target |
OUTSIDE AGENCY QUALITY PERFORMANCE
In support of Fairfax County’s commitment to improve the development process and ensure consistent application of requirements across departments throughout the permitting process, the comment quality audit is being extended to outside agencies involved in both site and building plan review. Following an initial assessment period, performance reports will be posted online on a regular basis.
HISTORICAL METRICS
