International Code Council, Partners Launch Federally Funded Project to Support Building Department Digitization

The International Code Council, alongside project partners such as the New York State Department of State, the Association of Towns of the State of New York, Clarkson University, Resource Refocus, and +LAB Architects and funding under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Resilient and Efficient Codes Initiative (RECI) has launched the Code Official Digitization and Efficiency Support Initiative (CODES) project.

This collaboration aims to develop and implement digital enforcement solutions to support modern energy code implementation, specifically targeting resource-constrained and underserved communities.

The team will create a digitization roadmap with tiered solutions to support jurisdictions in transitioning to electronic code enforcement processes. This roadmap will be informed by feedback from jurisdictions with diverse characteristics and through consultations with relevant stakeholders.

Central to the project’s mission is a focus on understanding the barriers to digitization from the perspective of small or resource-constrained jurisdictions and those with underserved populations. The goal is to streamline energy code enforcement, particularly in small and under-resourced jurisdictions, through the application of digital technologies.

In addition to the roadmap, the CODES project will produce a toolkit of digital tools, training programs and other resources which will be piloted in select jurisdictions, with a particular focus on communities that align with the Justice40 initiative priorities. The roadmap, training materials and other resources will be designed for maximum accessibility, ensuring that the benefits of digitization are available to all communities.

“The Code Council is grateful for the opportunity to leverage federal funding and work with project partners to support jurisdictions in using the latest digital technologies to help make code compliance easier,” said Ryan Colker, Code Council Vice President of Innovation, “We look forward to identifying the current gaps and barriers to digitalization and working to help address them.”

Learn more about this federally funded project to support building department digitization, here.