A performance review of Halifax Regional Municipality's building standards, permits and inspections /

Lack of Risk – Based Strategy to Define Outcomes which Achieve an Accepted Level of Risk While the objective of the Building Code Act and the Division’s mandate is clear, the scope of it is so wide the key challenge for HRM Management and Regional Council is to balance the amount of risk with the resources devoted to inspection and enforcement activities.4 HRM, through Regional Council and its Bui [...] In reviewing the current practices of the division, the OAG has identified inadequate practices which increase the risk the division cannot demonstrate it is fulfilling the administration and enforcement of the Act. [...] However, it is important to note, although Regional Council can delegate the administration and enforcement of the Act to the Building Standards Division, it is the view of the OAG, the responsibility to mitigate the public safety risk rests with Regional Council. [...] When the OAG enquired about the strategy of the Building Standards Division, the OAG was informed, by Management, the objective of the Division is to simply administer and enforce the Building Code Act. [...] However, the goal to ‘administer and enforce the Act’ is not clearly defined by either the Act or, to the best of the knowledge of the OAG, in any recent Regional Council interpretation document; therefore the OAG believes the performance of the Division is not measurable and the strategy is likely not optimal.