One of NJDEP’s priorities is to protect New Jersey’s Water.
Safe, clean water is vital to New Jersey’s health, quality of
life and economy. The DEP protects this precious resource by
preventing pollution, cleaning up contamination, ensuring ample
supply and investing in strong infrastructure.
In its continued strive for excellence, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program (SRF Program) seeks to continue to improve its processes by expanding upon the previous Fels capstone findings of “An Evaluation of Disadvantaged Communities and General Participation in the Water Infrastructure Investment Plan of the State of New Jersey”, prepared by 2024 Fels Graduate, William Chong, to gain deeper understanding as to the root cause associated with project review delays. According to Chong’s research that surveyed program participants “ Half of the respondents noted that the application process needs to be streamlined, while others also noted the need for guides and flowcharts to help navigate the process.”
Through evaluation of program application processing timeframes, the SRF program seeks the development of a communication tool to inform and advise program participants of average program timeframes and provide recommendations for timeframe reductions.
The project aims to advance New Jersey’s water quality through process improvement and clear communication tools in mission alignment with NJDEP’s priorities and the SRF Program’s mission: to provide low-cost financing for the design, construction, and implementation of projects that help protect and improve water quality and ensure safe and adequate drinking water.
A program evaluation that aims to:
1. Measure (quantitative data) average program application review times to understand the relationship between project timelines and project complexity, and average project sponsor and SRF program reviewer response times.
2. Measure (qualitative data) factors (root cause) that influence program participation based upon SRF program timeframes and planning and design requirements.
3. Develop a program communication tool (e.g. roadmap) to identify average program timelines with recommendations for improved streamlining.
4. Provide overall research findings and recommendations
2024-2025
