A permitting clerk’s practice record is almost complete, but the note field has no ordinance number. How should the instructor word the feedback?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
“Tighten it up” is fog. The clerk cannot fix fog. Name the missing ordinance number so the next try hits the actual design rule.
Full Explanation
Permitting notes that omit ordinance numbers weaken the public record and downstream enforcement. Wording feedback as 'The note field still lacks the ordinance number the design requires' is specific, criterion-based, and actionable. Precise feedback names the gap against the standard without personality judgment.
'Pretty good overall—just tighten things up' fails by concept: vague praise-plus-fog does not tell the clerk what to fix. Labeling them 'not a notes person' and telling them to skip the field on live applications attacks identity and authorizes noncompliance. Telling them to guess by comparing to a neighbor outsources the standard and may spread another incomplete record.
Exam caveat: feedback should reference observable criteria in the performance or design standard. Avoid sandwiches that hide the gap and avoid trait labels.
Operational check: point to the empty ordinance portion of the note field, cite the requirement, have the clerk enter the number, and verify the practice record meets the checklist before sign-off. Ordinance numbers in permitting notes create an auditable link between staff action and public rules. Vague feedback cannot produce that link. Point to the missing datum, cite the design requirement, require the entry now, and verify the saved practice record—then ask the clerk to explain why the number matters for a later reviewer.