Runbook: Adding a New Permit Type

Version 1.1 · Created: February 27, 2026 · Audience: HoCo IT/Admin Staff

Purpose

Step-by-step guide to add a new permit type to GovAssist with workflow automations.

Before You Start

Adding a new permit type involves three stages:

Choose the right workflow archetype — this determines how many automations you need
Set up the entity and fields — if the entity does not already have the required fields
Create and test the automations — using the GovAssist Automation Builder

Time estimate: A simple permit (A1) takes ~30 minutes. A complex permit with parallel reviews (B1/B2) takes 1 to 2 hours.

What you need:

GovAssist admin access (Automation Builder + Entity Manager)
The permit type name and review requirements (which departments must review it)
This runbook open for reference

Step 1: Choose Your Workflow Archetype

Every permit type in Howard County follows one of six proven workflow patterns. Pick the one that matches your new permit type.

Quick Decision Guide

Does the permit require parallel departmental reviews?

YES → How many routing variants does it have?

ONE variant → B1 (FORK/JOIN)
- Example: Sign Permit — always gets the same 5 reviews
MULTIPLE variants → B2 (FORK/JOIN with routing)
- Example: Commercial New vs Addition vs Alteration — each gets different review combinations

NO → Is the workflow a straight line?

YES → How many review steps?
- 3 steps (Issuance + CofC + Close) → A1
  - Examples: Animal License, Utility Contractor License
- 5 steps (Accept + Issue + Final + CofC + Close) → A2
  - Examples: Residential Electrical, Residential Plumbing
- More than 5 steps → A2+
  - Examples: Fire Permits (adds plan review), Rental License (adds pre-inspection)
NO → Does it branch based on outcome?
- YES → E1 (Enforcement/Branching)
  - Example: Enforcement cases (investigation may lead to action OR close)

Archetype Summary

Archetype	Review Steps	Parallel Reviews?	Automations Needed	Examples
A1	3	No	3	Animal License, Taxi License, Shooting Range
A2	5	No	5–6	Res Electrical, Res Plumbing, Res HVAC
A2+	6+	No	6–7	Fire Permits, Pawnbroker, Rental License
B1	5+ with FORK	Yes (one variant)	6+	Sign Permit (5 parallel reviews)
B2	5+ with FORK	Yes (multiple variants)	15–40+	Res Building (22 FORK + 12 JOIN + 5 sequential)
E1	Varies	No (branching)	3–5	Enforcement (investigate to action OR close)

Step 2: Verify Entity Fields

Before creating automations, verify the parent entity has the required status fields. Each workflow step needs a guard field — a status dropdown that tracks whether that step has already been triggered.

Archetype	Required Guard Fields
A1	Status of Issuance Review
A2	Status of Acceptance Review, Status of Issuance Review, Status of Final Review
A2+	All A2 fields plus any extra review guard fields
B1/B2	All review steps plus routing guard field

If the entity is missing any required guard fields, add them in Entity Manager before creating automations. Without guard fields, automations will fire repeatedly on every record update.

Step 3: Create the Automations in Automation Builder

For each step in your chosen archetype, create one automation. Follow the naming convention:

[Number] [Permit Type Abbreviation] - [Action Description]

Example: 1 Animal License - Create Issuance

Key Settings for Each Automation

Setting	Value	Notes
Trigger type	Status Change (most common) or Update Record (for fee automations)	Match the trigger to the workflow step
Action	Create Record (Review Task) or Send Email or Update Record	Each step creates the next review task
Guards	Use guard fields to prevent duplicate triggers	Every automation must check that its guard field is empty

Refer to the Automation Builder Configuration guide for detailed instructions on creating automations in the builder UI.

Step 4: Test the Automation Chain

After creating all automations, test the full chain:

Submit a test record
Verify each automation fires in sequence
Check that guard fields are being set correctly
Confirm no automation fires twice

Use the Troubleshooting Automations runbook for detailed test procedures and debugging steps if something goes wrong.

Step 5: Update the Automation Inventory

After confirming your automations work, update the HoCo Automation Inventory page to include the new permit type. Add:

A new section under the appropriate entity with the automation chain table
A row in the By Entity summary table
A row in the By Archetype summary table
Update the total automation count

Common Mistakes

Avoid these common pitfalls when adding a new permit type:

Mistake	What Happens	How to Prevent
Forgetting a guard field	Automations fire repeatedly	Always add a guard condition checking the status field is empty
Wrong trigger field	Automation never fires	Double-check the field name matches exactly between trigger and entity
Missing a JOIN automation in B1/B2 chains	Permit gets stuck after parallel reviews	Count your JOIN automations — one for each unique set of parallel reviews
Not testing with a real record before going live	Issues discovered in production	Always test the full chain end-to-end with a test record