Facility registration time shortened by 29 days for a foundation from Poznań
The foundation was stuck in a dead end between the city office and the board of education. We took over contact with officials and straightened out the matter of the missing fire department opinion. The school launched on schedule.
The Future Education Foundation from Poznań was to open a school on September 1, but in mid-July the registration process came to a complete halt. One decision was missing, and officials were moving documents between desks without any effect. We entered the game so the school wouldn't lose its first year of students and subsidies.
The challenge
The foundation submitted an application for entry into the register of schools on March 14, 2024. After 94 days of waiting, they learned that the fire department's opinion was supposedly incomplete, although firefighters claimed otherwise. Every day of delay cost the foundation 1,420 PLN in fixed costs for renting a building that stood empty and could not earn money.
The situation was tense because parents of 42 enrolled children began to nervously call and ask if there would actually be a place to send students in September. The City Hall in Poznań refused to issue the registration without an additional expert report, which would take another 6 weeks to complete.
Our approach
The Sgela Education Advocacy team, led by Marek Jasiński, went to Poznań on August 4. Instead of writing more futile letters, we brought about a meeting between the director of the education department and a fire department representative in one room. We know who picks up the phone in key offices, so the conversation immediately shifted to specific paragraphs.
We analyzed 17 pages of technical building documentation in 3 hours. We found a legal basis that proved the missing Annex No. 4 was not required for this type of construction. We laid our cards on the table: either the office accepts the documents within 48 hours, or the case goes to a higher instance with a claim for compensation for inactivity.
The solution
We prepared a precise correction to the application that legally closed the path for officials to continue multiplying difficulties. Sgela Education Advocacy took over the entire document flow, relieving the foundation's board.
We also organized an accelerated board of education visit, which took place within 48 hours of reporting building readiness. We ensured that every classroom met the square footage requirements to the centimeter, avoiding further remarks in the protocol.
Results
The school received a final entry into the register on August 21, 2024. Thanks to this, the foundation was able to sign contracts with parents and receive the first tranche of the educational subsidy without any delays.
Timeline
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August 4, 2024Technical documentation analysis and local vision at the school building
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August 7, 2024Mediation meeting at the Poznań City Hall
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August 12, 2024Submission of the corrected set of documents with new argumentation
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August 21, 2024Receipt of the final decision on entry into the register
"We were one step away from canceling the school launch and returning deposits. Sgela Education Advocacy took up the issue on Monday, and on Wednesday officials who previously brushed us off suddenly found a solution. It was pure efficiency."