Development Inquiry Assistant
The Development Inquiry Assistant (DIA) is designed to help answer questions about development, building and renovating.
The Development Inquiry Assistant (DIA) is an advanced tool launched by the City of Surrey to help customers find information at any time of the day. The DIA is intended to provide users with general information that is publicly available on our website about development, building and renovating. We are continually improving and updating this service to best assist our customers.
The DIA has officially launched with a new look and feel. You can find the DIA on all webpages under renovating, building and development. Simply click the DIA icon to start the conversation.
Before using the DIA, please read the terms of use and disclaimer below.
How to use the DIA
To get better responses, use the following suggestions:
- Use proper punctuation when asking a question (e.g., How do I apply for a building permit?).
- Use proper spacing when entering an address (e.g., What is my zone at 13450 104 Ave?).
Terms of use
The City of Surrey collects conversation logs involving the DIA to further improve the accuracy and quality of the information being provided. Collected conversation logs does not require and does not use personal information. Conversation logs are also not used to train the DIA.
The City’s DIA administrators will review conversation logs. These logs are accessed and used only by authorized City personnel and are not shared with any other parties. Logs are not reviewed for content and any request for contact or further information are not actioned. The City will not take action on and may delete conversation logs that include:
- Hateful, offensive, discriminatory, violent, sexual, or content that contain personal attacks, hatred or violence.
- Messages that are illegal or encourage illegal activities.
- Messages that contain threatening, abusive, or discriminatory materials.
- Repetitive, vexatious, and frivolous messages.
- Messages that do not pertain to the purpose of the chatbot.
- Messages that falsely claim to represent a person or organization.
- Automated messages.
Responding to DIA messages
The City does not actively monitor DIA conversations. Collected conversation logs are reviewed after the conversation has taken place. The City will not take any action based on conversation logs and will not answer to any inquiries, request for follow up, request for action, or any other type of request that is entered into the conversation with the DIA. If you require assistance, please contact the City through its communication channels that are monitored by staff.
Protecting the privacy of others
Do not post your personal information or the personal information of other individuals or third parties including:
- Identifiable information
- Name, email address, phone number
- Identifying numbers
- Health, employment, or financial history
Collection notice
Personal information is collected for the purpose of improving the accuracy of information provided by the DIA. City of Surrey is collecting personal information under section 26(c) and (e) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. For questions about the collection of personal information, please contact the Manager of Business Transformation, 13450 104 Ave, Surrey BC, V3T1V8, 604-591-4086.
Disclaimer
The Development Inquiry Assistant is being continually updated and refined to improve both performance and user experience. The DIA is intended to provide users with general information from publicly available City sources in response to questions about renovating, building and development.
The DIA's responses should not be relied upon, as they may occasionally be inaccurate, incomplete or misleading. The City shall not be liable for any errors or omissions in the information provided by the DIA, or for any actions that users take in reliance upon it.
The City recommends that DIA responses be used only as a starting point for further investigation. All information received should be verified by consulting with City staff, who are able to provide advice informed by your specific needs and circumstances. The DIA is not a substitute for professional advice or consultation with experts. Users should not make any final decisions or take actions based only on information provided by the DIA
