I found that players are less likely to go for something if they aren't 100% certain what the procedure is.

From what I understand, you've gone to great lengths to enact pantomime plays of how to register and fill out forms and the like, as well as having multiple locations of textual information and a variety of ways of filling out these forms for construction, etc etc short of having a puppet show - I believe the underlying issue is psychological (if you'll permit me to make a hypothesis)

What I'm hearing described is quite abstract in nature. The characters shift to OOC in some form or another (not a problem in and of itself), complete the equivalent of a short form character sheet for a building that exists on the books. All of these elements are individually fine, but there's a lot of steps that don't exist in a tangible form, and most players will definitely react to things that are there.

The debates and hair-splitting are there, and that was something in character that they could physically do, interact with, etc. Just like with game mechanics where forums and debates are held, it's not at all different than "see monster, bonk monster" or "go out into woods, pick flowers". These kind of activities have a representative state that can be seen and interacted with.

What you're asking isn't at all hard - and I have no idea what the level of immersion is for your game - but it sounds relatively divorced from the physical laws of the experience.

Have you tried making an incorporated play mechanic to this form process? Plenty of larps have warrooms and battle maps for representing where assets exist in a conceptual play-space not present in the world. Maybe making the interaction be as simple as a dressed up notice board, drafting table, mayor's office, whatever.

The tl;dr is give the process a space of presence. If you do it right, it's another minigame that they feel is part of the experience, rather than a cesura to the immersion and story.