Compliance and Preparation Resources for Initial Environmental Examinations

A. Development Food Assistance Programs

Title II Development Food Assistance Program proposals must submit an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE). All development food assistance programs must submit an Environmental Status Report (ESR) with the annual results reports and pipeline and resource estimate proposals (PREPs) submissions.

1. Annex, Environmental Review and Compliance Information

B. Emergency Food Assistance Programs

For all slow-onset emergencies and protracted, complex emergencies lasting more than one year, awardees must submit an IEE if the awardee held a previous Title II award in the region. For emergencies, a one-year grace period from the IEE is granted. For rapid-onset emergencies, see environmental impact assessments in OFDA's Field Operations Guide (FOG) Chapter II: Assessments, Section F.3.
 

C. Regulations and Statutes

1. Environmental Compliance 22 C.F.R. 216

2. Regulation 216: Environmental Compliance Templates for Food for Peace Programs

• Title II Environmental Compliance Facesheet (Jan 2003)
• Title II Environmental Screening Form Table (Jan 2003)
• Title II IEE Facesheet + Narrative + Screening Form (Jan 2006)
• Title II Environmental Status Report (Jan 2006)

3. Foreign Assistance Act, Section 117, Environment and Natural Resources

D. Compliance Procedures

1. Submit IEE as a stand-alone document, i.e., include all needed maps and photos as separate attachments.
2. Keep the document to 10-20 pages, if possible. Be clear and concise.

UPDATE 12/13/12:  Given the potential size and complexity of proposed Title II development food aid programs, applicants need not strictly adhere to the suggested 10-20 page limit for the IEE. This IEE page limit recommendation may understandably be exceeded for complex program proposals.

3. Propose process and impact indicators in the mitigation and monitoring table.
4. Provide a quick reference sheet of monitoring table for field staff .
5. Create quick reference sheets of environmental compliance mitigation and monitoring tables with indicators to distribute to field staff. These will mitigate the many logistical and financial issues that challenge sound management of field programs, such as the fact that awardee staff who design the food assistance programs and write the proposals and IEE are often not the staff that manages the program.

For more details, refer to the Environmental Compliance and Review annex of the Title II Program Policies and Proposal Guidelines.
 

E. Clearances

UPDATE 12/13/12:  As stated in Section VIII Other Information, 1. Environmentally Sound Design and Management and 22 C.F.R. 216 Compliance of the RFA for Title II Development Food Assistance Programs, all applications must include an IEE that will be reviewed and given final clearance by the Bureau Environmental Officer (BEO) for DCHA. Clearance of the IEE will not be required prior to the submission of an application (and annexes). The BEO has indicated that USAID Mission clearances for IEEs will only be required for those applications that have been reviewed favorably by USAID and recommended to receive a new Title II award.