Step 4b: Prepare Documentation:
The Initial Environmental
Examination (IEE)

   
Click on an image to navigate.
image of EDT Navigation Bar. click to go to home page. Click to get started. Click here for resources Click here to go to Step 4b. the Environmental Assessment: Prepare Documentation: The Environmental Assessment. Click here for Step 1: List Proposed Activities Click here for Step 2: Do Screening Click here for Step 3: Determine Documentation Required Click here for Step 4: Prepare Documentation Click here for Step 4b: Categorical Exclusion Request Click here for Step 4b: The Initial Environmental Examination Click this button for Step 5: Submit
 

Purpose of this step
Aids Provided on this Page
Prepare the IEE.
Summary of the purpose and content of the IEE. Description of IEE preparation steps.

Instructions.

Your screening process did not rule out the possibility that your proposed activity (ies) had significant adverse environmmental impacts.

Therefore, in Step 3, you determined that you needed to prepare an IEE and a compliance facesheet.

Read this page to familiarize yourself with the: Much of this information is also summarized in a powerpoint presentation.

Subsequent pages provide assistance with each step of IEE preparation.

 

Purpose and outcomes of the IEE

The IEE is a first assessment of the reasonably foreseeable impacts on the environment of a proposed activity or activties. These impacts often depend on the environmental mitigation and monitoring activities specified in the IEE.

The purpose of the IEE is to provide sufficient information and analysis to reach one of four conclusions (or threshold determinations) regarding the environmental effects of EACH proposed activity.
  • For EACH activity, IEE preparers recommend one of these threshhold determination.
  • The IEE also JUSTIFIES any categorical exclusions identified during the screening process
  • These recommendations (and Categorical Exclusion justifications) are considered by the USAID Bureau Environmental Officer (BEO). The BEO can accept or reject the recommendation, or require further analysis.

As depicted in the diagram below, the threshold decision determines whether the activity can go forward, and under what conditions.

For EACH ACTIVITY assessed in the IEE, one of four outcomes is possible.

image of threshold determination diagram.

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Content of the IEE (Standard IEE Outline*)

(Click buttons for detailed content. Click here to download the full annotated outline.)

  Activity/Preparer information
1. Background & Activity Description
    1.1 Purpose & scope of the IEE
    1.2 Background (Activity justification)
    1.3 Description of Activities
      (with reference to SO/results framework)


2. Country and Environmental Information
    2.1 Locations Affected
    2.2 Host country environmental policies and procedures


3. Evaluation of potential environmental impacts


4. Recommended Determinations and mitigation actions
    4.1 Recommended threshhold decisions & conditions
      (& justification of categorical exclusions)
    4.2 Mitigation, monitoring &evaluation commitments
 


*this standard outline is subject to change depending on IEE type, as described in step 1 of the IEE process (see below). Note that Regulation 216 does not specify IEE format or outline, but this outline is the standard adopted by Africa Bureau.

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The IEE process

Writing the IEE is a 6-step process, as described in the diagram below. The diagram functions as a navigation tool for the IEE portion of this tool. Guidance for each step can be accessed by clicking on the diagram.

These steps are summarized in the "writing the IEE"

image of the IEE process nav bar. Tab to go to each step's page. Click here to go to Step 1: Decide IEE Type Click here to go to Step 2: ID Issues and assemble information. Click here to go to Step 3: Write the environmental analysis. Click here to go to Step 4: Consider recommended determinations and Step 5: Finalize recommended determinations. Click here to go to Step 6: Complete the facesheet.

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Proceed to next step: image of Step 5: Submit icon. Click here to go to Step 5: Submit.


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