ESDM navigation tool. Image displays an illustration of lemur in a tree. Text reads: Africa Regional Course: Environmental Assessment and Environmentally Sound Design & Management for Small-Scale Activities. Navigation elements can be tabbed to. Course Home, Day 1: Basic Concepts, Day 2: Tools and Methods, Day 3 & 4: Field Practice, Day 5: Advanced Topics. Day 1: Basic Concepts Day 2: Tools & Methods Days 3 & 4: Field Practice Day 5: Advanced Topics Course Home

Course Overview

The EA/ESD Training course is a 5-day course for 25-45 participants. The course introduces environmental assessment as a tool for environmentally sound design and implementation of small-scale activities. The emphasis is on improving project success rates and minimizing environmental project failures.

Targeted at USAID partner organizations engaged in small scale activities, the course also addresses compliance with USAID environmental review requirements (Reg 216 and associated directives). It is not intended as advanced technical training in impact assessment;

The course emphasizes learning-by-doing; there is a one-day field trip in which participants conduct observation and assessment of actual or proposed project sites. Participants then draft environmental review documentation based on their site visit experience. Typically more than one project site is identified for each of a few sectors (e.g., roads, water and sanitation, agriculture, etc.).

Since 1996, the course has been presented more than 40 times across the continent.

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Course topics

Course materials, including materials used for the individual modules, can be accessed via the course agendas. Topics covered are also listed below, with links to the POWERPOINT presentations used in the course. (files up to 2.5MB.)

An introduction to environmentally sound design · Basic concepts for assessing environmental impacts · USAID environmental procedures · Information requirements and tools for environmental review · How to draft an IEE · How to draft an Environmental Review · Mitigation and Monitoring · USAID and Pesticides · Beyond the IEE: EAs, PEAs, and Umbrella IEEs.

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 Course Materials

Participant sourcebooks

Each participant in the course receives the Participants' Sourcebook. The Sourcebook contains a description of and instructions for each module, overheads, background readings, and the case site briefings. It is usually provided in 3-ring-binder format.

The Sourcebook is heavily customized for each presentation of the course.

The sourcebook file provided here includes module descriptions & group exercise instructions. It does NOT include overheads, references, and background readings. These should be accessed via the "Day 1" to "Day 5" buttons on the navigation bar at the top of the page.

Because each sourcebook and agenda is customized, the module numbers in this sample sourcebook may not exactly match the module numbers in the generic agenda provided on this website.

2005 English participant sourcebook (includes 2005 course revisions) image of word icon
French participant sourcebook image of word icon
Case site briefings

Case sites are identified and briefings prepared each time the course is held. Links below provide sample briefings used in a past course. Briefings are included in the appropriate module of the Participants Sourcebook. Guidance on preparing the briefings is contained in the Facilitators' Guide.

Angola Irrigation Case image of word icon • Angola Roads Case image of word icon•
Angola Schools & Health Post Case image of word icon
Participant information forms

Two files are needed by facilitators for capturing participant information and then incorporating it into the Participants Database on this website:

Course Preparation and Delivery Guide

This Preparation and Delivery Guide provides the information, resources, and lessons learned necessary for a successful presentation of the ENCAP EA-ESDM course. (Fully, the ENCAP Africa Regional Course in Environmental Assessment and Environmentally Sound Design & Management for Small Scale Activities.) It is intended for sponsors, organizers, and trainers.

Coure Preparation and Delivery Guide Home Page

**Note that this guide intentionally does not provide step-by-step instructions for the actual delivery of the various course modules, as (1) the participant sourcebook provides objectives, instructions, and key questions for each module; and (2) the guide assumes understanding of the environmental assessment process and prior experience in facilitated training.

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Facilitating a course

Hosting/facilitating the course involves arranging for venue and catering (25-45 participants over 5 days), identifying and briefing case study sites, and engaging local resource persons, among other requirements. An extensive guide to course facilitation has been developed. Click here for more details on Requirements for hosting/facilitating a course.

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This web site was made possible through support provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development, Bureau for Africa Office of Sustainable Development, under the terms of Contract No. EPP-I-00-03-00013-00, Task Order No.7. The information provided on this web site is not official U.S. Government information and may not represent the views or positions of the U.S. Agency for International Development or the U.S. Government. To read ENCAP's Privacy Policy, click here.