This is an intensive, participatory, field-focused training of 3.5–4.5 days for USAID Mission personnel and activity partners in compliance with USAID’s mandatory environmental procedures and in the objectives of these procedures: environmentally sound design and management (ESDM) of USAID’s activities.
It addresses environmental compliance and ESDM throughout life-of-project (LOP), with a particular focus on the design of environmental mitigation and monitoring measures, their implementation, and follow-through.
In contrast to the ENCAP “Africa Regional Course in Environmental Assessment and Environmentally Sound Design and Management” (EA-ESDM course), this course does NOT center on teaching skills to develop USAID environmental review (“Reg 216”) documentation (Categorical Exclusions, IEEs and EAs). Development of such documentation is the first step in LOP compliance, but most mission staff and partners are its users and implementers—not its developers. Accordingly, the training focuses on the skills and knowledge needed to implement Reg. 216 documentation effectively.
The training is designed to reinforce and build on classroom sessions with field work. Field visits are programmed on all but the final day of the workshop.
The agenda and materials were piloted at an Africa Regional USAID staff training in June 2008. The first Mission/partner presentation of this course was held 24–27 June 2008 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
By the conclusion of the Workshop, participants have the skills and knowledge to be able to effectively and efficiently assure that:
- Environmental concerns are/have been addressed in activity design
- Required environmental documentation is developed and approved PRIOR TO the initiation of activities
- Environmental conditions are incorporated into procurement instruments
- Environmental recommendations required by the Country Operation Plan are reflected at the activity level
- Activity work plans and budgets provide for implementation of environmental conditions and that these conditions are implemented and implementation is monitored.
Course materials, including materials used for the individual modules, can be accessed via the day-by-day course agenda (use “Day 1,” “Day 2” links above). Topics covered are also listed below, with links to the POWERPOINT presentations used in the course. (files up to 2.5MB.)
Environment, Development and Environmentally Sound Design and Management · EIA: A framework for ESDM · USAID’s Environmental Procedures: The Big Picture · Information Requirements & Tools for Screening & Preliminary Assessment · Principles of Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring · Using the Small-Scale Guidelines · Overview of Reg. 216 · Practice with Screening & Getting started with the on-line IEE Assistant · Pointers and Pitfalls A guide to successful & effective IEEs · Prerequisites for Implementation of IEE/EA conditions · Environmental Compliance Language for USAID Procurement Instruments · Resources for ESDM & Env. Compliance
Course Materials
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Participant sourcebooks |
Each participant receives the Participants' Sourcebook. The Sourcebook contains a description of and instructions for each module, overheads, key resource materials readings, and the case site briefings. It is usually provided in 3-ring-binder format. The “skeleton file Here is a sample full sourcebook
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Case site briefings
| Field visits are identified and corresponding briefing/instructions prepared for each course. Sample briefings are provided here; instructions are contained in the participant sourcebook skeleton file. Field visit 1: Baseline Assessment & Impact Characterization (58KB) Field visit 2: IEE Review
Field (87KB) Visit 3: EMMP development (101KB)
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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 was prepared for the EA-ESDM course, but information regarding contracting, logistics and preparation is also generally relevant to this “LOP compliance” course. Course Preparation and Delivery Guide Home Page
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(3 MB) with all materials from the June 2008 DRC workshop. Note this used a shortened (3.5 day) agenda & and omitted one of the site visits.) 
Facilitating a course Hosting/facilitating the course involves arranging for venue and catering (25-45 participants over 3.5-4.5 days), identifying and briefing case study sites, and engaging local resource persons, among other requirements.