Improving EPA's Performance
with Program Evaluation
Partnerships to Address Environmental Justice Issues
in Communities: Findings & Recommendations
Series No. 9C
By continuously evaluating its programs, EPA is able to capitalize on lessons learned and incorporate that
experience into other programs. This enables the Agency to streamline and modernize its operations while promoting
continuous improvement and supporting innovation. This series of short sheets on program evaluation is intended
to share both the results and benefits of evaluations conducted across the Agency, and share lessons learned
about evaluation methodologies in this evolving discipline. For more information contact EPA's Evaluation Support
Division at www.epa.gov/evaluate.
At a Glance
Evaluation Purpose
To identify the value of using collaboration to
address environmental justice issues in distressed
communities.
Evaluation Type
Process/Outcome Evaluation
Publication Date
January 2003
Partners
Federal Interagency Working Group on
Environmental Justice, Office of Environmental
Justice, Office of Policy, Economics and
Innovation
Contact
Charles Lee, OEJ (202) 564-2597
Background: Why was an evaluation
performed?
An evaluation was conducted to assess the value of using collaborative
projects to address environmental justice issues in predominantly low-
income or minority communities. The evaluation is built upon six
case studies that were written primarily between December 2001 and
July 2002. These projects are part of the Federal Interagency Working
Group (IWG) on Environmental Justice's national demonstration
projects announced in June 2000. These projects are representative
of the IWG's effort to build "dynamic and proactive partnerships
among Federal agencies to benefit environmentally and economically
distressed communities." In 2000, EPA's Office of Policy, Economics
and Innovation (OPEI), with the support of the P\VG and EPA's
Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ), agreed to conduct case studies
and a program evaluation of six demonstration projects. The project
partnerships reviewed include:
• a partnership based primarily in an inner city community near
downtown San Diego that is addressing health concerns brought
about by incompatible land uses;
• a partnership focused on Southeast and Southwest Washington,
DC., and championed by the Washington Navy Yard, that is seeking
to ensure that local redevelopment efforts benefit local residents;
NCEI
NATIONAL CENTER FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION
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• a collaboration between a Tribal community in
Alaska and several agencies that is working to
ensure cleanup of more than 80 contaminated
sites on the community's home island;
• a partnership between agencies and several
organizations based in East St. Louis and surrounding
communities that is taking a comprehensive approach
to reducing local threats from lead-poisoning;
• a partnership among three rural communities, agencies,
and other organizations in southern Missouri that is
taking a structured approach to addressing local asthma,
lead, and water issues; and
• a partnership consisting of numerous groups and
agencies and driven by a grassroots group in
Spartanburg, South Carolina, that is seeking to clean
up contaminated and abandoned sites and revitalize
the nearby neighborhoods.
Evaluation Content: What did the
evaluation include?
Six case studies were produced that provided information
on each partnership project's community history,
background, goals and processes, and activities. In
addition, each study described interviewees' perceptions
of their partnership projects related to measuring success,
successes and challenges, recommendations for
improvement, lessons for other communities, and the
value of federal involvement in these efforts. Five to
eight specific findings for each case study were also
developed. Using the case studies, a cross-case analysis
was then performed that produced specific findings related
to: (1) project process, activities, and outcomes; (2) key
factors influencing project success and progress; (3)
organizational styles, policies, and procedures influencing
project success and progress; (4) the value of collaboration
to address environmental justice issues; and (5) the value
of federal agency involvement in these efforts. In addition,
a total of ten core findings and nine core
recommendations were also included. Six of the findings
and five of the recommendations are presented below.
Evaluation Results: What was
learned?
Six of the evaluation report's ten core findings are
described below.
• Multi-stakeholder collaboration can act as a
transformative mechanism for enabling
communities and associated stakeholders to
constructively address complex and long-
standing issues concerning environmental
and public health hazards, strained or non-
existent relations with government agencies
and other institutions, and economic decline.
Multi-stakeholder collaboration can provide
disadvantaged communities with an opportunity to
openly discuss concerns and potential solutions to
issues affecting them in a manner that genuinely suits
the affected community's needs. Second, it can provide
public service organizations, including government
agencies and community-based organizations, with an
effective forum to coordinate, leverage, and
strategically use resources to meet complex
environmental justice challenges facing disadvantaged
communities.
• The partnerships are generating a variety of
positive outcomes for the affected
communities, including: (1) the creation or
enhancement of relationships through which
numerous, diverse, and sometimes competing
stakeholders can come together and engage in
constructive dialogue to overcome environmental
justice concerns; and (2) the implementation and/or
the more effective implementation of public health,
environmental protection, and economic development
programs.
• Several partnerships have and continue to
face challenges to improve situations for the
affected communities. Most notably, parties
struggle with the maintenance and operation of their
partnerships, grappling with such day-to-day issues as
coordination and ensuring continued cooperation
amongst the different parties.
• Federal agencies have and continue to play
key roles in these partnerships. First, federal
agencies have assisted in the creation or continued
implementation of all the partnerships by generating
or seizing opportunities and by providing energy and
enthusiasm. Second, they have supplied the
partnerships with critical resources, knowledge, and
expertise. Finally, federal agencies have provided or
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enhanced the credibility, legitimacy, and/or trust
surrounding the partnership efforts.
• Despite the positive roles of federal agencies,
cooperation and coordination in support of
partnership efforts within and between
federal agencies could be enhanced and
made more apparent to non-federal partners.
Some interviewees believe that coordination has
improved. However, some do not see any evidence
of cooperation, while others are unclear about the
cooperation. Some federal representatives, however,
are exhibiting signs of improved coordination.
• Much of the success of these efforts can be
attributed to individuals, either at the
community, regional, NGO [non-governmental
organization], or government level, who took it
upon themselves, at real risk of failure, to pull
diverse groups together. Pulling partnerships
together, especially when the goal is to address
challenging environmental problems and social
relationships, and/or help a community revitalize, can
be a difficult endeavor. Such an effort requires not
only leadership skills, patience, and the ability to think
creatively, but also strong interpersonal skills that
naturally lend themselves to stakeholder bridge-
building
Evaluation Recommendations
Five of the evaluation report's nine core recommendations
are presented below
• Expand use of multi-stakeholder
collaboration as a tool for addressing
environmental justice issues in distressed
communities. Government at all levels, community
organizations, faith groups, other NGOs, philanthropic
foundations, and the business community should
review opportunities to initiate, support, and participate
in multi-stakeholder collaborative partnerships.
• Identify long-term opportunities with
organisations and institutions to build the
administrative and coordination capacity of
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Policy,
Economics and
(1807T)
the collaborative partnerships. Partnerships
reviewed for this study have creatively found ways to
remain functioning and ensure continued coordination.
However, energy continually devoted to the
performance of administrative functions by
partnership leaders is energy lost to further meet,
discuss ideas, develop strategies, and/or oversee the
implementation of partnership actions.
• Promote community-based leadership and
organisational development at the local level
for communities using multi-stakeholder
collaboration to address EJ [environmental
justice] issues. It is much easier for partnerships using
multi-stakeholder collaboration to implement actions
that support the affected community if the community
has a strong voice in partnership affairs. The
community's voice is best heard if the partnership
includes representatives of community groups that
have broad local support.
• Link those involved in EJ collaborative
partnerships into a national structure that
encourages cross-partnership learning and
builds additional support. Partners operating in
isolation may feel that their work is overwhelming and
that they are continually charting new territory. This
could be at least partly overcome if partners are able
to recognize that they are part of a process that is being
used in places across the country to address complex
issues in the midst of challenging stakeholder
relationships.
• Review opportunities to forge stronger links
between established government
environmental programs that are critical to
the cleanup and revitali^ation of
disadvantaged communities. These programs
include federal initiatives such as Department of
Energy's (DOE) Bnghtfields, EPA's Brownfields,
DOE's Clean Cities, DOE's Rebuild America, EPA's
Smart Growth Index, EPA's Superfund, and other
programs. To fully meet the needs of communities
challenged by numerous environmental, public health,
and socio-economic issues, environmental justice
collaborative partnerships would greatly benefit if the
leaders and coordinators of these programs either
enhance or begin formal partnerships with each other.
June 2003
Innovation EPA-100-F-03-015
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