United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
NCEI
NATIONAL CENTER FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION
Guidelines for Designing
EPA Partnership Programs
-------
The National Center for Environmental Innovation wishes to thank the members of the Partnership
Programs Workgroup and other EPA contributors who assisted us in this effort.
This document was developed for use by EPA managers and staff and their contractors as they
develop Partnership Programs.
United States Environmental Protection Agency
National Center for Environmental Innovation (I807T)
Washington, DC
Updated December 2007
yi
NCEI
NATIONAL CENTER FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
-------
The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) began using Partnership Programs
prominently in the early I 990's as a
unique, non-regulatory approach to environ-
mental management. EPA is increasingly turning
to a voluntary approach to protect public health
and the environment, and over the past decade,
Partnership Programs have become more and
more important as tools for the Agency.
EPA Partnership Programs typically:
• Encourage groups to go beyond regulatory
compliance.
• Provide alternative ways to meet regulatory
and statutory objectives.
• Use recognition, information, competitive
pressure, and other incentives.
• Leverage market forces to provide benefits
to participants.
See for more infor-
mation about EPA's Partnership Programs and
Partners.
These Guidelines lay out the structure for de-
signing a Partnership Program and offer practical
tips to help you navigate these steps.Through-
out the Guidelines, we share lessons learned and
experiences compiled by successful Partnership
Programs throughout their development and
growth.
These Guidelines should be used in conjunction
with the Guidelines for Measuring the Performance
of EPA Partnership Programs and the Guidelines
for Marketing EPA Partnership Programs.
Creating a Foundation for
Your Program
The most successful Partnership Programs start
with a solid foundation.To create this foundation,
you'll need to focus on identifying:
• The basic environmental problem you are
tackling.
• The overall market you are addressing.
• The actual change you are hoping to achieve.
This step may seem very basic, but it is critical in
ensuing that your program design is clear; effec-
tive, and fits in with EPA's strategic goals.
Once you've laid the foundation for your pro-
gram, you'll need to delve into the specifics by
selecting target decisionmakers and the desired
action steps you want them to take.These steps
ensure that you cover the "who" and the "what"
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
-------
of your program: who you're targeting and what
you want them to do.
After identifying the target decisionmaker a new
Partnership Program must determine the value
proposition.The value proposition is the "deal"
your program is offering to target decisionmak-
ers—the action steps that you are asking them
to take and what they'll get in return for taking
those steps. At this stage, you'll need to define
the value proposition of your program and
communicate it to your target decisionmakers.
The stronger and clearer your value proposition
is, the greater the value target decisionmak-
ers will see in your program.The bottom line
is that your value proposition must convince
your target decisionmakers that your program is
worthwhile to them.
Coordinating and Measuring
Your Program
Once you have outlined the basic design you
need to coordinate and measure your program
and build you brand. Voluntary initiatives are not
only used increasingly by EPA; they are also used
by other government agencies, industry repre-
sentatives, and independent, non-governmental
organizations. With all of these Partnership
Programs, it is important to avoid duplicating ef-
forts that are already underway, either at EPA or
in other organizations. If too many programs are
created that focus on the same target decision-
maker; it can create "initiative fatigue" and other
problems for participants.
In addition to coordination, measures of envi-
ronmental results and agency resource invest-
ment need to be addressed when creating your
program.The bottom line is that you must cre-
ate effective metrics and accurate environmental
estimates to illustrate the potential success of
your program. How successfully you frame your
program in terms of near-term, intermediate-
term, and long-term success directly relates to
your ability to secure resources both within the
Agency and outside of it.
Building Credibility and Rolling
Out Your Program
Credibility and the value of your brand are es-
sential to nearly all EPA Partnership Programs,
even those that do not target consumers or citi-
zens.They define how your target decisionmak-
ers and supporters will perceive your program
and therefore how they will respond to it. Even
the best brands and programs can be destroyed
by a bad customer experience or a public rela-
tions problem so even those programs that are
not large enough to require true brand manage-
ment still need to apply the principles.
Determining how to roll out your program is
also important. Programs can be rolled out in
two different formats, as a pilot program or as a
full-scale program. A pilot program is limited in
size and scope and focuses on a limited geo-
graphic area, market segment, or limited number
of target decisionmakers.A full-sea e program
does not have a "test period," but rolls out im-
mediately on a larger scale.
Assessing the Design of Your
Partnership Program
To create consistent and effective EPA Partner-
ship Programs, senior managers should review
them early in the development process to
ensure they are on the right track, and later
assess their readiness for launch. A checklist has
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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been provided below to help managers deter-
mine whether their new programs will meet the
guidelines laid out in this document.
Checklist for Assessing Partnership
Programs
Goals
Q What are the specific, measurable goals the
program estimates it can achieve in the near-
term, medium-term, and long-term?
[_l Do these goals flow reasonably from the
number of target decisionmakers the pro-
gram can reach, the value the program can
deliver to the target decisionmakers, and
the likelihood they will take the desired ac-
tion steps to improve public health and the
environment?
Resources, Effectiveness,
and Coordination
[_l Do the expected environmental results war-
rant the level of resources that EPA would
invest in this Partnership Program as com-
pared to other approaches?
[_l Does the Partnership Program have the
necessary expertise and credibility to under-
stand and be respected by the target deci-
sionmakers?
[_l Does the program have the resources to
secure this expertise through 3rd parties or
contractors?
[_l Is the program coordinated with related
programs, in EPA HQ and Regions, other
federal agencies, other levels of government,
business, NGOs, educational organizations,
and other stakeholders?
Decisionmakers
Q Is the program targeting the most receptive
actual decisionmakers who have the power
to take the desired action steps?
Q Has the program strategically selected target
decisionmakers to maximize its leveraging
potentia (typically a small set of decision-
makers who, in turn, influence many other
decisionmakers to achieve substantial envi-
ronmental impact)?
[_l Who are these target decisionmakers, as
specifically as possible, and how do they
influence the decision to take the desired
action steps?
Q Is there a match between a) the number of
decisionmakers the program is expected to
reach and influence and b) the resources
available to the program?
Value Proposition
Q What specific action steps is the program
asking target decisionmakers to take?
Q Has the program identified a sufficiently
strong "value proposition" to convince a
reasonable number of target decisionmakers
to take the desired action steps?
Q What are key elements of the value propo-
sition? (The best value propositions solve
important problems experienced by deci-
sionmakers. For manufacturers this could be
gaining access to new markets. For parents
this could be preventing their kids from get-
ting cancer. For cash-strapped consumers it
could be cutting rising energy bills).
Q Has the Partnership Program identified
valued services it can offer decisionmakers
as part of the value proposition (e.g., training,
technical support, analytical tools)?
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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Q What kinds of resistance are the target
decisionmakers likely to have to the pro-
posed action steps and how will the program
address them?
[_l Will the desired action steps meet many (if
not all) of the needs of the target decision-
makers currently met by the conventional
behavior; product, or service?
Communicating the Value
Proposition
Q How will the program communicate the
value proposition to target decisionmak-
ers in a way that reaches them, gains their
attention, is perceived as credible, and then
convinces them to act?
Q How will the value proposition be framed?
Q What communications channel will be used?
Legal Issues
[_l Has the program contacted the EPA's Office
of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance
(OECA) if there are any enforcement- or
compliance-related incentives? Has the pro-
gram contacted the relevant EPA program
office if there are any regulatory incentives
for the program or if any components could
affect regulatory requirements?
[_l Has the program considered any potential
challenge a stakeholder could make about
the program's design and how to respond?
IV
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction 1
Why Partnership Programs? 1
What are Partnership Programs? 1
Is a Partnership Program the Right Tool for the Job? 2
How Can These Guidelines Help You Create a Partnership Program? 2
Who Should Use the Partnership Program Design Guidelines? 3
What are the Key Steps in Designing an EPA Partnership Program ? 3
How Do These Guidelines Help EPA Ensure That Partnership Programs
Fit Within the Strategic Plan? 3
Chapter 2. Creating a Foundation for Your Program 5
Identify the Environmental Problem 5
Identify the "Market" 5
Identify the Environmental Change 6
Identify and Secure Necessary Expertise 6
Chapter 3. Selecting the "Who" and "What" of Your Program 7
Identify the Target Decision makers to Maximize Leveraging Potential 7
Identify the Action Steps 9
Identify Problems Solved by Action Steps 11
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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Chapter 4. Identifying and Communicating the Value of Your Program. .12
Create a Strong and Clear Value Proposition 12
Identify Barriers 13
Address Barriers with Tools and Customer Service 15
Translate the Value Proposition into an Agreement 18
Communicate the Value Proposition 19
Chapter 5. Coordinating with Other Programs and Avoiding Conflicts . .21
Identify and Coordinate with Other Programs 21
Efforts Within EPA 21
Efforts Within Other Federal Agencies 22
Efforts Within State, Local, or Private Organizations 22
Notify the Agency of Your Program 23
Chapter 6. Measuring Results and Securing Agency Resources 24
Define the Measures of Environmental Impact 24
Estimate Environmental Results and Cost Effectiveness 25
Consider Market Transformation 25
Secure EPA and Other Resources 26
Chapter 7. Building Credibility and Brand Equity for Your Program .. . .27
Brand the Program 27
Select and Protect Your Trademark 28
Establish Credibility for the Program 29
Chapter 8. Rolling Out Your Program 30
Choose the Type of Program 30
Create a Program Launch 31
Chapter 9. Case Study of a Partnership Program 32
Appendices 36
Appendix A: Notification Process 37
Appendix B: Types of Partnership Programs 42
Appendix C: Trademark Basics 44
Appendix D: Suggested Reading 46
VI
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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Chapter 1:
Introductioi
Why Partnership Programs?
The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) began using Partnership Programs
prominently in the early I 990's as a
unique, non-regulatory approach to environ-
mental management. EPA is increasingly turning
to a voluntary approach to protect public health
and the environment, and over the past decade,
Partnership Programs have become more and
more important as tools for the Agency.
Partnership Programs represent a change from
"business as usual." Because of this, many in EPA
have questioned:
• What are Partnership Programs?
• What should these programs look like?
• What steps do you follow to create a
successful Partnership Program?
These guidelines are designed to answer these
questions and, in doing so, help EPA develop
successful and consistent Partnership Programs.
What Are Partnership Programs?
Partnership Programs are EPA-managed pro-
grams that motivate people and organizations
to take actions that improve the environment
According to a recent National Academy of
Sciences publication, "There has been increas-
ing concern among environmental protection
officials in the Federal government about the
problem of diminishing returns from regula-
tion... Consequently, there has been a search
for alternatives to regulation, including a shift
to market-based approaches such as tradable
emissions permits, to informational approaches,
and to voluntary measures."
D/etz, T. and Paul C. Stern, "New Tools for
Environmental Protection"
and public health. Because the programs are
voluntary, they focus on convincing decisionmak-
ers to take environmentally significant actions in
non-regulatory ways.
EPA Partnership Programs typically:
• Provide alternative ways to meet regulatory
and statutory objectives.
• Encourage groups to go beyond regulatory
compliance.
See www.epa.gov/partners for more
information about EPA's Partnership Programs.
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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• Use recognition, information, competitive
pressure, and other incentives.
• Leverage market forces to provide benefits
to participants.
Many EPA Partnership Programs rely on coop-
erative partnerships.These partnerships bring
EPA together with external groups—business
and industry, other governmental agencies, tribes,
communities, environmental and public interest
groups—to promote environmentally prefer-
able actions.These partnerships are meant to be
"win-win" propositions that are valuable to both
EPA and program participants.
EPA's Partnership Programs vary greatly—in the
environmental issues they address, the changes
they seek, the decisionmakers they target, and
the value they offer to those decisionmakers.
Some of the major program types are:
• Programs that promote the purchase of
environmentally preferable products.
• Corporate commitment programs and part-
nership programs.
• Recognition-only programs.
• Regulatory flexibility programs.
Please see Appendix C: Types of Partnership
Programs for more details and examples.
Is a Partnership Program the Right
Tool for the Job?
Partnership Programs are a type of policy
tool that is best suited for dealing with certain
types of environmental problems. Conducting a
needs assessment prior to beginning to design
the program will help you determine if this is
the right tool to solve the problem you have
identified. Partnership Programs should only be
used where there is a good business case, and
addressable barriers. For example, consider the
case of a business-oriented EPA Partnership
Program. In general a reasonably strong business
case reduces cost, increases revenue, increases
profitability and reduces liability creating an
environment in which a Partnership Program
can succeed.
Not all environmental problems are appropri-
ate for a Partnership Program. Partnership
Programs that offer a good business case that
is not being acted upon and where EPA has the
capability to overcome barriers, which will be
discussed later in this document, are generally
the most successful.
How Can These Guidelines Help You
Create a Partnership Program?
These Guidelines lay out the structure for de-
signing a Partnership Program and offer practical
tips to help you navigate these steps.Through-
out the Guidelines, we share lessons learned and
experiences compiled by successful Partnership
Programs throughout their development and
growth.
These Guidelines should be used in conjunction
with the Guidelines for Measuring the Performance
of EPA Partnership Programs and the Guidelines
for Marketing EPA Partnership Programs.
The appendices also provide additional in-
depth information that may be helpful as you
work through these Guidelines.
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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Who Should Use the Partnership
Program Design Guidelines?
We developed these guidelines primarily for the
following audiences:
• EPA Partnership Program Managers
and Program Staff can use these Guide-
lines to plan and design new, improved, or
expanded Partnership Programs.
• EPA Managers and Senior Decision-
makers can use these Guidelines to assess
existing, new, improved, or expanded EPA
Partnership Programs.
If you have any questions or would like addi-
tional information please contact Stephan Syl-
van, Partnership Programs Coordinator, based
in the EPA's Office of Policy, Economics, and
Innovation, National Center for Environmental
Innovation.
What Are the Key Steps in Design-
ing an EPA Partnership Program?
EPA staff members have used many approaches
to develop Partnership Programs, and there is
not one "correct way" to design an effective
and successful program. However, the follow-
ing major steps have been used successfully by
other EPA Partnership Programs in the past.
Each of these steps includes lessons learned
from the experience of existing EPA Partnership
Programs.
Sen/or managers and decisionmakers should
be sure to review the executive summary
which contains a useful Checklist for reviewing
Programs.
The following chapters thoroughly explain the
steps other Partnership Programs have used:
• Chapter 2. Creating a Foundation forYour
Program
• Chapter 3. Selecting the "Who" and "What"
of Your Program
• Chapter 4. Identifying and Communicating
the Value of Your Program
• Chapter 5. Coordinating with Other Pro-
grams and Avoiding Conflicts
• Chapter 6. Measuring Results and Securing
Agency Resources
• Chapter 7. Building Credibility and Brand
Equity forYour Program
• Chapter 8. Rolling Out Your Program
• Chapter 9. Case Study of a Partnership
Program
How Do These Guidelines Help EPA
Ensure that Partnership Programs
Fit Within the Strategic Plan?
With EPA developing so many Partnership Pro-
grams, it is important that they all fit within the
Agency's strategic goals and objectives. Partner-
ship Programs should not simply be a piece-
mea approach to environmental problems, but
rather a coordinated and streamlined effort that
reflects the core values of the organization. We
use two methods to coordinate our Partner-
ship Programs and ensure that they support the
strategic plan:
I. Using a streamlined notification
process. All Partnership Programs go
through the Agency Notification Process.
This process ensures that all EPA offices
know about new Partnership Programs and
are given an opportunity to comment on
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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them. It also places you in contact with other
individuals conducting similar efforts or who
have experience in the type of program you
are developing.
For more information, see Chapter 5: Coor-
dinating with Other Programs and Avoiding
Conflicts and Appendix A: Notification Process.
Notification has three stages, preliminary
notification, program development, and final
notification. During preliminary notification,
you provide an outline of the concept for
your Partnership Program. During Program
Development, the Partnership Programs Co-
ordinator helps you coordinate your efforts
with others in the Agency. Final Notification
happens after you've done some preliminary
development of your program and it is ready
to launch.
The notification process is not an approval
process, but a chance to provide informa-
tion about your program and get informa-
tion about other programs.This process
promotes coordination across the Agency's
program offices and shares useful lessons
learned, creating more efficient and consis-
tent Partnership Programs.
2. Allocating resources based on pro-
gram goals and results. All Partnership
Programs must show how they will solve
environmental problems, how they will
meet certain measures, and how they will
support EPA's overall goals and objectives.
How well you demonstrate your program's
potentia and its role in meeting Agency
priorities could affect the resources you can
secure.You'll need to examine the goals and
objectives that relate to your program and
determine how your program contributes
to them.You can access EPA's strategic plan
online at:
www.epa.gov/ocfopage/plan/plan.htm
See Chapter 6: Measuring Results and Secur-
ing Agency Resources for more information on
creating measures and securing resources for
your program.
EPA is focusing more and more on measur-
ing its programs against targets set in the
strategic plan. As you develop your program,
you'll need to identify relevant metrics and
gather information on whether your pro-
gram is meeting those targets.
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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Chapter 2:
Creating a Foundation for Your Program
The most successful Partnership Programs
start with a solid foundation.To create
this foundation, you'll need to focus on
identifying the basic environmental problem you
are tackling, the overall market you are address-
ing, and the actual change you are hoping to
achieve.This step may seem very basic, but it
is critical in ensuring that your program design
is clear; effective, and fits in with EPA's strategic
goals.
This chapter will help you:
• Identify the Environmental Problem
• Identify the Market
• Identify the Environmental Change
• Identify and Secure Necessary Expertise
See Chapter 9: Case Study of a Partnership
Program for more concrete examples of the
concept discussed. We illustrate each step to
show how they all work together to create an
effective program.
Identify the Environmental Problem
EPA Partnership Programs are developed to
solve important environmental problems.Your
program should be able to clearly identify the
environmental problem the program is
addressing.You'll need to identify the environ-
mental problem at the highest level (e.g. clean
water; clean air; etc.) and then all the way down
to the most specific level possible (e.g., public
health problems associated with particulates
emitted by residential wood burning). Also be
sure to compare the environmental problem
you identify to any existing regulatory and
voluntary efforts to see if there is a niche for
the new program.
Identify the "Market"
Once you've identified the environmental
program you're tackling, you'll then need to
identify the market/industry responsible for that
problem. As you identify the market, think as
specifically as you can by naming the category
of people, consumers, producers, organizations,
professionals, etc. the program will be target-
ing. Conduct research to identify organizational
relationships, influential players, organizational
culture, organizational barriers, and prior history
with initiatives perceived to be similarAII of
this information can help you at late stages of
your program development. At this stage your
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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goal should be to develop a deep and strategic
knowledge of your market.
The term "market" is placed in quotes because
some EPA partnership programs are not market
based. That is, they do not operate in an envi-
ronment where products or services are bought,
sold, manufactured, distributed, marketed, etc.
Identify the Environmental Change
Once you identify the market you're targeting,
you'll need to identify the change in the market
that would lead to the desired environmental
progress. At this stage, you don't need to be so
specific in identifying the desired change that
you include targets and timetables (e.g., the
amount of mercury waste reduced and by what
year).You will create more specific targets and
timelines later after you know more about the
design of the program and its potential impact.
Many partnership programs have successfully
used consultants when designing programs. It
may be worth the time and investment to find
those consultants and consulting firms with
strong records of providing EPA and other orga-
nizations outstanding voluntary environmental
program consulting services in a cost effective
manner. Ask around within EPA for referrals to
good consultants.
Identify and Secure Necessary
Expertise
The first step in creating your program is
perhaps the most important: enlisting the right
people with the right skills to support your
program. More than anything, this set of core
competencies will help ensure your program's
long-term success.
Partnership Programs depend on a different
set of core competencies than regulatory or
scientific environmental initiatives. In particular;
they usually require strong business and commu-
nications skills, technical analysis expertise, and a
collaborative team that respects these skills.
Partnership Program designers should consider
the need for team members possessing the fol-
lowing skills:
• Marketing strategy
• Communications materials design
• Creative web design
• Product positioning
• Brand building
• Persuasive oral and written communications
• Media outreach strategy and implementation
• Customer service
• Business strategy
• Industry/competitive analysis
• Creative engineering analysis of emerging
technologies
• Financial, economic, and environmental
analysis
• Coalition building
• Business negotiations and deal-making
• Entrepreneurial skills
If your program needs help in developing this
expertise internally or finding this expertise
through experience consultants, contact the
Partnership Programs Coordinator or another
member of the EPA Partnership Programs
Coordination Team.
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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Chapter 3:
Selecting the "Who" and "What"
of Your Program
Once you've laid the foundation for
your program, you'll need to delve
into the specifics by selecting target
decisionmakers and the desired action steps you
want them to take.These steps ensure that you
cover the "who" and the "what" of your pro-
gram: who you're targeting and what you want
them to do.
This chapter will help you:
• Identify Target Decisionmakers to Maximize
Leveraging Potential.
• Identify the Action Steps.
• Identify Problems Solved by Action Steps.
Identify the Target Decisionmakers
to Maximize Leveraging Potential
As you begin targeting specific decisionmak-
ers, you move from thinking about the market
in general to the specific people who have the
power to make these environmental changes
and are receptive to them.Your target deci-
sionmakers are the "doers" who will help your
program achieve success. With industry based
programs you also have to determine in what
part of the value chain you will intervene. Ask
yourself will this program influence manufactur-
Target decisionmakers should never be as
broad as "the public," "consumers," "manu-
facturers", or "state governments." Coca-Cola,
which has many more resources than an EPA
Partnership Program, would never try to reach
all consumers.
ers or consumers, retailer or wholesalers,
where is the point of maximum leverage in the
value chain.
When you identify target decisionmakers, you
should be as focused and specific as possible.
Selecting a highly focused set of target deci-
sionmakers who can, in turn influence many
other decisionmakers, makes it more likely your
program will be able to:
. Reach these decisionmakers with limited
resources.
2. Understand your decisionmakers well
enough to develop a compelling value
proposition (explained in the next chapter)
that convinces them to take the desired ac-
tion steps.
3. Use a single value proposition and a set of
messages to convince decisionmakers to
change behavior
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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4. Interest target decisionmakers enough that
they may help convince the next set of deci-
sionmakers to take the desired action steps.
Trade associations can be valuable partners as
you design and implement your programs. Be
aware however, that some trade associations
may represent the views of the most opposi-
tional member companies making it difficult
to strike agreements with the most receptive
member companies.
The following steps are recommended in se ect-
ing the most strategic target decisionmakers to
maximize leveraging potential of your program:
I. Identify the primary decisionmak-
ers. These are the decisionmakers whose
behavior needs to be changed to achieve
significant environmental impact.This is
usually a fairly large group. Let's assume
your program was trying to prevent water
pollution from gasoline leaking from lawn-
mowers (hypothetical example).The primary
decisionmakers might be the owners and
operators of the lawnmowers, a very large
group.The desired action step might be for
them to tighten a bolt on the lawnmowers
or to replace old leaky lawnmowers with
newer ones. Note that reaching the primary
decisionmakers directly (e.g. through phone
calls, meetings, direct mail) us usually impos-
sible given their large numbers (millions of
lawnmower owners/operators) relative to
the limited resources of EPA Partnership
Programs.
2. Brainstorm influencer and gatekeeper
decisionmakers. This would be a list of all
individuals, groups, companies, governments
who have potential influence on the primary
decisionmakers to change their behavior;
getting them to take desired "action steps."
Ideally, at least some from your brainstormed
list will be smaller groups than the primary
decisionmaker group. Using the leaking
lawnmower example, you might name
the following in your brainstorm list: block
captains, neighborhood association presi-
dents, fire departments chiefs, fire marshals,
homeowner insurance company executives,
newspapers editors, owners of landscape
companies, lawnmower manufacturer execu-
tives, lawnmower retailer executives, etc.
3. Select most strategic influencer
decisionmakers from brainstorm list.
This step requires both a deep and broad
understanding of the world of lawnmowers
and lawn mowing. It will typically require in-
formation collection and analysis from many
perspectives: economic, financial, institutional/
organizational, political, and sometimes legal.
The goal is to select just one (or sometimes
two or three) decisionmaker groups from
the brainstorm list based on their likelihood
of maximizing leveraging potential.
Consider an ideal hypothetical situation us-
ing the leaking lawnmower example. Let's
assume your program could convince a few
key homeowner insurance executives to
partner with you in convincing most major
lawnmower manufacturers to redesign most
of their products to be leak-free. In this
example, the insurance executives would
represent influence decisionmakers great
leveraging potential.
It's very important to recognize that target deci-
sionmakers are individuals and not organizations,
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
-------
companies, or governments. Organizations don't
make decisions, people do. When dealing with
anything but the smallest organizations, you will
need to identify the department (e.g., customer
service department, manufacturing department)
and title of the person within that organization
you plan to target. For example, a company's
vice president of manufacturing will have very
different spheres of influence within the firm as
well as different interests, goals, concerns, and in-
centives than the vice president of marketing. By
focusing on those people who will benefit the
most from your program, you increase the likeli-
hood that they will participate. One approach
is to begin with the most potentially receptive
target decisionmakers and move outward.
Identify the Action Steps
Action steps are the decisions you want the
target decisionmakers to make or the new
things you want them to do to achieve the
environmental change you identified earlier An
"action step" is the specific action you'd like
decisionmakers to take. It can be very specific
and defined by the program designers, or more
generally defined as broad areas for partner
commitments (e.g. waste prevention, recycling,
etc), with specific actions defined by individual
participants. Some elements of a good action
step are:
• Simple. The action step is one that target
decisionmakers perceive as easy to remem-
ber and complete.
• Significant. The action step gets results
that are environmentally important.
• Possible.The action step is within the ream
of the possible for the target decisionmakers.
• Identifiable. It's easy to tell if someone
has taken the action step or not (e.g., you
don't need to bring a watt meter to the
person's house to test a product for energy
efficiency).
• Measurable. You can measure the out-
come of the action step and count the
number of decisionmakers who have taken
the action step.
Remember the "WIFM Principle:" What's In It
For Me? All target decisionmakers will want to
know how your program will benefit them.
When you develop action steps, you should
look at the world through the eyes of your
target decisionmakerYou'll need to assess what
your program is really asking them to do from
their perspective. Specifically: what action steps
are you asking them to take? And, how will these
action steps affect their day-to-day operations?
The perceived value of your program is directly
related to how it affects business-as-usual. If
target decisionmakers see the program as asking
a great deal of them and disrupting their daily
work, they will see less value in taking part.
As you select an action step, you'll need to
consider the level of environmental aggressive-
ness you're asking for.This can be tricky due
to the competing pressures to either specify
a "tough action step" or an "easy action step."
With a tough action step, you create sustainable
changes, but the actions may be so hard that
few will take this step. On the other hand, easy
action steps are so obvious or simple that your
program will get a lot of participants, but the
action may not have a significant environmental
impact unless very large numbers take this step.
It may attract more participants, but make no
rea, sustainable changes.
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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Talk to the target decisionmakers throughout
the design process. Their input can be helpful in
shaping the program and ensuring adoption of
the action steps.
As you create action steps, it can be easy to find
yourself caught between stakeholder groups.
Non-governmental environmental groups often
prefer tough action steps because they prevent
"green washing" (companies claiming unwar-
ranted environmental benefits for products).
At the same time, industry often prefers easy
action steps because they are easy to undertake
and don't require major investment, effort, or
changes in standard operating procedures.
Neither extreme—tough action steps or easy
action steps—is typically appropriate when a
program is first developed.
A far better approach is to begin your program
with an action step already taken by a small
share of potential target decisionmakers—the
"doers"—who make up perhaps 15 percent of
the "market" you are targeting.This approach
has several strategic advantages:
• There's greater chance the "non-doers" will
be exposed to the "doers" or their activities.
• The "doers" can be an example for others to
follow.
• The "doers" can help prove the action step is
possible and eliminate the argument that the
action step is too difficult or too costly.
• The "doers" could be enlisted to help con-
vince some "non-doers" through peer and
competitive pressure.
• The action step is tough enough so that the
program should be able to resist attacks for
setting too weak a standard.
• The action step is tough enough to ensure
the program and the participating deci-
sionmakers represent "excellence" in that
particular market.
• In subsequent phases of the program when
the "doers" have increased from, say, I 5 per-
cent to 50 percent or 60 percent of the total,
the action step can be adjusted so it once
again represents, approximately 5 percent.
Keep in mind that large organizations, govern-
ments, or companies are not monolithic. Just
because one or a few individuals in one part of
a large organization, government, or company
have little interest in taking the desired action
steps, does not mean others will not be inter-
ested. Different departments have different pro-
fessionals, cultures, needs, issues, and leaders.
Some may be more receptive than others.
As you set up your program and identify action
steps, be careful when thinking about defining
multiple action step levels of participation (e.g.,
Gold, Silver; and Bronze levels of participation).
Some state leadership programs have used this
multi-level approach, and been successful. It can
allow programs to give different support and
recognition to different kinds of partners. How-
ever; multiple action steps have some risks that
should be considered:
I. Loss of producer leveraging. Product/
service producers rarely, if ever; promote
claims about their products being "2nd best"
or "3rd best" as the Silver and Bronze levels.
This will mean the program will not be able
to leverage the marketing resources of prod-
uct/service producers.
2. Loss of branding. Multiple levels of per-
formance are not the way most buyers/con-
10
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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sumers make their buying decisions. Most do
not make significant efforts to accumulate ad-
ditional information or investigate multi-level
indicators of product/service performance.
3. Lack of resources. Few EPA Partnership
Programs will ever have sufficient resources
to adequately communicate multiple levels
to a reasonable number of target buyers/
consumers.
4. Added Complexity. Most EPA Partner-
ship Programs struggle to maintain a single
standard of performance or level of partici-
pation. Multiple levels of participation/per-
formance add a layer of complexity few
programs can afford.
Identify Problems Solved
by Action Steps
For your program to be compelling, you'll want
to make the outcomes as concrete as pos-
sible for target decisionmakers.To do this, you
need to identify an important problem expe-
rienced by decisionmakers which would be
solved if they were to take the desired action
steps. Some of the most effective Partnership
Programs (EPA and others) help target deci-
sionmakers solve a problem they either already
perceive as serious or become convinced
is serious.
One good example is EPA's Green Lights pro-
gram (now sunset and folded into the Energy
Star Buildings Program).The Green Lights pro-
gram did not just solve a possible environmental
problem associated with commercial buildings.
The Green Lights program also convinced Chief
Financial Officers and other senior decision-
makers that one of their problems—bringing
corporate operating expenses down—could be
partially solved by upgrading the energy efficien-
cy of their lighting.The program also made some
progress in convincing some corporate deci-
sionmakers that upgrading their lighting could
also help them address another major challenge:
boosting worker productivity.
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
11
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hapter 4:
Identifying and Communicating
^^^^^H the Value of Your Program
The value proposition is the "deal" your
program is offering to target decision-
makers—the action steps that you
are asking them to take and what they'll get in
return for taking those steps. At this stage, you'll
need to define the value proposition of your
program and communicate it to your target
decisionmakers.The stronger and clearer your
value proposition is, the greater the value target
decisionmakers will see in your program.The
bottom line is that your value proposition must
convince your target decisionmakers that your
program is worthwhile to them.
This chapter will help you:
• Create a Strong and ClearValue Proposition.
• Identify Barriers.
• Translate Value Proposition into an
Agreement.
• Address Barriers with Tools and Customer
Service.
• Communicate theValue Proposition.
Create a Strong and Clear Value
Proposition
The best value propositions solve important
problems experienced and perceived by de-
cisionmakers. For manufacturers this could be
gaining access to new markets. For parents
this could be preventing their kids from getting
cancer For cash-strapped consumers it could be
cutting rising energy bills.
As you develop your value proposition, you'll
again need to try and see the world as your
target decisionmakers do: What would be most
compelling to them? What deal will make the
program worth it for them? Only by thinking the
way your decisionmakers do can you be sure
you will compel them to take the action steps
you've identified.
While recognition and awards are a component
of many EPA Partnership Programs, recogni-
tion and awards alone are typically not sufficient
incentives for the target decisionmakers of most
EPA Partnership Programs. Increasingly, target
decisionmakers will need more than recognition
to take the desired action steps. Once a strong
value proposition has been established around
other valuable incentives, recognition and awards
can serve as "icing on the cake" for those target
decisionmakers who value it.
The value proposition is only as strong as its
perceived value by target decisionmakers. When
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Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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developing the value proposition consider:
• Problems the target decisionmakers might
believe would be solved by taking the de-
sired action steps (both environmental and
non-environmental problems but especially
non-environmental problems).
• New opportunities target decisionmakers
might believe would open up as a result of
taking the desired action steps.
• Services EPA might offer (or get third parties
to offer) the target decisionmakers if they
take the desired action steps.
Partnership Programs can offer a variety of
other valuable services to program participants.
EPA has a unique knowledge base that can be
shared through useful information and technical
assistance.These programs provide network-
ing opportunities, can address company image
issues within a community, and can contribute to
cost savings. Be sure to look at all possible areas
to which your program can add value when
developing your value proposition.
Identify Barriers
Since participation in your program is voluntary,
you must assure participants that the value you
are offering outweighs the costs. It is difficult to
create a compelling value proposition without
realistically assessing the barriers that your target
audience may perceive.When you identify
barriers, you're looking at the realities of your
program:What could derail it? What could get in
the way of a target decisionmaker buying in to
Remember the "Doctrine of No Surprises:"
identify up front the problems, issues, and bar-
riers that could derail your program so that you
can address them from the beginning.
the program? How can you deal with these bar-
riers up front to ensure the long-term success
of your program?
Partnership Programs work best when demon-
strating better ways for the target decisionmaker
to meet their own objectives while also helping
protect the environment.Target decisionmakers
are obviously less likely to respond to Part-
nership Programs that require them to incur
significant cost or put them at a disadvantage
relative to their competition.Talking to the target
decision makers throughout the design process
will help you ensure that you are meeting their
needs.
To identify barriers:
I. Talk to decisionmakers. Talk to those
who have taken the desired action steps
already as well as those who haven't. Asking
them why they did or did not take the de-
sired action steps is often helpful. Frequently
you'll need to spend some time and probe
to determine why decisionmakers made
certain decisions to gain enough insight to
contribute to your program design. Before
talking to target decisionmakers, however;
consider strategically how you want to intro-
duce them to your program. For example, it
may not help if certain target decisionmakers
form their impressions of your initiative and
respond in kind before you have fully defined
key elements of the initiative.
2. Observe the organization closely. Look
at factors related to how the organization
operates that could impact your program.
Factors commonly overlooked are the
standard operating procedures within the
organization, the organizational culture of the
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
13
-------
organization, the organizational cultures of
sister organizations or of the parent organi-
zation or company, the values of key people
occupying key positions of authority, the
values of key people who lack the formal
authority but wield informal authority, exter-
nal and perceived professional or industry
norms, and external events.
3. Create a cost/benefit analysis. The
costs and benefits are relative to a busi-
ness-as-usual scenario (e.g., if a new financial
investment were being considered, the cost
would be the incremental cost difference
between the "standard" option and the envi-
ronmentally preferable option). Costs include
the initial costs at time of purchase or invest-
ment as well as any additional maintenance,
time, and operating costs.
Benefits include the savings to the organiza-
tion as a result of being in the program.The
benefits could include savings in operating
and maintenance costs, reduced business
risk, reduced health risk, or enhanced public
relations. Savings depend on the type of ac-
tion steps and are based on an assumption
of what would have occurred if the desired
action steps were never taken.
In some cases the savings can be difficult
to predict. When action steps are part of a
larger system, projected savings depend on
more than just the action steps themselves;
they also depend on all the other parts of
the system working correctly.
As you create a cost/benefit analysis, you
should also address situations in which
the savings may depreciate overtime. For
example, as toilet flappers age and are
replaced, the gallons/flush of a low-flow toilet
can increase dramatically.You would need to
address the reduction in savings overtime in
your cost/benefit analysis.
4. Define the investment opportunity
for the participant. For an action to be
financially attractive, the decisionmakers
must believe that any up-front costs will be
recovered over a reasonable period of time.
What defines an attractive investment to
a set of target decisionmakers depends on
a variety of factors. Generally, a "payback
period" should not go beyond several years
(the time it takes to recoup all the up-front
costs and begin to experience savings).
Other aspects of the desired action steps
can make an apparently less financially attrac-
tive investment more attractive. For example,
if the action helps reduce the risk of higher
future business costs, some organizations will
make a change.
This investment opportunity is the case with
green power purchasing. Some companies
are locking in long-term contracts for green
power to help hedge against higher natural
gas prices. Other examples could include
an action's expected positive impact on the
company's brand or corporate image (which
might increase future corporate valuation
and stockholder satisfaction) and on em-
ployee morale (which might help with hiring
and retention).
Never underestimate the importance of good
responsiveness and overall customer service.
They can help overcome limitations in many
areas of the program.
14
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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As we uncover good examples illustrating
the methods outlined in the Barriers table we
will add them to subsequent versions of the
document.
Address Barriers with Tools and
Customer Service
Target decisionmakers may perceive many
barriers when approached by an EPA Partner-
ship Program to take specific action steps.You
should be prepared to address and overcome
these barriers within your program.To do this,
identify key services or tools you could offer
to the target decisionmakers which could help
overcome barriers or just make the action steps
more compelling.You could, for example, offer
training, technical support, analytical tools, media
exposure, etc., to address barriers. Sometimes,
several tools and services need to be applied
together to overcome a barrier and achieve the
stated goals.
The table below identifies some common bar-
riers we've identified in EPA Partnership Pro-
grams and the methods that have been success-
fully used to address them:
What Are the
Typical Barriers?
How Can You Overcome This Barrier?
Costs
Target decisionmak-
ers perceive initial
costs or ongoing
costs to be too high.
• Focus initially on a set of target decisionmakers willing and able take the desired action
steps until price comes down due to technology innovation, economies of scale, "learn-
ing by doing", etc.
• Arrange for a "market aggregation," that is, getting large buyers of the product/service to
conduct a mass purchase to bring initial cost down.
• Support product research, development, and/or demonstration projects to bring down
the initial cost.
• Bring in a third party willing to defray the initial costs (e.g. Energy Service Company or
"ESCO" model).
• Produce a communications strategy to convince target decisionmakers that the higher
initial costs are worth the investment.
• Work with financial institutions in developing financial products to address cash flow
problems.
• Consider ways in which a product can be offered instead as a service (e.g., a company
pays for the service of carpeting instead of the carpeting itself).
Convenience
Target decisionmak-
ers believe they will
be burdened with
papework or data
collection.
• Consider simplified Web-based enrollment and reporting for partners.
• Wait until the program matures and increases in value to target decisionmakers before
asking for additional information.
• Offer to collect information over the phone.
• Communicate how quickly program partners completed the program's paperwork
(if true).
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
15
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What Are the
Typical Barriers?
How Can You Overcome This Barrier?
Target decisionmak-
ers lack the time
to learn about the
desired action steps.
Enlist skilled graphic designers, Web designers, and writers to make action steps seem as
simple as possible.
Consider simplifying or reducing the number of action steps.
Misperceptions
Target decisionmak-
ers believe "green
products" will not
perform as well as
conventional prod-
ucts (inferior qual-
ity) or not perform
as claimed.
Include in the partner agreement a statement that product performance must be at
least as good as conventional products.
Convince a trusted third party to test and report on product performance.
Develop a media campaign (or get key stories placed) with a theme "A new, improved
generation of water-saving toilets, etc."
Enlist trusted leaders to make statements about product performance.
Ask satisfied users of the product to make statements about product performance/
satisfaction.
Organize a "try it" before buying it policy
Develop over time a trusted brand that stands for a high-performing product (as well as
other things).
Target decisionmak-
ers do not trust
EPA as a partner
Convince a third party organization trusted by the target decisionmakers to do one or
more of the following:
(I) Speak on behalf of the EPA program at conferences, meetings, etc.
(2) Endorse the program through a letter; article, or quote (for use on Web site, bro-
chures, etc.).
(3) Join a coalition with the EPA in support of the program and communicate with the
target decisionmakers through the coalition.
(4) Contact the target decisionmakers directly convincing them to join the program.
Hire, through an EPA contract vehicle, an individual respected by the target decisionmak-
ers (to produce reports, share opinions at meetings, etc.).
Convince a trusted third party organization to be the primary contact for target
decisionmakers.
Knowledge or Training
Target decisionmak-
ers are unaware
that your program
exists.
Convince the distributors most frequently used by target decisionmakers to carry the
"green product" and make the "green products" prominent in their product offering
materials (catalogs, Web sites, advertisements, product spec sheets, etc.).
Produce a directory explaining the services, or products your program offers (using the
Web or other means).
Develop a media campaign (or get key stories placed) highlighting the existence of
products (possibly partnering with producers of the "green products" or services).
Convince decisionmakers who have implemented the action steps to tell other target
decisionmakers about their success.
Organize providers of the product or service into a task force to help solve the problem.
16
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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What Are the
Typical Barriers?
How Can You Overcome This Barrier?
Target decisionmak-
ers do not know
how to participate
in your program.
Produce easy to use materials or Web sites explaining how customers can participate in
your program.
Produce materials or Web site content for a trusted third party to send to target
decisionmakers.
Organize the providers of the product or service into a task force to help solve the
problem.
Develop a customer service hotline or e-mail system to answer participants questions.
Target decisionmak-
ers do not know
how to implement
your program.
Develop easy to find and use training materials or Web sites and/or a training course.
Enlist a trusted professional association to conduct the training and/or add this training
to professional certification.
Consider using cost effective training technologies like Web-conferencing and mass-tele-
phone conferencing.
Develop a "train the trainers" program.
Convince key media organizations (e.g., trade journals) to help educate and train.
Develop a customer service hotline or e-mail system helping people with product
usage problems.
Develop software on how to use the product/service.
Organize providers of the product or service into a task force to help solve the problem.
Availability
Target decisionmak-
ers cannot take the
recommended ac-
tion steps because
they have not been
commercialized.
Organize a "golden carrot" program that gives a significant monetary or other reward to
manufacturers producing a fully commercialized "green product."
Find or fund research demonstrating willingness of potential target decisionmakers to
take the desired action steps.
Show producers evidence demonstrating how producers in other markets had similar
beliefs only to find later that a lucrative market exists.
Convince a large buyer to issue a statement (or contract) about their willingness to take
action steps meeting certain specifications and price.
Target decisionmak-
ers cannot take
the recommended
action steps be-
cause they are not
available through
the conventional
distribution
channels.
Develop a Web-based or other directory of recommended products and how to
purchase them.
Convince buyers to purchase through conventional channels once the product is avail-
able in that way
Find or fund research demonstrating willingness of potential buyers to purchase the
product/service through conventional channels.
Develop a media campaign promoting the virtues of the "green products''/services (pos-
sibly partnering with the producers of the products/services).
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
17
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What Are the
Typical Barriers?
How Can You Overcome This Barrier?
Incentives
The individuals
benefiting most
from the action
steps are not the
same as the target
decisionmakers.
Explore ways in which those who will benefit from the desired action steps can share
the value with target decisionmakers.
Consider ways in which a product can be offered instead as a service (e.g., a company
pays for the service of carpeting instead of the carpeting itself).
Target decisionmak-
ers don't perceive
sufficient value in
the action steps or
don't know how to
estimate the value.
Develop a Web tool or other system to help target decisionmakers estimate the value
of the desired action steps (cost and benefits).
Consider targeting different decisionmakers.
Explore serious problems experienced by target decisionmakers that could be solved
with action steps.
Consider developing and offering a valuable service to target decisionmakers in ex-
change for taking the desired action steps.
Enlist a skilled marketing communications specialist in reframing the value proposition.
Urgency
Target decisionmak-
ers do not see any
urgency to take the
desired action steps.
Consider a "join by" deadline to participate in some kind of event recognizing or award-
ing participants (commonly referred to as a "cliff event").
Convince decisionmakers who have already taken the action steps to contact your target
decisionmakers, suggesting they take the same steps.
Few target decision-
makers have taken
the action steps
or seem willing to
consider them.
Ask "doer" decisionmakers to help convince the "non-doer" decisionmakers to take the
action steps. Research finds this "peer pressure" to be highly effective in solving many
environmental problems.
You may encounter different barriers than those
we've listed above.You may also find that the
suggested ways to overcome the barrier don't
work with your specific target decisionmakers.
This underscores the importance of learning as
much as you can about your market and your
target decisionmakers and potentially doing
some investigative trials of your own.To do this,
observe your target decisionmakers and their
organizational context.Then, define a hypothesis
about a perceived obstacle and a value proposi-
tion to overcome the obstacle.Then test the
hypothesis on some target decisionmakers.The
proof of the hypothesis will "be in the pudding;"
target decisionmakers will take the desired ac-
tion steps as planned.
Translate the Value Proposition into
an Agreement
Many successful Partnership Programs trans ate
the value proposition into a written agree-
ment with partner companies, organizations,
18
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
-------
or governments. Often under the name MOU
(Memorandum of Understanding) or just "Part-
ner Agreement", these agreements may include
sections describing:
• Program background.This could include a
description of the environmental problem
and/or the environmental improvement op-
portunity addressed by the program.
• Definitions of roles and special terms.
• The scope of the agreement.This might
include what types of companies, organiza-
tions, or governments are eligible for this
partnership and/or what product, service, or
behavior categories it addresses.
• What's in it for the partnerThis would
include what EPA and other supporters will
do for the partner or what other value the
partner might derive. In the case of eco-seal
oriented programs it might give a company
permission to market qualified products us-
ing the eco-seal.
• What's expected of the partner in return.
This would include the action steps defined
above.
• Dispute resolution and enforcement steps
that might be taken in case of non-compli-
ance.
• How a partner may exit from the agreement.
• Logo use guidelines, (see www.energystar
gov/index.cfm?c=logos.pt_guidelines)
Partner agreements don't need to be overly
long and legalistic.Your program may be better
served by a shorter; simpler document that is
accompanied by marketing materials describing
some of the information above.
The following are Web sites containing sample
partner agreements from the Energy Star and
Best Workplaces for Commuters Programs:
• www.energystargov/ia/partners/
product_specs/e igibility/tv_vcr_elig.pdf
• www.energystargov/ia/about/join/
Sample_PA.pdf
• www.ergweb.com/projects/ccli/enroll/
doiqualify.htm
For other sample partner agreements or ad-
vice on crafting one, please contact the EPA's
Partnership Programs Coordinator or another
member of the EPA's Partnership Program
Coordination Team.
Communicate the Value Proposition
Once you have a value proposition, you'll need
to communicate it to target decisionmakers by
developing a communication plan that frames out:
• How you will reach target decisionmakers.
• How you will gain their attention.
• How the value proposition will be communi-
cated so that target decisionmakers perceive
it as credible and compelling.
The most important thing to remember when
creating your communication plan is that the val-
ue proposition must be compelling. Only those
messages that reach the decisionmakers both
emotionally and rationally have a chance to "cut
through the noise" so they are actually heard
and acted upon.
Example: Consider an advertisement for hybrid
vehicles that emphasizes the message: "save
money." While true, such a message is unlikely
to be unique or emotionally compelling to the
target decisionmakers given how worn out that
message is. An underlying message "impress
your friends as a hip environmental and tech-
nology leader," could be more unique and
compelling.
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
19
-------
In order for you to develop a unique, compelling
message that is heard by target decisionmakers,
follow four steps for communication:
I. Ensure your message is communi-
cated by a respected source of in-
formation. For example, if you are trying
to convince aVice President of marketing
to take some action steps, try to include a
strong marketing professional on your team
in the "pitching" and idea generation phase.
These marketing professionals on your team
will probably be able to "speak the same lan-
guage" as the target marketing Vice Presidents
as well as share experiences and values.They
should therefore be able to more quickly
and easily establish rapport with the target
marketing Vice Presidents and potentially
be more successful in getting them to take
the desired action steps. Finding a respected
internal champion of your initiative within the
target organization is another approach.
2. Communicate through a channel that
reaches the decisionmakers. Do not
rely too heavily on brochures and mailings
to convince target decisionmakers to take
desired action steps. Few people will take
significant action steps because they were
sent or read a good brochure or other
mailing.Targeted mailings to specific target
decisionmakers have been used successfully,
and when followed-up with a phone call can
have a great impact. In general, well-planned,
timed, and executed phone calls often have a
bigger impact than brochures alone.
3. Reach decisionmakers at a time and
place when they are receptive. For a
message to be compelling, you must reach
decisionmakers when they are most likely to
listen and respond.You might, for example,
reach target decisionmakers through a meet-
ing where you can have their full attention,
rather than through a mass mailing that has
no personal impact. In the case of industry-
based Partnership Programs, trade shows
can often be great places to meet target
decisionmakers face-to-face in a non-formal
yet business-oriented setting.
4. Use language and imagery tar-
get decisionmakers can assimilate
quickly and easily. When talking about
your program, speak in plain English. Use
common, everyday terms whenever com-
municating about the program to outside
parties. Unless your target decisionmakers
are environmental professionals, environmen-
tal science or policy terms like "non-point
source," "nutrients" as pollutants, or "tons of
carbon monoxide" should be avoided.They
will probably mean little if anything to them.
Worse, you could inadvertently send the
message that you are difficult to work with,
don't understand them, or feel they must
be as knowledgeable and concerned about
environmental issues as you are in order to
partner with you. If possible, introduce your
initiative using a metaphor or analogy familiar
and appealing to the target decisionmaker
(e.g.,"Some people have described this
initiative as the 'Good Housekeeping Seal of
Approval'for environmentally responsible
disposal of electronics equipment").
Every interact/on your program has with
target decisionmakers and other customers
must be positive and should reinforce the
value proposition.
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Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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Chapter 5:
Coordinating with Other Program
and Avoiding Conflict
Non-Regulatory initiatives are not only
used increasingly by EPA; they are also
used by other government agencies,
industry representatives, and independent, non-
governmental organizations. With all of these
Partnership Programs, it is important to avoid
duplicating efforts that are already underway,
either at EPA or in other organizations. If too
many programs are created that focus on the
same target decisionmaker, it can create "initia-
tive fatigue" and other problems for participants.
This chapter will help you:
• Identify and Coordinate with Other
Programs.
• Notify the Agency of Your Program.
Identify and Coordinate with Other
Programs
With a growing number of Partnership Pro-
grams within and outside EPA, it is increasingly
ikely that your program may target the same
environmental issue, market, communications
channels, and/or decisionmakers as another pro-
gram. It is therefore important that you identify
and strategically coordinate with all efforts, es-
pecially EPA efforts. Coordination will keep you
from potentially confusing decisionmakers and
other EPA customers, wasting public resources,
and under-achieving on your program's environ-
mental goals.
Efforts Within EPA
EPA currently has over 70 Partnership Programs
targeting a wide-range of participants from dif-
ferent sectors.To avoid over saturating a particu-
lar sector or market segment and to maximize
the impact of limited resources, you should try
to work collaboratively with other programs
that overlap in the areas you're targeting. Coor-
dinating with others can allow you to build on
successful practices and get "lessons learned" to
avoid pitfalls. In addition it may help you identify
technical assistance programs, grant programs,
Memoranda of Understanding, or public in-
formation efforts that take similar approaches
or affect the same customers. Several Agency
resources can help you learn more about other
Partnership Programs:
Partnership Program Web-Portal
The Partnership Program Web-portal is a good
place to start getting an idea of other programs
currently being offered across the Agency.This
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
21
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site, , provides an up-
to-date list of Partnership Programs operating
across the Agency, their environmental goals,
the sector or partners on which they focus, and
direct links to each programs Web site.
Partnership Programs Coordinator
Housed in the Office of Policy, Economics, and
Innovation (OPEI), National Center for Envi-
ronmental Innovation (NCEI),the Partnership
Programs Coordinator is a key point of contact
for anyone designing a Partnership Program.
This individual is responsible for coordinating an
intra-agency workgroup on Partnership Pro-
grams, answering more in-depth questions about
current initiatives, and putting program staff in
touch with current experts on a variety of top-
ics.The coordinator also guides new programs
through the Agency-wide notification process.
Efforts Within Other Federal
Agencies
The EPA is not the only government entity using
Partnership Programs to obtain environmental
results. Other federal agencies such as Depart-
ment of Energy and OSHA also use voluntary
partnerships. Prior to launching a new program,
review whether your program overlaps with
other federal initiatives. Information about other
programs can typically be found on the Internet,
but if you need additional information, you can
talk with the Partnership Programs Coordinator
If you find a program with similar goals, consider
entering into a partnership with the sponsors of
that program. Energy Star is one EPA program
that has used this model, partnering with the
Department of Energy to help expand efforts
and obtain increased environmental results.
The Best Workplaces for Commuters Initiative is
another example.This EPA program partnered
with the U.S. Department ofTransportation to
build an even stronger initiative.
Efforts Within State, Local, or
Private Organizations
Recently voluntary environmental initiatives
have become increasingly popular in Regional,
state, and local governments, and other private
organizations, n addition to those programs
run out of headquarters, EPA currently has over
20 regionally-based programs that operate at a
local level. State and local governments also use
Partnership Programs to achieve their environ-
mental objectives, and many non-governmental
and community organizations have developed
programs aiming at local issues.
To ensure that your program supplements on-
going activities, coordinate with the EPA regional
office and state and local agencies to ensure that
you are not duplicating ongoing programs. Look
into the possibility of partnering with some of
these efforts to create a more robust program.
n addition to governments, both industry-
sponsored and non-governmental sponsored
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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Partnership Programs exist For example, the
American Forest & Paper Association and the
American Chemistry Council both developed
Partnership Programs aimed at addressing en-
vironmental issues related to their sectors. Such
industry-based programs could offer an oppor-
tunity for partnerships, but could also compli-
cate the prospects for separate government-run
programs attempted in the same sector
Notify the Agency of Your Program
If you are developing a new or significantly ex-
panded EPA Partnership Program, you will need
to go through the Agency Notification Process
(Appendix A).This process ensures that all EPA
offices know about new Partnership Programs
and are given an opportunity to comment on
them and properly coordinate with them. It
also places you in contact with other individuals
conducting similar efforts or who have experi-
ence in the type of program you are developing.
Notification is not an approval process, but a
chance to notify the Agency so that you can get
See Appendix A: Notification Process for more
extensive guidelines.
information about other programs.This process
promotes coordination across the Agency's pro-
gram offices and shares useful lessons learned,
creating more efficient and consistent Partner-
ship Programs.
To notify the agency, you will go through the fol-
lowing, general steps:
I. Preliminary Notification for New and
Expanding Programs. Once the program
office identifies a concept for a new pro-
gram, you'll submit an outline of your pro-
gram's concept to the Partnership Programs
Coordinator (PPC).
2. Program Development. During program
development, the PPC facilitates communica-
tion and information exchange with other
programs and access to support services.
The PPC can assist with any questions re-
lated to the guidelines.
3. Detailed Program Proposal. After your
program has done some initial development
and is ready to launch, you'll provide a devel-
oped program proposal.
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
23
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hapter 6:
Measuring Results and Securing
Agency Resources
Environmental measures and agency
resource investment are important topics
to address when creating your program.
These two issues may seem unrelated, but
they're not.The bottom line is that you must
create effective measures and accurate envi-
ronmental estimates to illustrate the potential
success of your program. How successfully you
frame your program in terms of near-term,
medium-term, and long-term success directly
relates to your ability to secure resources both
within the Agency and outside of it.
This chapter will help you:
• Define the Measures of Environmental
Impact.
• Estimate Environmental Results and Cost
Effectiveness.
• Consider Market Transformation and Exit
Strategy.
• Secure EPA and Other Resources.
Define the Measures of
Environmental Impact
In designing a Partnership Program, you should
consider the types of information you will need
A more detailed discussion of these topics is
covered in the Guidelines for Measuring the
Performance of EPA Partnership Programs.
to measure progress, and how this information
will be obtained. Measurement is essential for
communicating with the public, with partners,
and external reviewers. Measures produce more
than just standard information on program ac-
complishments.They encourage participation by
showing the benefits to the public, the environ-
ment, business.
Effective measures strengthen our ability to rep-
resent these programs to external reviewers. An
effective approach for measuring progress will
be useful for providing information on results
expected under the Government Performance
and Results Act. Information on program prog-
ress may be ultimately be needed to respond to
demands for evaluation under PART—OMB's
Program Assessment Rating Tool.
Like other Agency programs, Partnership Pro-
grams should measure environmental outcomes.
More traditional measures like behavior change,
and outputs and activities may also be appropri-
ate measures depending on your program design.
Not every program needs all of these measures.
24
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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The need to measure progress should not
outweigh the need for environmental results.
Rigorous measurement of results needs to
be balanced with feasibility and availability of
information. Demanding too much information
from partners can drive down participation.
Use a limited number of measures. Data neces-
sary to measure results may not be gathered or
receded if too much is asked.
EPA Partnership Programs built around business
partnerships should develop measures in con-
sultation with potential providers of the infor-
mation such as the business partners. Account-
ing or other information collection systems may
already be in place within the firm.Third parties,
such as trade associations, can potentially play a
useful role in both gathering information and as-
suring quality or confidentiality, and in suggesting
ways that information requests can be harmo-
nized with sources of information that might
already be available in the business community.
You'll need to define measurements of progress
and estimate environmental impact overtime.To
do this, use the best and most reasonable data
and assumptions about the desired action steps,
target decisionmakers, the value proposition, and
the communication plan.
Estimate Environmental Results
and Cost Effectiveness
Sometimes measures are arrayed as a hierarchy:
environmental outcomes are a preferred ap-
proach, and the other measures, such as outputs
and activities, are regarded as interim steps.
For Partnership Programs, all these measures
are potentially relevant. Measures of behavior
change, and program outputs, may be useful
in estimating your environmental results—can
the Partnership Program take credit for the
behavioral change, and can the environmental
result be attributed to the behavioral change.
And some Partnership Programs are aimed
at improving resource efficiency, rather than a
precisely defined environmental problem.
In addition, Partnership Programs also need in-
formation on benefits for program participants.
These may include cost savings for business
participants, evidence of voluntary participation,
and other information that is potentially helpful
in promoting private party participation.
You must conduct an analysis of your program
to show how it maximizes environmental results
relative to the amount of resources being
invested in it.
Consider Market Transformation
Even as you are launching a new program, it is
important to consider how to institutionalize
the desired action steps, thereby making the
environmental benefits you are trying to achieve
sustainable. Once this occurs, you can focus your
efforts on a new environmental problem and the
resources can be reallocated. So the program
design should address how you will exit the
program when your goal is met. Of course, this
also requires clear program goals and reliable
measurement of progress toward those goals.
It is possible that the relationship will need to
continue as the program and participants reach
toward a new goal, but it is also possible that the
program will end and something new will evolve.
Another possibility is that an external group (e.g.,
a non-governmental organization) might adopt
the basic program approach and manage the ef-
fort, removing the need for EPA sponsorship.
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
25
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The success of certain Partnership Programs has
led some stakeholders to consider and embrace
a concept called "market transformation"—
using voluntary means to achieve not just
incremental environmental, but significant and
lasting, environmental impact. For more infor-
mation about "market transformation,"
see the research literature or the EPA's Partner-
ship Programs Coordinator.
In several cases Partnership Programs have been
able to achieve substantial environmental results
through market transformation. Market transfor-
mation is achieved by using market forces and a
powerful value proposition to make the desired
action steps nearly imperative for most decision-
makers within a market.This allows EPA to step
away from the program and rely on the market
to entice continued participation.
Secure EPA and Other Resources
Once you have a clear idea of your program
design and understand the elements needed
to make your program successful, you should
determine what resources would be needed.
A Partnership Program has specific goals, and
to deliver results effectively you should have a
clear understanding of the resources that would
be needed to meet your target decisionmak-
ers needs (i.e., people, start-up costs, contract
dollars, etc.). Pilot programs can often be a good
way to examine the true cost of an initiative,
and can be done at reduced risk to the Agency.
With limited resources a pilot can be launched
and tested, and the results can be used to gar-
ner needed resources if warranted.
Regardless of whether your program is a pilot or
a full-scale initiative, you should conduct a cost
analysis.A cost analysis compares the anticipated
environmental results with the amount it would
cost the Agency to implement the program.This
analysis should include not only the direct costs
to your program but also the possible resource
impact on other EPA program offices (e.g.,
OECA, for enforcement screens of participants
proposed for Agency recognition) and the EPA
Regional Offices (e.g., if Regional direct involve-
ment or coordination is likely).
Also examine other efforts (voluntary and non-
voluntary) that are underway to help meet your
chosen goal.There may already be programs
focusing on solving this environmental problem
and additional efforts may not be needed and
may actually hinder on-going programs. Resourc-
es could be extended by partnering with these
efforts, or could be allocated to an alternate
effort where environmental results are needed.
Currently the Agency has a number of Part-
nership Programs with significant operating
budgets, but it also has an equal number of
programs operating with budgets of less than
$200,000.
26
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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Chapter 7:
Building Credibility and Brand Equit
for Your Prograri
Credibility and brand equity are essential
to nearly all EPA Partnership Programs,
even those that do not target consum-
ers or citizens.They define how your target de-
cisionmakers and supporters will perceive your
program and therefore how they will respond
to it.
This chapter will help you:
• Brand the Program
• Select and Protect yourTrademark
• Establish Credibility for the Program
Brand the Program
Too many voluntary environmental program
developers see branding as just one more step
and sometimes as an optional one at that. Still
others recognize the importance of branding,
but believe it's primarily about program logos
and names. Both of these positions minimize the
importance of thinking strategically and com-
prehensively about your program's brand. Just
Not all programs will evolve to the level that
requires fully branding the program. However
the branding principles apply to all programs
regardless of size.
like the world's most successful companies, well
designed Partnership Programs make branding
central to everything they do. After all, the brand
you create determines how your target deci-
sionmakers (and others) perceive your program
and the value it offers.
If branding is done well, your target decision-
makers will perceive your program positively.
They may come to see your program, for exam-
ple, as a savvy, flexible, problem solving business
partner that is responsive to their needs.This is
a "brand," and it is one that could help tremen-
dously when proposing that decisionmakers
take new action steps to improve environmental
protection.
If branding is done poorly, on the other hand,
your target decisionmakers could perceive your
program as bureaucratic, unresponsive, unco-
ordinated, redundant, ignorant of their world,
and uninterested in learning about it.This is also
a "brand," but it is one that virtually assures a
program's long-term demise.
To build a strong brand, every touch point
—each time the target decisionmakers are ex-
posed directly or indirectly to your program—
must reinforce the value proposition. As you
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
27
-------
might expect, these touch points include the
program's name, logo, and slogan. But they
also include all print materials,Web sites, and
slides associated with your program whether
produced by you or a supporting organization.
A brand also includes every e-mail and phone
call, even callers who speak on behalf of the
program and how they speak. It is important
to remember that even the best brands and
programs can be destroyed by a bad customer
experience or a public relations problem (e.g.
compact fluorescent light bulbs that don't fit
fixtures or take to long to turn on).
Developing a strong brand not only reflects
well on the program, but also on EPA's reputa-
tion for effectively protecting human health and
the environment. By adhering to sound brand-
ing principles, Partnership Programs will be
consistent in their ability to deliver environmen-
tal results—and positive experiences—to target
decisionmakers.
The Guidelines for Marketing EPA Partnership
Programs include more information on how to
brand your program.
More details about how to brand your program
will be included in the publication Guidelines
for Marketing EPA Partnership Programs.
Select and Protect your Trademark
The most visible aspect of your brand will be
the programs name and/or logo.Target decision-
makers and other customers will use the name/
logo to identify the program and the value it
provides. As a result, the program name and/or
logo should be tied to the primary message you
are conveying to the target decisionmaker and
should reinforce the value proposition.
I. Using trademarks in establishing
your brand.The program's name or logo
functions as a mark There are several types
of marks. Each has a specific purpose, sends
a specific message, and has restrictions or
requirements regarding how it may be used.
Most importantly, all marks must be moni-
tored for proper usage and protected when
used improperly. Failure to do so can result
in an abandonment of EPA's right to limit
who can use the mark, which can destroy
the integrity of the program.
Successful and effective use of marks in con-
nection with a Partnership Program requires
a well thought out plan of the proposed
use(s) of the mark(s) both in the short
and long term and an identification of who
within the distribution channels, including the
actual customer; would be allowed to use
the mark.
2. Selecting a name/logo. A well-named
program implies both the value achieved
via environmental results and any non-
environmental problem it may be addressing.
However; if your program wants to be the
exclusive owner of the name or logo and
control who uses the mark, then you need
to select a name/logo that is not "generic" or
"merely descriptive" of the program and its
characteristics or purpose.This can be diffi-
cult when also seeking a name that conveys
the value of the program to the customer
Additionally, if you want to use "green" or
"star" or other commonly used words as
part of the program name, there are other
considerations. Given that other programs
have similar names, you need to understand
28
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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the meaning the word has with current EPA
customers and identify how the new pro-
gram will be consistent with and help build
upon that meaning.
Prior to finalizing a selection of the program's
name or logo, a proper search needs been
conducted to ensure that the Agency's use
of the name or logo does not infringe the
rights of any third party. A search can also
help to determine the strength of the mark
for protection purposes.
Establish Credibility for
the Program
Closely related to branding is the concept of
credibility.You want your overall brand to be
seen as trustworthy and credible in the eyes of
target decisionmakers.Therefore, everything you
do should support the basic principle of credibil-
ity: say what you mean and mean what you say.
Some elements of credibility to remember as
you develop and brand your program are:
• Credibility of the person delivering
the message. Ensure the individual (or
entity) communicating the value proposition
is credible to the target decisionmakers. In
Credibility of the information itself.
EPA should only be communicating informa-
tion based on reliable sources and analysis.
Consistency of information. EPA must
only communicate information consistent
with other EPA sources of information and
with external organizations.To the extent
possible, your information should be con-
sistent with other EPA messages and with
messages delivered on similar topics by other
organizations.
Honesty of information about envi-
ronmental impact. EPA must be careful
not to claim organizations or companies are
achieving environmental results when they
are merely "free riders."
Support of products or services high-
lighted as environmentally superior
by EPA. EPA must be careful not to high-
light products or services which perform so
poorly they give the EPA or the program a
bad name.
Recognize that the EPA name can be a major
some cases, this may be a thind party recruit- asset £ve^one at EPA has a ^ponsibility to
ed by EPA to carry its message.
protect it.
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
29
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hapter 8:
Rolling Out Your Program
Programs can be rolled out in two dif-
ferent formats, as a pilot program or as
a full-scale program. A pilot program is
limited in size and scope and focuses on a lim-
ited geographic area, market segment, or limited
number of target decisionmakers. A full-scale
program does not have a "test period," but rolls
out immediately on a larger scale.
This chapter will help you:
• Choose the Type of Program
• Create a Program Launch
Choose the Type of Program
I. Pilot program. A pilot program is a good
way to test a new idea with limited re-
sources. A pilot program allows you to test
your program on a small scale and see if,
in practice, you achieve the environmental
results you hoped for Some ideas look good
on paper; but do not actually deliver the ex-
pected results when put into practice. Since
a pilot program is limited in size and scope,
it subjects the Agency to reduced risk and
allows an idea to be tested with the potential
for scale-up later If a program doesn't obtain
the results expected, it can be adjusted
before it is presented to additional target
decisionmakers.
You should consider the following issues when
developing a pilot:
• Receptivity of target decisionmakers.
It is usually wise to initiate a pilot with highly
receptive target decisionmakers or other
partners since success is very important and
some program kinks have not been worked
out.
• Applicability of results to other areas.
You want to have a pilot that other target
decisionmakers or supporters would find
credible (for example, don't choose Denver
as the pilot site if key Houston decisionmak-
ers won't find a successful Denver pilot
applicable).
• Gaining the attention of the next
group of target decisionmakers. If
the pilot is successful, you typically want it
selected and designed in such away that it
will get noticed by the next group of target
decisionmakers.
• Proving the value proposition and
messaging. Design your pilot in a way
30
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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to test a value proposition hypothesis (for
example, if we solve the supplier issue for
this group of companies, we believe they will
start buying the greener products).
• Program measurement and evalua-
tion. Collect some data as you go along.
Good pilots can provide useful information
for evaluating the effectiveness of a scaled-up
program.
• Program expansion. Think about the
point at which you will take the project to
the next stage. It is possible that the program
you are developing is not intended to move
beyond a small niche program. If, however;
there is the potential to expand to other
markets, media, geographic areas, or sectors,
you should define when and how that might
occur As a program is scaled-up, you should
complete the final notification phase of the
Agency-wide notification process.
2. Full-scale program. If you are rolling a
program out as a full-scale, or fully developed
program it is important that you have an-
swered all of the questions outlined in these
guidelines. Be sure that you have identified a
strong value proposition and that you have
participated in the Agency Notification Pro-
cess.
Create a Program Launch
Generally a launch event should only be orga-
nized if it contributes to the program's strategic
goals. Launch events can be a great opportunity
for reaching target decisionmakers if the proper
For ass/stance with a program launch, contact
Stephan Sylvan, EPA's Partnership Programs
Coordinator or another member of EPA's
Partnership Programs Coordination Team. They
can contribute sample launch strategies, launch
plans, communications materials, as well as
advice based on significant experience.
venue, speakers, participants, date, and media
strategy (if appropriate) are selected.
The initial launch of a full-scale program should
elicit interest and enthusiasm from the intended
target decisionmaker in order to maximize
participation and long-term success. Existing
Partnership Programs have successfully used
special events to gain such attention.These
events can involve key Agency officials, allies in
other government agencies, trade groups, non-
governmental organizations, and initial program
participants (or target decisionmakers who
can be held up as models of the action to be
promoted).
Similarly, asking allies to spread the word about
the program's launch (and perhaps endorse the
program) through their communication chan-
nels can focus additional attention on the new
program. A launch event can serve as an effec-
tive way to convince target decisionmakers to
take the desired action steps by offering "charter
partner" status to those that do. Understanding
the target audience will help the program design
an initial publicity and outreach effort that
reaches the potential customers in the most
effective way.
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
31
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hapter 9:
Case Study of a Partnership Program
On the next few pages, we show a
hypothetical example of a Partner-
ship Program.We illustrate each step
to show how they all work together to create
an effective program.
Identify the Environmental Problem
Air; global warming, and water pollution (e.g.,
deicing chemicals) associated with government-
related airline travel.
Identify the "Market"
The "market" for this hypothetical example
would be professionals involved in government-
related airline travel.
Identify the Environmental Change
Significantly reduce the air and global warming
pollution associated with government-related
airline travel.
Ensure That the Program Contributes to
EPA's Strategic Plan
This example would likely fit under Goal :
Clean Air and Global Climate Change and Goal
2: Clean and Safe Water
Identify Target Decisionmakers
• Primary target decisionmakers.They
would be the federal officials responsible
for deciding which federal travel contracts
will be pursued and negotiated with travel
agents, airlines, rental car companies, and
other travel service providers.
• Secondary target decisionmakers.
They would likely be the travel agents and
managers of the travel agents providing
travel services to federal employees (e.g.,
Sato Travel).
• Tertiary target decisionmakers.They
would likely be the employees of a pilot
agency (e.g., U.S. EPA) and even a particular
office within that agency.
Identify the Action Steps
• Primary target decisionmakers.
) Develop an RFP for rail and bus carriers,
and 2) ask major rail and bus companies for
bids on the RFP
• Secondary target decisionmakers.
) Attend training on rail and bus options,
and 2) offer these options to their customers.
• Tertiary target decisionmakers.
Learn about rai and bus options from
32
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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e-mail and Web postings, 2) consider rail and
bus options, and 3) take advantage of rail and
bus options when they make sense.
Identify Problems Solved by
Action Steps
• First target decisionmakers. ) Cutting
waste in government travel spending, and 2)
respond to policy directives to seek greener
ways of doing government business.
• Secondary target decisionmakers.
I) Improve customer satisfaction by offering
customers new travel options, and 2) im-
prove skills so they are employable in other
companies and industries (rail and bus).
• Tertiary target decisionmakers. ) Save
time when rail or bus is faster (avoiding long
security lines and travel from airports to
the central business districts), and 2) stretch
limited travel funding.
Create a Clear Value Proposition
The EPA may agree to ) find appropriate train
and bus companies, 2) conduct research on res-
ervation systems and training needed for travel
agents to include rail and bus options, 3) serve
as a pilot agency, 4) promote rail and bus op-
tions, and 5) publicly recognize federal procure-
ment officials for reducing waste in government
travel expenditures and reducing air pollution in
exchange for these federal procurement officials
agreeing to ) develop an RFP and 2) ask major
rail and bus companies for bids on the RFR
Identify Barriers
Federal procurement officials who negotiate
agreements with travel agencies may have little
experience negotiating travel options beyond
airline and rental cars.They may not know how
to find the appropriate bus and rail companies,
how to procure and integrate the appropriate
reservations software, and what costs travel
agencies would incur in purchasing and training
on these new or revised reservation systems.
They may also be concerned about educating
travelers on these new options and ensuring the
reimbursement systems can handle them.
Address Barriers with Tools and Cus-
tomer Service
EPA could offer to conduct the research needed
by federal procurement officials asked to negoti-
ate agreements with train and bus operators.
This research could include answers to ques-
tions like "Who are the major and appropriate
train and bus companies?";''How would train
and bus reservations be integrated into exist-
ing airline and rental car reservation systems?";
"What would it cost?"; and "How should travel
agents be trained?"The EPA could also offer to
pay the expenses of educating employees and
updating reimbursement systems and policies to
reflect new travel options.
Translate Value Proposition into an
Agreement
The EPA might want to prepare a Memoran-
dum of Understanding or some other kind of
document with GSA codifying the agreement
described in the value proposition step above.
The EPA could look to similar MOUs produced
between federal agencies as examples.
Communicate the Value Proposition
Since the officials responsible for deciding which
federal travel contracts to pursue are probably
fairly senior officials, the EPA program manager
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
33
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would probably be wise to convince a senior
EPA manager to make the initial contact by
sending a letter requesting a meeting followed
by a call to these officials to schedule the meet-
ing. But this would not be done unti the EPA
program manager learns about these decision-
makers so the letter and following "pitch" can be
tailored to their needs and concerns.
Brand the Program
Branding would have to occur on at least two
levels.The branding at the first level should
probably reflect the way in which the target
decisionmakers—federal officials responsible for
federal travel contacts—would like this program
to be known publicly and within the federal
government.The branding might therefore be
designed to convey messages about reducing
government waste and possibly air pollution
(e.g., one crude program naming concept could
be: "Fed Travel Waste Saver Program").
Coordinate with Other Programs
and Avoid Conflicts
It's conceivable that the U.S. Government Ser-
vices Administration, the U.S. Office of Personnel
Management, U.S. Department ofTransporta-
tion, the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as
state and local governments have attempted a
similar initiative. It is also conceivable that several
parts of the EPA may have attempted such an
initiative. Before contacting any potential tar-
get decisionmakers, this hypothetical program
should thoroughly investigate these possibilities
and strategically coordinate through the EPA's
Partnership Program Coordination Team and
Workgroup.
Define Program Outputs
Define some measurable outputs from the
program such as I) The number or percent of
federal travel agents (e.g., Sato Travel) trained in
offering these new options, 2) The number or
percent of federal employees who have been
sent information about these new options.
Define Measures of
Environmental Impact
Good measures of the program's impact could
be: I) the number or percent of travel agents
who say they understand and are comfortable
offering these new options, 2) the number or
percent of federal employees who say they un-
derstand and are comfortable using these new
options, 3) the number and percent of federal
employees with access to bus and rail options
for short-haul flights, 4) The number and percent
of federal employees who are using bus and rail
options for short-haul flights, 5) The number of
airline trips and miles prevented, 6) the overall
emissions savings for the program, 7) the overall
financial and time savings, and 8) the level of
satisfaction employees and managers have with
the initiative.
Estimate Environmental Results
and Cost Effectiveness
One step would likely be finding the most reli-
able sources estimating the emissions per mile
or trip associated with air; rail, and bus travel.The
next step would ikely be estimating the emis-
sions (and other savings like financial and time)
per airline mile replaced by a bus or rail mile.
A third step might be estimating the number
of miles that would be replaced by a bus or rai
mile for various scenarios of participation by the
34
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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target decisionmakers (federal travel contract
officials, travel agents, and employees).To get
the program-wide estimate, these emissions
per mile estimates would be multiplied by the
estimates of the miles of air travel replaced by
bus or rail.
Investigate Legal Issues
Consider legal issues and check with appropriate
EPA legal offices (OGC and OECA).
Secure EPA and Other Resources
Estimate the program impact under various
scenarios of success and resource investment
by EPA.Translate these estimates into estimates
per resource invested (bang for the buck). Pro-
vide summaries of these estimates of program
impact to EPA managers responsible for making
program resource investments.
Establish Credibility for the Program
If EPA were to make false claims about cost or
pollution savings from the hypothetical green
federal travel initiative, the exposing of these
claims could cause the program to unravel.
Worse, such false claims could damage the EPA's
ability to conduct other voluntary and regula-
tory business.
Roll out the Program
Once the key federal officials responsible for
Federal travel contracts and key stakeholders
have bought into the program concept and
preliminary financial and travel systems are in
place, it may make sense to organize a pilot for
a certain, small set of travel agents and federal
employees. Once the pilot has proved a success,
it may make sense to organize a broader an-
nouncement to key stakeholders about the pilot
and plans to expand the program to other parts
of the Federal government.
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
35
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Appendix A: Notification Process
Appendix B:Types of Partnership Programs
Appendix CTrademark Basics
Appendix D: Suggested Reading
36 Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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Appendix A:
Notification Process
EPA Notification and Comment
Process for New or Expanding
Partnership Programs
EPA's Partnership Program notification process
will strengthen management of these programs
by improving information sharing and commu-
nication.There is a wealth of knowledge across
the Agency on how to effectively run a Part-
nership Program that produces environmental
results and value to customers. Notification
will facilitate learning, ensure that programs do
not duplicate or conflict with other efforts, and
provide a means for discussion and review by
interested offices prior to final decisions. De-
cisionmakers should only be presented with
Partnership Program proposals that have been
vetted through the Agency's notification process.
Section I: Getting Started
What is a Partnership Program?
Partnership Programs motivate people to take
environmental actions not required by regula-
tion.They may achieve their goals through the
use of market forces or by providing recognition
or other incentives.They may encourage actions
that go beyond compliance with environmental
requirements, or provide an alternative way
to achieve a regulatory objective.They rely on
partnerships with business and industry, trade
associations, government agencies, communities,
' o o
and environmental and public interest groups.
They obtain measurable environmental results.
Who Participates in the Notification
Process?
All New Partnership Programs meeting
the above criteria are expected to participate in
the notification process; however; small pilot pro-
grams need only provide preliminary notifica-
tion. (A small pilot is a startup or experimental
project that is allowed more leeway, and need
not participate in final notification unti they
scale-up for full Agency operation.This allows
time for the pilot to be developed and market
tested without impacting the overall image of
EPA's Partnership Programs.)
Existing Programs planning a significant pro-
grammatic scale-up in program size or expansion
into new geographic areas, sectors, or environmen-
tal problems are also expected to participate,
to ensure that new initiatives do not overlap or
conflict with any existing Partnership Program.
Who is Responsible for What?
• The OPEI Partnership Programs Coordinator
(PPC) shepherds programs through notifica-
tion by providing the necessary information
to participate in the process.The PPC liaises
with the Partnership Program Workgroup,
and makes connections with other Partner-
ship Programs that can offer lessons learned
and design support.
• The Partnership Programs Workgroup reviews
and comments on new and expanding
programs, supports the development of high
quality programs, and facilitates contacts
between programs for information sharing.
Workgroup members ensure that their re-
spective programs participate in the notifica-
tion process and that their offices' interests
are fully represented.
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
37
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• The Program Office or Region (hereinafter
referred to as "program office") developing
or expanding an existing Partnership Pro-
gram, contacts the PPC about a new effort,
and then works with the Workgroup through
program development.
Section II: Preliminary Notification for
New and Expanding Programs
Step I-.Program office develops concept outline &
notifies the Partnership Programs Coordinator
Once the program office identifies a
concept for a new program, it notifies the
PPC. A format to assist in addressing key
questions about the proposed program
is attached. Making notification before
involvement of external stakeholders will
ensure that any internal inconsistencies
are resolved, and that stakeholders do
not get conflicting messages.The PPC will
provide the program office with design
and other guidelines (when available), and
a ist of Partnership Programs.
Step 2: Program office submits initial concept
outline to Partnership Programs Coordinator.
The coordinator then meets with the
submitting office to discuss the proposal
and if support services are needed.
Step 3: Program office presents outline to Partner-
ship Programs Workgroup.
The program manager presents the
new program outline to the Partnership
Programs Workgroup so that they can
comment on possible issues and syner-
gies with existing efforts.The PPC works
with the program office to incorporate
advice and comments.
Section III: Program Development
During program development, the PPC facili-
tates communication and information exchange
with other programs and access to support ser-
vices. New and expanding Partnership Programs
should be designed using the guidance provided
on design, measurement, and branding so that all
programs achieve optimal environmental results
and meet stakeholder needs.The PPC can assist
with any questions related to the guidelines.
Section IV: Final Notification
Step I-.Program office presents the program to the
Partnership Programs Workgroup.
The program office presents the de-
veloped program to the Partnership
Programs Workgroup for discussion and
questions.
Step 2: Workgroup provides comments.
The Workgroup has two weeks to of-
fer formal written comments to the
PPC, who assembles the comments
and reports back to the program office.
Issues that cannot be settled within the
Workgroup are forwarded in writing to
the IAC principals for resolution. Any
unresolved issue will be referred to the
Deputy Administrator (DA).
Step 3: Program office implements the new or
expanded Partnership Program.
Once final comments are received and
addressed, the program is launched.
38
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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Section V: Ensuring Accountability
Primary responsibility for successfully implement-
ing Partnership Programs lies with the Agency's
executive leadership, senior managers, and each
office's representative to the Workgroup. OPEI
will maintain a notification database as a clear-
inghouse for Partnership Program information
for both internal and external customers.The
PPC will conduct a biennial evaluation of the
notification process effectiveness, and present
the results to the DA with recommendations.
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
39
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Format For Partnership Program Preliminary Notification
Version 1.0
Please provide brief answers/descriptions.
Background Information
Working name for the proposed partnership program:
Originating Office, division, branch, and contact name/number:.
New program ? OR expansion of existing program (e.g. expansion from facility level program to
corporate level; localized activity to national/international; expansion to another sector or environ-
mental medium)?
If you have a Web site for this effort, what is the URL?
Program Design
I. What is the environmental problem your program will address? Are there multi-media aspects?
2. What is the "market" (e.g. industry, sector; group) that will take action to solve this problem?
3. Who is/are the target decision-maker(s) (e.g.VP for Environmental Affairs, District Water Com-
missioner; Hospital or School Administrator)?
4. Briefly describe your "value proposition" (e.g. the benefits you are offering participants in
exchange for the costs of meeting program requirements). What other services (e.g. training,
technical support, analytical tools) will you offer as part of the value proposition?
5. What action steps are you requiring participants to take to address the problem?
40 Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
-------
6. What do you plan to measure to show results?
7. Will this project be launched as a pilot? If so, in what areas?
Coordination Status and Needed Services
8. Have you identified and addressed potential impacts on other existing EPA partnership pro-
grams, other Agencies, other levels of government, NGOs or other stakeholders?
9. Have you contacted OECA or relevant Program Office regarding any regulatory enforcement
or compliance-related issues?
I 0. Is there any service or assistance you would like to request of the Partnership Program Work-
group or Partnership Program Coordinator?
I .Any additional information you wish to add:
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs 41
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Appendix B: Types of
Partnership Programs
This appendix offers some examples of current
program designs at EPA.This is not an all-inclu-
sive list, but it does offer some concrete exam-
ples of programs currently in operation.
I. Programs that promote the purchase
of environmentally preferable
products.
Some programs promote environmentally
preferable products by providing environmen-
tal information to affect purchase decisions.
These programs provide environmental infor-
mation to impact decision-making for com-
plex products, or they can define and pro-
mote the environmentally preferable choice.
• Clean Marine Engine Initiative. In this re-
gional program, EPA New England and its part-
ners have entered into voluntary agreements
to encourage consumers to purchase and use
low-pollution marine engines.These engines
deliver improved performance, reduced fuel
and oil usage, and reduced emissions.
• ENERGY STAR Product Labeling
Program.This program defines a c ass of
environmentally preferable products and
services and recommends that consumers
purchase these products. Here, the Agency
uses its position of authority to define which
products are efficient to convey that the
benefits from the products are rea and
show that there are opportunities to protect
the environment with no sacrifice in quality
of life.
• Environmentally Preferable Products
(EPP) Program.This program provides
guidance, information, technical assistance
and tools (e.g., training, guides, databases,
model contract language, and specs) to pro-
mote green procurement, especially in the
Federal government.
• Environmental Technology Verification
Program. This program develops testing
protocols and verifies the performance of in-
novative technologies that have the potential
to improve protection of human health and
the environment. Its goal is to provide cred-
ible performance data for commercial-ready
environmental technologies to speed their
implementation for the benefit of vendors,
purchasers, permitters, and the public.
2. Corporate Commitment Programs
and Partnership Programs
These programs are partnerships between
EPA and Corporations or other Partners.
EPA offers information and technical assis-
tance, and the corporation or partner com-
mits to particular environmental goals. Once
certain goals are met, EPA offers recognition
and awards for environmentally positive
practices and achievements.
• Climate Leaders. Partners commit to
inventory their greenhouse gas emissions, an-
nounce aggressive greenhouse gas reduction
goals, and implement efforts to reduce their
emissions. EPA provides technical support
and recognition for successful Partners.
• Green Chemistry Program.This
program promotes the research, develop-
ment, and implementation of innovative
chemical technologies that prevent pollution
prevention in a scientifically sound and cost-
effective manner Green Chemistry works
42
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
-------
with many partners representing academia,
industry, other government agencies, scien-
tific societies, trade organizations, national
laboratories, and research centers.
Green Suppliers Network (GSN).This
program is a collaborative venture between
industry, the EPA, and the US National Insti-
tute for Standards and Technology Manufac-
turing Extension Partnership. GSN works with
all levels of the manufacturing supply chain to
achieve environmental and economic ben-
efits. GSN improves performance, minimizes
waste generation, and removes institutional
roadblocks through its innovative approach to
leveraging a national network of manufactur-
ing technical assistance resources.With GSN
support, suppliers can continuously improve
their products and processes, increase energy
efficiency, identify cost-saving opportunities,
and optimize resources and technologies with
the aim of eliminating waste.
Semiconductor Industry Program, n
this program, partners in the semiconductor
industry commit to identify their emissions of
potent global warming gasses and implement
cost-effective solutions to reduce these emis-
sions. EPA provides technical support and
provides recognition for successful Partners.
Voluntary Aluminum Partnership.
In this program, partners in the aluminum
industry commit to identify their emissions of
potent global warming gasses and implement
cost-effective steps to reduce these emis-
sions. EPA provides technical support and
provides recognition for successful Partners.
Waste Wise. This program provides techni-
cal support and information to organizations
(businesses, institutions, and governments) so
that they can develop their own solid waste
reduction program and set environmental
goals. Partners report progress annually and
EPA provides recognition for success.
3. Recognition Only Programs
Although many of the other programs
mentioned above include awards and other
recognition mechanisms, some Partnership
Programs focus on recognition of accom-
plishments by corporations, governments,
and other organizations as their main activity.
• Clean Water Act Recognition
Program.This program recognizes mu-
nicipalities and industries that demonstrate
outstanding and innovative technological
achievements in wastewater treatment and
abatement programs.
4. Regulatory Flexibility
• Performance Track. This is a public/private
partnership that recognizes top environmental
performance among participating U.S. facilities
of all types, sizes, and complexity, both public
and private. Program partners are providing
leadership in many areas, including preventing
pollution at its source. One benefit of Perfor-
manceTrack membership is that EPA rewards
participants by developing regulatory and
administrative actions that only apply to par-
ticipating facilities. Such incentives: recognize
and reward environmental accomplishments;
encourage facilities to perform beyond basic
compliance; allow members to operate more
efficiently; and demonstrate that innovation
is integral to EPA's evolving regulatory frame-
work.
For a complete list of the Agency's Partnership
Programs please see .
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
43
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Appendix C: Trademark
Basics
I. What is the purpose of a trademark?
Trademark rights protect words, symbols,
devices, sounds, smells, trade dress, or product
shape that are distinctive and used to identify
and distinguish goods or services.
In general, trademarks perform four functions:
• To identify one seller's goods and services
and to distinguish them from goods and
services sold by others.
• To signify that all goods/services bearing
the mark come from a single, albeit anony-
mous, source.
• To signify that all goods/services bearing the
mark are of an equal level of quality.
• As a prime instrument in advertising and sell-
ing the goods.
A trademark is the objective symbol of the good
will which a business has built up.Trademarks, by
their identifying nature, let consumers know how
to find the goods and services they prefer
2. What are the rights of the trademark
owner?
The trademark owner can prevent the use of
a mark by others if the use is likely to cause
confusion or mistake, or to deceive as to the
affiliation, connection, or association of such
person with the trademark owner; or as to the
origin, sponsorship or approval of his or her
goods, services, or commercial activities by the
trademark owner, if the trademark owner would
be damaged by such use.
3. What kind of mark does your
program have?
The kind of mark created depends on how the
program intends to use the mark. Will it be used
on goods or services? Will it certify that the
goods or services meet certain standards? Will it
be used to show association with a group?The
four basic types of marks are described below.
What is a trademark?
A trademark includes any word, name, symbol,
or device, or any combination, used, or intended
to be used, in commerce to identify and distin-
guish the goods of one manufacturer or seller
from goods manufactured or sold by others, and
to indicate the source of the goods. In short, a
trademark is a brand name.
Examples include:Tide,Just Do it, Fresh Step
What is a service mark?
A service mark is any word, name, symbol,
device, or any combination, used, or intended
to be used, in commerce, to identify and distin-
guish the services of one provider from services
provided by others, and to indicate the source
of the services.This also includes some domain
names, when they function as a service mark by
offering services on the Web, and the domain
name acts as a source identifier; not just a direc-
tional reference such as a telephone number
Examples include: PRICELINE.COM, BEYOND.
COM, ENERGY STAR
What is a certification mark?
A certification mark is any word, name, symbol,
device, or any combination, used, or intended to
44
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
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be used, in commerce with the owner's permis-
sion by someone other than its owner, to certify
regional or other geographic origin, material,
mode of manufacture, quality, accuracy, or other
characteristics of someone's goods or services,
or that the work or labor on the goods or ser-
vices was performed by members of a union or
other organization.
Examples include:Washington (for apples) and
the Energy Star logo
What is a collective mark?
A collective mark is a trademark or service
mark used, or intended to be used, in com-
merce, by the members of a cooperative, an
association, or other collective group or or-
ganization, including a mark which indicates
membership in a union, an association, or other
organization.
Ownership of such marks properly lies in the
parent body, group or collective organization,
because of its exercise of legitimate control over
use of the mark by the members in the group.
Examples include:American Forest and Paper
Association
Are trade names considered trade-
marks or service marks?
A trade name will be considered a trademark or
service mark only when it is used in such a man-
ner that it also functions as a trade/service mark.
There is no provision in the Trad em ark Act for
the registration of a trade name alone, without
showing it functions as a trade/service mark.
Using the EPA Seal or Identifier
The Agency has Order outlining the appropriate
use of the EPA Seal and Identifier Please con-
sult with the Office of Public Affairs for more
information on this.
Guidelines for Designing EPA Partnership Programs
45
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Appendix D: Suggested
Reading
• Academy for Educational Development
(AED) (2000). Social Marketing Lite:A
Practical Resource Book for Social Marketing.
AED
• The Alliance for Environmental Innovation
(I 998). Catalyzing environmental results: les-
sons advocacy organization-business partner-
ships.
• Checco, Larry; Branding for Success: A Road-
map for Raising theVisibility and Value ofYour
Nonprofit OrganizationTrafford (2005).
• Dietz.T. and Paul C. Stern, Editors. 2003.
New Tools for Environmental Protection
Education, Information, and Voluntary Mea-
sures Committee on the Human Dimensions
of Global Change. Washington, DC: NA-
TIONAL ACADEMY PRESS.
• Fastiggi, Elizabeth (I 999). Catalyzing Environ-
mental Results: Lessons in Advocacy Orga-
nization-Business Partnerships; sponsored
by the J.M. Kaplan Fund; Alliance for Environ-
mental Innovation is a joint initiative of the
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and the
Pew Charitable Trusts (see www.environ-
mentaldefense.org/
documents/563_kaplan.pdf)
• Greenberg, Paul (200 ). CRM at the speed
of light: capturing and keeping customers in
internet real time.
• Haig,William Land Laurel Harper;The
Power of Logos: How to Create Effective
Company Logos;Wiley (April 30, 1997)
• Kempton.Willet, and Jennifer Hartley, James
S. Boster; Environmental Values in American
Culture; Publisher: Rebound by Sagebrush
(August, 1996).
Kotler, Philip, Marketing management. I
edition (May, 2002); Publisher: Prentice Hall;
ISBN: 01 30336297
Kotler, Philip Ned Roberto, Nancy Lee
(2002), Social marketing. SAGE Publica-
tions; 2nd edition (March I 9, 2002); ISBN:
0761924345
McKenzie-Morh, Doug and William Smith
(I 999). Fostering Sustainable behavior; an
introduction to community-based social
marketing.
Mitchel, Peter and Amy Lane (2001). Social
marketing light for energy efficiency, a practi-
ca resource book for social marketing.
Mollerup, Per (I 999). Marks of Excellence, a
history and taxonomy of trademarks.
Nordhielm, C.L (pub. date). Marketing Man-
agementThe Big Picture. South-Western
Thomson Learning.
Porter, Michael E (I 998). Competitive strat-
egy, techniques for analyzing industries and
competitors.
Ries.AI and Laura Ries.The 22 Immutable
Laws of Branding; HarperBusiness; st edition
(September 2002);
Roper. (2002). Green Gauge 2002: Ameri-
cans Perspective on Environmental lssues:Yes
...But, New York, NY 2001
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (date).
Using the Energy Star Identity to Maintain
and Build Value. See
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