June 29, 2018
U.S. EPA Publication #190B18001
OCFO TECHNICAL GUIDANCE
FY 2020-2021 NATIONAL PROGRAM GUIDANCE
I. INTRODUCTION
The Office of the Chief Financial Officer's (OCFO) Technical Guidance: FY 2020-2021 National
Program Guidance provides instructions and milestones for the development of the National
Program Guidances that are issued by EPA's five major National Program Offices—Air and
Radiation; Water; Land and Emergency Management; Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention;
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance—along with the Office of Congressional and
Intergovernmental Relations, the Office of International and Tribal Affairs, and the Office of
Environmental Information. The National Program Guidances communicate operational
planning priorities, strategies, key activities and measures for EPA, and guide grant work
planning with states, tribes, and territories.
Beginning in FY 2016, EPA implemented a two-year cycle for the National Program Guidances,
which includes exceptions-based addendums in the second year to address significant changes
not captured in the two-year guidances. The FY 2020-2021 National Program Guidances are the
first issued under the FY 2018-2022 EPA Strategic Plan and will reflect EPA's implementation of
the President's Budget and the agency's commitment to cooperative federalism as described
below.
II. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Regional Administrators (RAs) have the lead responsibility for getting early input from
states, tribes, and territories to inform development of the FY 2020-2021 National Program
Guidances and grant work planning.
• National Program Offices will continue to engage with state and media-specific
associations, the National Tribal Caucus, tribal partnership groups, and other relevant
organizations to inform development of the National Program Guidances. They will also
consider the results of the RAs' early engagement efforts.
• OCFO manages the agency-wide National Program Guidance process, in collaboration with
the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations (OCIR).
III. MAJOR ELEMENTS OF FY 2020-2021 NATIONAL PROGRAM GUIDANCES
A. Early Engagement with States, Tribes, and Territories
RAs will convene meetings with state, tribal, and territory environmental leaders as a
critical first phase in developing the FY 2020-2021 National Program Guidances. The
purpose of these RA-led early engagement meetings is to strengthen the working
1
-------
relationship with states, tribes, and territories. Specifically, these discussions will focus
on:
• Identifying how EPA and states, tribes, and territories will work together to
advance the FY 2018-2022 EPA Strategic Plan.
• Reinforcing flexibilities of the National Environmental Performance Partnership
System (NEPPS) to advance environmental and health priorities of individual
states, tribes, and territories.
Each meeting should be framed around the strategic objectives in the FY2018-2022 EPA
Strategic Plan as illustrated in the attached standard agenda. The discussion should
focus on identifying the priorities of the states, tribes, or territories, their strategies, and
any flexibilities in grant work plans needed to carry them out.
1. By July 13. 2018, each region provides OCFO (Beth Burchard and Blair Budd) and
OCIR (Dan Murphy) with:
• The name and contact information for a regional point of contact for the
early engagement effort.
• A preliminary schedule for the RA's meetings with state, tribal, and territory
(as applicable) leaders.
2. Regions may use the Individual Meeting Notes Template (available on the
National Program Guidance SharePoint Site) to capture the results of their
meetings with states, tribes, and territories. At the conclusion of the early
engagement period, each region will complete a single Summary of Early
Engagement (using the tool that also is available on the National Program
Guidance SharePoint Site) that distills the key discussion points from across the
RA's meetings with their state, tribe, and territory environmental leaders. These
include, but are not limited to:
• State, tribal and territory priorities.
• Strategies to carry out the priorities.
• Financial, administrative, and/or programmatic flexibilities needed to carry
out the strategies.
3. By November 14. each RA will submit their completed Summary of Early
Engagement Template to OCFO (Beth Burchard and Blair Budd"! and OCIR (Dan
Murphy). OCFO will compile the ten individual regional summaries into one
document and share it with the National Program Offices. This document may
be made available to the public.
2
-------
B. Consultation and Coordination with Federally Recognized Tribes
In July, OCFO will send notification letters to all federally-recognized tribes to initiate
consultation on development of the FY 2020-2021 National Program Guidances. This
consultation opportunity complements early engagement. Information about
consultation and coordination with tribes can be found on EPA's Tribal Consultation
Opportunities Website.
C. Alignment of National Program Guidances and Grant Work Planning
National Program Guidances are utilized by EPA and states, tribes, and territories to
inform grant work planning. In developing the National Program Guidances, National
Program Offices should support the use of a standard grant workplan template that will
be designed to achieve national consistency in grant work plans. The template will be
developed by a joint OCIR-Regional NEPPS Coordinators workgroup. In October, OCIR
plans to issue guidance on using the new standard grant workplan template.
In developing the National Program Guidances and grant guidances, National Program
Offices also should reaffirm their commitment to NEPPS and encourage the use of
Performance Partnership Agreements (PPAs) and Performance Partnership Grants
(PPGs) as vehicles for increasing financial and programmatic flexibilities for states,
tribes, and territories. In addition, National Program Offices should encourage
headquarters and regional offices, as applicable, to use the Summaries of Early
Engagement to inform development of grant guidances and work plans.
D. FY 2020 National Program Guidance Measures
This is also the time to develop FY 2020 National Program Guidance measures. Programs
and regions should review FY 2019 National Program Guidance measures as the starting
point for engaging with states, tribes, and territories to identify FY 2020 measures that
help us assess progress towards planned results in protecting human health and the
environment. Beginning in FY 2019, National Program Offices and regions will include
National Program Guidance measures in their monthly bowling chart reports, rounding
out the suite of mission measures.
IV. FORMAT AND CONTENT OF STREAMLINED DRAFT AND FINAL GUIDANCES
The § 508-compliant National Program Guidance Template (available on the National Program
Guidance SharePoint Site) provides instructions for the streamlined format and content of FY
2020-2021 National Program Guidances.
V. REVIEWS
EPA continues to emphasize transparency and inclusiveness in developing the National Program
Guidances. In addition to the early engagement with states, tribes, and territories, the agency
3
-------
will provide opportunities for internal and external comments on draft National Program
Guidances, and will hold conference calls with the states, territories, and tribes during the
external comment period. See Section VI. Key Milestones, for the review schedule.
A. Internal Agency Review
Prior to the external comment period, OCFO will post draft FY 2020-2021 National
Program Guidances for internal comment on the National Program Guidance SharePoint
Site. The § 508-compliant Comments Template also will be posted on the SharePoint
Site.
B. External Comment Period
The draft FY 2020-2021 National Program Guidances will be available on the National
Program Guidance website for a 30-day external comment period. Comments are to be
submitted only using the § 508-compliant Comments Template, also located on the
National Program Guidance website.
• During the comment period, National Program Offices will hold national
teleconference calls with states and tribes to provide an overview of the process for
commenting on the draft FY 2020-2021 National Program Guidances and discuss key
changes.
• EPA is unable to extend the comment period due to the short timeframe between
the release of the President's FY 2020 Budget (February 2019) and the beginning of
grant work planning in Summer 2019.
C. Response to Comments
National Program Offices will use the § 508-compliant Response to Comments Template
to respond to comments by providing a brief explanation of how comments were
addressed in the final FY 2020-2021 National Program Guidances. The responses to
comments will be posted on EPA's National Program Guidance website with the final
National Program Guidances.
4
-------
VI. KEY MILESTONES
The following table contains a preliminary schedule—subject to change—for developing the
FY 2020-2021 National Program Guidances. OCFO will update this schedule as necessary.
Target Date
National Program Guidance Development
July 13, 2018
Each region provides OCFO (Beth Burchard and Blair Budd) and OCIR
(Dan Murphv) with:
• The name and contact information for a regional point of contact
for the early engagement effort.
• A preliminary schedule for RA meetings with state, tribe, and
territory (as applicable) leaders.
July-October
Early engagement period.
July
OCFO initiates the consultation and coordination process with tribes on
the FY 2020-2021 National Program Guidances.
November 14
Each region summarizes early engagement input and submits a
Summary of Earlv Engagement template (available on the National
Program Guidance SharePoint Site) to OCFO (Beth Burchard and Blair
Budd) and OCIR (Dan Murphv).
January 21-28,
2019
Internal review of draft FY 2020-2021 National Program Guidances.
Comments provided to appropriate National Program Office contact
and OCFO. Draft guidances and comment template will be available on
the National Program Guidance SharePoint Site).
February 6
Revised, draft § 508 compliant FY 2020-2021 National Program
Guidances due to OCFO.
February 14-
March 18
External comment period on the draft FY 2020-2021 National Program
Guidances. Commenters use comments template (available on EPA's
National Program Guidance website) and provide to appropriate
National Program Office contact and OCFO. Agency holds:
• States/ECOS/NPM conference calls.
• National teleconference with tribes.
April 15
Final § 508 compliant FY 2020-2021 National Program Guidances due to
OCFO.
April 22
Final FY 2020-2021 National Program Guidances posted on EPA
National Program Guidance website.
5
-------
VII. KEY CONTACTS
Key contacts for the National Program Guidances are located on the National Program Guidance
website.
VIII. LIST OF TEMPLATES
Templates are available on the National Program Guidance SharePoint Site.
For Regions:
• Individual Meeting Notes
• Summary of Early Engagement (§ 508 compliant)
For National Program Offices:
• Format and Content (§ 508 compliant)
• Response to Comments (§ 508 compliant)
6
-------
ATTACHMENT
STANDARD AGENDA FOR EARLY ENGAGEMENT DISCUSSIONS WITH
STATES, TRIBES AND TERRITORIES
Meeting Objectives
Identify:
• How EPA and states, tribes, and territories will work together to advance the FY 2018-
2022 EPA Strategic Plan.
• NEPPS flexibilities needed to advance environmental and health priorities of individual
states, tribes, and territories.
Intended Outcomes
Understanding of:
• State, tribal and territory priorities.
• Strategies to carry out the priorities.
• Financial, administrative, and/or programmatic flexibilities needed to carry out the
strategies.
Time
Topic
12:00-
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
12:15
RA introduces participants and discusses meeting purpose and agenda.
12:15-2:15
GOAL 1: CORE MISSION
Strategic Objectives:
• Improve Air Quality
• Provide for Clean & Safe Water
• Revitalize Land & Prevent Contamination
• Ensure Safety of Chemical in Marketplace
2:15-2:30
BREAK
2:30-3:30
GOAL 2: COOPERATIVE FEDERALISM
Strategic Objectives:
• Ensure Shared Accountability
• Increase Transparency & Public Participation
3:30-4:30
GOAL 3: RULE OF LAW AND PROCESS
Strategic Objectives:
Compliance with the Law
• Create Consistency & Certainty
• Prioritize Robust Science
• Streamline & Modernize
• Improve Efficiency & Effectiveness
4:30-5:00
CONCLUSION AND NEXT STEPS
RA summarizes key messages and schedules follow-up actions or discussions.
7
-------
Guidelines for Discussion
Each meeting should be framed around the strategic objectives in the FY2018-2022 EPA
Strategic Plan. The discussion should focus on identifying the top priorities of the states, tribes,
or territories, their strategies, and any financial, administrative, and/or programmatic
flexibilities needed to carry out the strategies. The Individual Meeting Template is provided to
help document the results of the discussion. Meeting participants may find it useful to refer to
the chart provided on the FY18-22 Transformation Strategy that illustrates the goals, objectives,
and strategic measures in the FY2018-2022 EPA Strategic Plan.
How is this information going to be used?
Each region will prepare a single Summary of Early Engagement that distills the input from
across all the RAs' early engagement meetings with states, tribes, and territories, referring to
key points captured for individual meetings. These high-level summaries will be used (1) by the
National Program Offices to inform development of the FY 2020-2021 National Program
Guidances and grant guidances, and (2) by EPA regions and headquarter offices to inform grant
work planning.
8
-------
v»EPA FY18-22 Transformation Strategy
Improve Air Quality
Provide for Clean & Safe Water
Revitalize Land & Prevent Contamination
Ensure Safety of Chemicals in Marketplace
Cooperative
Federalism
Enhance Shared Accountability
Increase Transparency & Public Participation
¦ Compliance with the Law
y y
I
| Create Consistency & Certainty
A
Rule of Law & Process
\
Prioritize Robust Science
A
Streamline & Modernize
f
Kn
Improve Efficiency & Effectiveness
43
O
§
o
*3)
¦8
------- |