UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
OVERVIEW TO FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021 NATIONAL PROGRAM GUIDANCES
Publication Number 190S19001
The EPA's National Program Guidances communicate operational planning priorities, strategies,
and key activities for advancing the agency's Strategic Plan and guide grant work planning with
states, tribes, and territories. The FY 2020-2021 National Program Guidances are the first
developed for the 018-2022 EPA Strategic Plan, and reflect EPA's priorities in the FY 2020
President's Budget.
Seven offices prepared FY 2020-2021 National Program Guidances: Office of Air and Radiation
(OAR), Office of Water (OW), Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM), Office of
Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), Office of Enforcement and Compliance
Assurance (OECA), Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations (OCIR), and Office
of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA). OAR, OW, OLEM, OCIR, and OITA also include grant
guidance as part of their National Program Guidances.
The FY 2020-2021 National Program Guidances are different from prior years in a few key
areas. One key difference is an increased focus on program priorities, strategies, and activities
to achieve both long-term performance goals in the FY2018-2022 EPA Strategic Plan and the
other foundational work of the agency. Another notable difference is in the National Program
Guidance measures that the agency tracks to assess progress in achieving annual and long-term
performance. For FY 2020, each program reviewed its suite of measures to ensure alignment
with the Strategic Plan and the agency's internal management processes. The result of this
effort is a set of measures that align better with EPA's strategic measures and reform areas.
EPA had over 200 National Program Guidance measures in FY 2018; the agency now has
approximately 75 measures for FY 2020 - a reduction of more than 60 percent.
EPA partners with states, tribes, and territories to implement the National Program Guidances.
The following sections of this Overview provide cross-cutting information about two of EPA's
important partnerships programs: National Environmental Performance Partnership System
(NEPPS) and EPA-Tribal Environmental Plans (ETEPs), and E-Enterprise for the Environment.
The program-specific National Program Guidances include additional information specific to
their program.
National Environmental Performance Partnership System
Through NEPPS, EPA promotes flexibility and shared accountability to help address the
environmental and health priorities of states, tribes, and territories. NEPPS uses Performance
Partnership Grants (PPGs), Performance Partnership Agreements (PPAs), and ETEPs as primary
vehicles for continuous collaboration and for increasing administrative, financial, and
programmatic flexibilities. In accordance with Grants Policy Issuance (GPI) 15-01 Performance
Partnership Grants for States. EPA reaffirms its commitment to NEPPS and to continued

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collaboration with state and tribal entities to promote greater use of PPGs and PPAs to develop
strategies that accomplish environmental goals and improve results.
A PPG is a financial tool allowing states and tribes to combine separate categorical grant funds
from across 20 eligible categorical grants into one multi-program grant with a single budget.
The recipient has flexibility to direct resources to where they are needed most, shift work
across programs and use a single application, including a blended budget, that reduces
reporting requirements and administrative burden. A PPA is a high-level strategic document
defining the goals that EPA and a state will accomplish.
ETEPs are jointly developed documents negotiated at the regional level that outline how the
EPA and each tribe will work together. They identify shared priorities to protect human health
and the environment for that tribe's lands within the context of all applicable EPA media
programs, priorities, and policies. Understanding the needs and priorities of each tribe allows
for a focused government-to-government discussion on actions to meet short-term and long-
term tribal program development milestones. ETEPs support the 1984 EPA Indian Policy by
setting the stage for stronger environmental and human health protection in tribal
communities. ETEPs strengthen our partnership with tribes and are a priority for EPA.
EPA encourages states, tribes, and territories to use these tools to provide the flexibility they
need to address their unique needs. EPA is committed to increasing the utilization of PPGs by
10 percent by the end of FY 2022.
For more information on NEPPS, including specific PPG requirements, cost-share regulations
and eligible activities, please see the FY 2020-2021 OCIR National Program Guidance.
E-Enterprise for the Environment
EPA also partners with states and tribes through E-Enterprise for the Environment, a
collaborative approach to modernizing the business of environmental protection. E-Enterprise
emphasizes setting shared priorities, streamlining and improving business processes, and using
technology to increase effectiveness and efficiency. E-Enterprise offers a growing collection of
improved environmental processes and projects that can be adapted to address other shared
priorities with states, tribes, local governments, territories, and other stakeholders.
As EPA engages tribes, states, and territories in grant work planning, there are opportunities to
incorporate E-Enterprise projects that support improving, streamlining, and modernizing
business process activities. For more information, see EPA's Guidance on E-Enterprise Workload
aoffs Using Performance Partnership Grants.

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