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PLAN EJ 2014
RESOURCES TOOLS DEVELOPMENT
DRAFT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Led by
Office of Administration and Resources Management
Plan EJ 2014 is EPA's roadmap to integrate
environmental justice (EJ) into its programs and policies.
2014 represents the 20th anniversary of the signing of
Executive Order 12898 on environmental justice.

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Comments regarding the Resources Tools Development Draft implementation Plan can be
submitted on Regulations.gov Docket # EPA-HQ-OECA-2011-0290.
Comments will be accepted through April 29, 2011.
For more information on Plan EJ 2014, visit the US EPA's Office of Environmental Justice
website at: http://www.epa.gov/environmentaliustice/plan-ei/index.html.

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Plan EJ 2014: Resources Tools Development
Draft Implementation Plan, March 1, 2011
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.2 Goals
The Office of Administration and Resource Management's (OARM) implementation plan has
two major components. The first component addresses the Agency's mechanisms for providing
grants and technical assistance to support community-based action programs. The second
component addresses workforce diversity.
Grants and Technical Assistance: OARM's goal is to have an efficient and effective system for
delivering financial and technical assistance to communities to empower them to improve their
health and environment.
This goal includes establishing a transparent, One-EPA approach to organizing and
implementing the Agency's community-based grants programs, streamlining grants processes
consistent with EPA's fiduciary responsibilities, and providing grants management training to
communities. It also includes providing technical assistance to communities that find it difficult
to manage grants, in order to build their capacity and strengthen their ability to analyze/use
technical environmental information.
OARM's goal furthers the Administrator's priority of Expanding the Conversation on
Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice by establishing a new paradigm for
the delivery of EPA assistance to minority, low-income and indigenous peoples to create
healthy and sustainable neighborhoods. It also responds to the Cross-Agency Focus Area under
Plan EJ 2014 of Supporting Community-Based Action Programs by building on the success of
ongoing EPA grants and technical assistance activities, such as the Community Action for a
Renewed Environment (CARE) Program. By aligning EPA's grants and technical assistance
programs with the needs of citizens and community groups to achieve healthy, sustainable, and
green communities, OARM's vision advances the Agency's mission of protecting human health
and the environment.
The purpose of this Implementation Plan is to realize OARM's vision over the next three years
by charting a course of action for grants and technical assistance that will be accomplished
collaboratively with communities and EPA's grants management workforce.
Workforce Diversity: OARM's goal is to achieve an inclusive work environment by developing
an efficient system for the outreach and recruitment of potential employees. Development of a
diversity portal, using social media tools, will be part of the system to attract qualified, diverse
applicants. OARM will also provide Agency-wide diversity training for hiring officials.
This goal includes establishing a One-EPA approach to consistently recruit and select, both
internally and externally, from diverse pools, the best-qualified candidates for all positions.
The changing demographics of America mean that the public served by the EPA is also
changing. When EPA recruits and retains an inclusive workforce — one that looks like the
America it serves and where individual differences are respected, appreciated, and valued,
diversity becomes an organizational strength that contributes to achieving results.
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Plan EJ 2014: Resources Tools Development
Draft Implementation Plan, March 1, 2011
OARM's Office of Diversity, Outreach and Diversity (ODOC) will work with the National Program
Offices to broaden the standard outreach and recruitment efforts to attract qualified applicants
from identified groups with low inclusion rates in EPA's workforce, in compliance with EEO
laws.
OARM's workforce diversity goal furthers the Administrator's priority of Expanding the
Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice by establishing a new
paradigm for selecting and hiring potential employees.
1.2 Organizational Structure
Grants and Technical Assistance: As communicated by Catherine McCabe and Bharat Mathur
to the Deputy Assistant Administrators and Deputy Regional Administrators on November 5,
2010, the Agency will implement the Resources Tools Development elements for grants and
technical assistance through the existing Grants Workgroup formed under the Deputy
Administrator's Community-Based Coordination Project.
The Grants Workgroup is co-chaired by the Director, Office of Grants and Debarment (OGD),
OARM, and the Director, Financial Policy and Planning Staff, Office of Financial Management
(OFM), Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO). It includes the following seven Subgroups:
•	Healthy Communities Coordinated Grants Subgroup: Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) and
Region 9 (Co-Chairs)
•	Technical Assistance Subgroup: Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) (Chair)
•	Training Subgroup: OCFO (Chair)
•	Competition Subgroup: OGD (Chair)
•	Internal Policies Subgroup: OGD (Chair)
•	Legal Issues Subgroup: OEJ and OGC (Co-Chairs)
•	Timely Award Subgroup: OGD and Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER)
(Co-Chairs)
The Grants Workgroup has broad representation from Headquarters and Regional offices.
Workforce Diversity: OARM's ODOC will be establishing a cross-Agency task force, the
Outreach and Recruitment Task Force, with representatives from National Program Offices and
Regional Offices to develop a national strategy to attract a diverse pool of qualified applicants
by May 13, 2011.
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Plan EJ 2014: Resources Tools Development
Draft Implementation Plan, March 1, 2011
2.0	IMPLEMENTATION
2.1	Strategies
Grants and Technical Assistance: Under the framework of the Community-Based Coordination
Project, the Grants Workgroup has the following charges:
•	Improve community access to information about available grants and application processes
•	Design streamlined grants processes, grants bundling, and other approaches that ensure
quality awards while reducing transaction costs to communities seeking assistance
•	Design efficient and effective approaches to provide technical assistance to communities
that find it difficult to manage grants
•	Coordinate with related ongoing grants streamlining efforts
To accomplish these charges, the Workgroup has established seven strategies:
Strategy 1: Increase Transparency and Efficiency in Providing Community-Based Grant
Opportunities
Strategy 2: Improve Delivery of Technical Assistance to Communities
Strategy 3: Strengthen Grants Training for Communities
Strategy 4: Improve Community Awareness of Grant Competition Process
Strategy 5: Revise Grant Policies that are Unduly Restrictive
Strategy 6: Encourage OGC/ORC/Program Office Dialog on Community-Based Grant
Opportunities
Strategy 7: Improve timeliness of Brownfields Grant Awards
Workforce Diversity: The Outreach and Recruitment Task Force will have the following charge:
•	Increase the diverse pool of qualified applicants
•	Operate under a One-EPA approach for recruitment and outreach
2.2	Activities
Grants and Technical Assistance: To implement these seven strategies, the Grants Workgroup
has identified a set of priority activities. OGD is responsible for overseeing the Workgroup's
progress in completing these tasks.
Strategy 1: Increase Transparency and Efficiency in Providing Community-Based
Grant Opportunities
•	Draft recommendations for improving community group access to EPA grant programs to
be presented to Executive Management Committee (EMC) in March 2011
•	Soliciting informal feedback from communities (e.g., CARE Program workshops)
•	Conducting outreach to Regions and National Program Managers (NPMs) via conference
calls and sharing of drafts.
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Plan EJ 2014: Resources Tools Development
Draft Implementation Plan, March 1, 2011
Strategy 2: Improve Delivery of Technical Assistance to Communities
•	Develop Technical Assistance Center approach
•	Preliminary draft options to be presented to the EMC in March 2011
•	Need senior management guidance on initial concepts before obtaining informal feedback
from communities
•	Will conduct outreach to Regions and NPMs via conference calls and sharing of drafts
Strategy 3: Strengthen Grants Training for Communities
•	Create umbrella, basic on-line grant training for communities, EJ-specific on-line training,
and program-specific training (e.g., CARE, Urban Waters)
•	Training modules in place by December 2011
•	Will obtain informal community feedback as modules developed
•	Will conduct outreach to EPA grants management community by providing opportunities
for review of draft training scripts
Strategy 4: Improve Community Awareness of Grant Competition Process
•	Develop and implement appropriate grant competition tools (e.g., listservs, webinars)
•	Tools in place by October 2011
•	Obtaining informal community input through Regional/HQ websites
•	Will work with Regions and NPMs to develop and implement tools
Strategy 5: Revise Grant Policies that are Unduly Restrictive
•	Revise Delegation 1-86 and indirect cost rate policies
•	Temporarily revised delegation issued November 2010
•	Simplified Indirect Cost Rate (ICR) policy in place by October 2011
•	Will obtain informal community feedback once draft ICR policy developed
•	Will conduct outreach to Regions and NPMs by providing opportunity to comment on draft
policy issuance
•	Will explore simplification of other policies
Strategy 6: Encourage Office of General Counsel/Office of Regional Counsel/Program
Office Dialog on Community-Based Grant Opportunities
•	Conduct periodic OGC/ORC/OEJ meetings and OGC guidance on scope of community-based
grant authorities
•	First OGC/ORC/OEJ call held 01/05/11
•	Next OGC/ORC/OEJ call scheduled for 2/2/11
•	Awaiting OGC legal guidance on scope of grant authorities
•	Discussions must be coordinated with larger OGC effort on existing legal authorities
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Plan EJ 2014: Resources Tools Development
Draft Implementation Plan, March 1, 2011
Strategy 7: Improve timeliness of Brownfields Grant Awards
•	Draft recommendations for consistent Brownfields award times to be issued 1/31/11
•	Draft recommendations will be shared with EPA's Grants Management Officers (GMOs) and
OSWER and finalized by May 2011
•	This is primarily an internal Agency process issue
The Workgroup anticipates that it will complete all of these priority activities by the end of
2011. It recommends that the Agency codify Workgroup accomplishments in a consolidated
Grants Policy approved by senior Agency management. No additional Full Time Employee (FTE)
will be required to complete agreed-upon tasks. As described above, each Subgroup under the
Grants Workgroup will conduct appropriate community/stakeholder outreach.
Workforce Diversity: To meet its goals, the Outreach and Recruitment Task Force has
identified four priority activities. OARM's ODOC is responsible for overseeing the Workgroup's
progress in completing these tasks.
Activity 1: Design an efficient Agency-wide outreach strategy by June 24, 2011
Activity 2: Develop effective marketing materials and strategy July 29, 2011
Activity 3: Develop a National Conference Toolkit by August 19, 2011
Activity 4: Develop a National Outreach Calendar by August 19, 2011
OARM will also provide Agency-wide diversity training for hiring officials.
2.3	Community Engagement and Stakeholder Partnership Plan
Grants and Technical Assistance: As noted in Section 2.2, the Grants Workgroup is seeking
informal feedback from communities in developing revisions to policies, procedures and
organizational structures. More formal community feedback (e.g., feedback from the National
Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC)) may be required for certain activities, including
the development/selection of options under Strategies 1 and 2. As Workgroup activities
proceed, OARM will consult with OEJ to determine the need for formal community feedback.
2.4	Adjustments
Grants and Technical Assistance: OGD will carefully monitor and evaluate the impact of revised
policy and procedures in FY 2012. If the Agency and communities are not realizing the desired
outcomes, OGD and the Workgroup make necessary adjustments in FY 2013 to reach the
desired outcomes.
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Plan EJ 2014: Resources Tools Development
Draft Implementation Plan, March 1, 2011
3.0	DELIVERABLES
3.1	Schedule of Deliverables
Grants and Technical Assistance: Appendix A contains a draft schedule of deliverables along
with associated performance measures.
Workforce Diversity: OARM's ODOC is in the process of soliciting proposals from contractors
for diversity training. It is anticipated that the Task Force will complete all of these priority
activities by the end of 2011.
3.2	Measures
Grants and Technical Assistance: See Appendix B.
Workforce Diversity: Measures will be developed in a collaborative manner once the Task
Force is convened.
3.3	Reporting
Grants and Technical Assistance: The Grants Workgroup will provide quarterly progress
updates as part of the Community-Based Coordination Project. OARM will submit an annual
progress report at the end of each fiscal year as required by Plan EJ 2014. For information,
please contact: Howard Corcoran, 202-564-1903, corcoran.howard@epa.gov.
Workforce Diversity: Reporting will be developed in a collaborative manner once the Task
Force is convened. For information, please contact: Antoinette Powell-Dickson, 202-566-0738,
powell-dickson.antoinette@epa.gov.
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Plan EJ 2014: Resources Tools Development
Draft Implementation Plan, March 1, 2011
4.0 APPENDICES
Appendix A: Acronyms
CARE - Community Action for a Renewed Environment
EMC - Executive Management Committee
GMO - Grants Management Officers
NEJAC - National Environmental Justice Advisory Council
NPM - National Program Managers
OARM - Office of Administration and Resource Management
OAR - Office of Air and Radiation
OCFO - Office of the Chief Financial Officer
OCHP - Office of Children's Health Protection
OCSPP - Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
ODOC - Office of Diversity, Outreach and Collaboration
OEJ - Office of Environmental Justice
OFM - Office of Financial Management
ORC - Office of Regional Counsel
OGC - Office of General Counsel
OGD - Office of Grants and Debarment
Appendix B: Table of Deliverables and Measures
See Pages 8-9.
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Strategy Number
Q2 FY11
Q3FY11
Q4FY11
Q1FY12
Q2FY12
Q3FY12
Q4FY12
Q1FY13 -
FY 14
Measures
Strategy 1:
Increase
Transparency &
Efficiency in
Providing
Community-
Based Grant
Opportunities
Brief EMC on
draft options
for improving
grant delivery
system
Refine
reform
options
based on
EMC and
community
feedback
Finalize
reform
options
Begin
implementation
Continue
implementation
Continue
implementation
Continue
implementation
Conduct
evaluation
and make
necessary
adjustments
Reduction in
Regional
workload;
Increase in
community
grant
applications
Strategy 2:
Improve Delivery
of Technical
Assistance to
Communities
Brief EMC on
preliminary
draft options
Refine
reform
options
based on
EMC and
community
feedback
Finalize
reform
options
Begin drafting
of grant or
contract RFP(s)
Issue RFP(s)
RFP closes
Evaluate
applications an
make selections
for service
provider(s)
Monitor
service
provider(s),
conduct
evaluation,
and make
necessary
adjustments
Compliance with
performance
measures in
grant/contract
workplan(s);
Degree of
utilization by
Regions and
Communities;
Geographic
distribution of
outreach
activities
Strategy 3:
Strengthen
Grants Training
for Communities
Complete
development
of draft
umbrella and
EJ on-line
training
Obtain
community
& EPA
feedback;
initiate
program-
specific
trainings
Evaluate
feedback;
continue to
develop
program-
specific
trainng
Complete all
training
Roll-out
training to
communities
Provide training
Provide training
Conduct
evaluation
of training
and make
necessary
adjustments
Community
satisfaction as
measured by
customer
feedback
Strategy 4:
Improve
Community
Awareness of
Grants
Competition
Process
Seek input
from EPA
grants
community
via
Regional/HQ
websites
Evaluate
community
feedback;
Obtain EPA
feedback
Evaluate
feedback;
finalize
competition
tools
Roll-out
competition
tools to
communities
Promote use of
tools
Promote use of
tools
Evaluation of
effectiveness of
tools
Tools
adjusted
based on
results of
evaluation
# of, and
participation in,
webinars;
Increase in
applications
from new
organizations
(OEJ)

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Strategy Number
Q2FY11
Q3FY11
Q4FY11
Q1FY12
Q2FY12
Q3FY12
Q4FY12
Q1FY13-
FY14
Measures
Strategy 5:
Revise Grant
Policies that are
unduly restrictive
Inform
programs of
temporary
revised
version of
Delegation 1-
86


Issue final
revised version
of Delegation
1-86



Assess need
for
additional
changes to
delegation
and make
adjustments
as necessary
Increase in # of
single-statute
awards
Strategy 5:
Revise Grant
Policies that are
unduly restrictive
Draft policy to
simplify
indirect cost
rules; solicit
feedback on
changes to
other policies
Issue draft
revision to
indirect
cost
policies
and other
identified
policies
Issue final
revised
indirect
cost rate
policy/other
revised
policies
Implement
Continue to
implement
Continue to
implement
Continue to
implement
Conduct
evaluation
and make
necessary
adjustments
# of
communities
that take
advantage of
simplified
indirect cost
rates
Strategy 6:
Encourage OEJ-
OGC/ORC-Program
Office Dialog on
Community-Based
Grant Issues
Hold kick-off
meeting to
clarify roles
and
responsibilities
for eligibility
reviews
Second
quarterly
meeting
Quarterly
meeting
Quarterly
meeting
Quarterly
meeting
Quarterly
meeting
Quarterly
meeting
Conduct
evaluation
and make
necessary
adjustments
Increase in
timeliness of
Program Office/
OGC/ORC
eligibility reviews
Strategy 6:
Encourage OEJ-
OGC/ORC -
Program Office
Dialog on
Community-Based
Grant Issues
Schedule for
issuance of
OGC guidance
on the scope
of existing
grant
authorities to
be determined







Reduction in #
of legally
ineligible grant
applications
Strategy 7:
Improve
Timeliness of
Brownfields Grant
Awards
Develop draft
approach
Consult
with HQ/
Regional
Program &
Grants
Offices
Finalize
strategy
and begin
to
implement
Implement
Continue to
implement
Continue to
implement
Continue to
implement
Conduct
evaluation
and make
necessary
adjustments
Reduction in
award times
across Grants
Offices

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