INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION (IEE) Amendment-I

Program/Activity Data

Country: Philippines Objective: Broad based and inclusive growth accelerated and sustained Activity Name: Education Governance Effectiveness Funding Period: May 31 , 2013 to May 30, 2018 LOP Amount: $8,582,499 IEE Prepared by: Francis Dacaron (Fbacaron@usaid.gov) Date: December l 0, 2013 IEE Amendment (YIN): Y Date of original IEE: May 25, 2012 Tracking No: ASIA-IEE-12-105

Environmental Action Recommended (Place X where appropriate)

Categorical Exclusion: Positive Determination: With Conditions:

Purpose and Scope

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Deferral: Negative Determination: Exemption:

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The purpose of this document, in accordance with Title 22, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 216 (22CFR216), is to review the potential environmental impact of new and expanded activities that will be undertaken under the Education Governance Effectiveness (EdGE) Project and will be done with an increase in the life of project amount. The original Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) of the EdGE Project was determined as a "Categorical Exclusion." This IEE amendment evaluates the potential impacts of the new and expanded activities and has determined that a Categorical Exclusion is appropriate for the actions described in the succeeding parts of this document.

The purpose of this amendment is to: l. Increase the Life of Project amount from $7,800,000 to $8,582,499; 2. Revise the funding period end date from September 30, 2017 to May 30, 2018 due to

the delay in project implementation, and; 3. Add new activities to the Project Scope.

The scope and nature of all activities as approved in the original IEE (Asia 12-105) remain the same.

Background and Activity Description

The following are new activities platmed with additional resources:

a. Consultative summits and needs assessments of disaster affected communities; b. Provision of teaching and learning materials, back-to-school kits, and psycho-social

support sessions for teachers and students, and; c. Provision of Community Incentives Grants (CIG) which will be offered for community­

led disaster response programs that will promote equity, participation, and resource leveraging.

Under the CIG, Synergeia will encourage local government leveraging and participatory planning as it responds to the communities' post-disaster needs in the education sector. It will build the capacities of Parents-Teachers Associations (PT As) in planning, preparing proposals, budgeting, generating resources, and implementing a project that will contribute to improving schoolchildren's learning outcomes. Simple templates will be developed to guide the PT A on projects that can qualify for assistance, procedures for competing for a CIG, and principles for liquidating funds.

CI Gs will be awarded to projects that meet the following criteria: • Projects must directly contribute to improving learning outcomes in primary schools,

and this will primarily include the provision of books, instructional materials, and teacher trainings; and

• Projects will employ participatory processes, with the full involvement of the PTA in partnership with the local government.

CIG projects that are outstanding in performance in terms of equity, community participation, and efficiency in execution will be recommended for further "adopt a school" support form partner business firms or private foundations.

Justification for Categorical Exclusion Request

The new activities described justify Categorical Exclusions, pursuant to 22 CFR 216.2(c)(l) and (2), for which an Initial Environmental Examination, or an Environmental Assessment are not required because the actions do not have an effect on the natural or physical environment.

Specifically, as currently planned, activities fall into the following classes of action: (a) education, technical assistance and training (216.2( c )(2)(i)); (b) analyses, studies, and workshops (216.2( c )(2)(iii)); (c) document and information transfer (216.2(c)(2)(v)); and (d) activities that will develop the capability of recipient countries to engage in development

planning (216.2(c)(2)(xiv)).

As currently planned, no interventions will directly affect the environment.

The following table outlines which activities fall into which class of action:

Key Elements of Program I Activities Threshold Determination and CFR 216 citation

a) Consultative summits and needs assessments of CFR216.2(c)(2)(iii) disaster affected communities

b) Provision of teaching and learning materials, CFR216.2(c)(2)(i)

back-to-school kits, and psycho-social support CFR2 l 6.2(c )(2)(iii) sessions for teachers and students

c) Provision of Community Incentives Grants which will be offered for community-led disaster response programs that will promote equity, participation, and resource leveraging

1. provision of books, instructional materials, CFR2 l 6.2(c)(2)(i) and teacher trainings CFR216.2(c)(2)(v)

ii. promotion of participatory processes for the CFR216.2(c)(2)(iii) planning and implementation of disaster CFR2 l 6.2( c )(2)(xiv) response programs

Recommended threshold decisions above arc contingent on full implementation of the following general monitoring and implementation requirements:

• The Agreement Officer (AOR) shall provide the Implementing Partner (IP) with a copy of this RCE and brief the partner on their environmental compliance responsibilities.

• The Implementing Partner will screen the proposed CIG activities as they are reviewed for selection to ensure that all activities that receive funding are within the scope of the IEE and amendment.

• As required by ADS 204.3.4, the AOR and technical team will actively monitor and evaluate whether there are new or unforeseen consequences arising during implementation that were not identified and reviewed in accordance with 22 CFR 216. USA ID shall also monitor the need for additional review. If additional activities not described in this document arc added to this program, an amended environmental examination must be prepared and approved.

Limitations

The IEE does not cover activities involving:

a) Repair, rehabilitation, rcconstrnction, or construction of schools and other similar education related infrastructure;

b) Procurement of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM) (e.g. piping, roofing, etc.) Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) or other toxic/hazardous materials prohibited by US EPA as provided at http://www.cpa.gov/asbcstos and/or under international environmental agreements and conventions, e.g. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants as provided at http://chm.pop.int;

c) Procurement or use of pesticides or activities involving procurement, transport, use, storage, or disposal of toxic materials, which will require preparation of a PERS UAP in accordance with Reg 216.3 (2)(b)(t )-(2) in an amended IEE submitted to Asia/DEO for approval;

cl) Activities involving support to wood processing, agro-proccssing, industrial enterprises, and regulatory permitting;

e) Procurement or use of genetically modified organisms (GM Os) which would require preparation of biosafety assessment in accordance with ADS 201.3.12.2 (b) in an amendment to the IEE approved by the Asia BEO.

Revisions

If during implementation, pr~ject activities are considered outside of those described in this or the original (or other amendment) IEE, an amended IEE shall be submitted. Pursuant to 22 CFR216.3 (a) (9), if new infonnation becomes available which indicates that activities to be funded by the Project might be "major" and the Project's effect "significant," this determination will be reviewed and revised by the originator of the project and submitted to the Mission Environmental Officer and Asia Bureau Environmental Oflicer for approval and, if appropriate, an environmental assessment will be prepared.

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Approval of Environmental Action Recommended:

MISSION APPROVAL:

Office of Education Deputy Director

Office of Education Director

Deputy Mission Environmental Officer

Regional Environmental Aaron Brownell Officer for Southeast Asia & Paci fie region

Mission Director

CLEARANCE:

Bureau Environmental Officer/ Asia

~,Jt;u.--loria Steele

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