EPA-ECOS Alignment and PPA Work Group Meeting “Turning Planning into Action and Results” November 30-December 1, 2004 Hotel Washington Ballroom 515 15th Street (at Pennsylvania Avenue) Washington, D.C. 20004 (202) 638-5900 Final Agenda (Updated November 23)
Meeting Objectives 1. Create a bridge between the last ten years of work on the state-EPA relationship and the next ten years. Begin to establish the “road map” for the future. 2. Develop the evolving vision for the state-federal relationship, how the “pieces” fit together, how this relates to the real work, and participants’ responsibilities as part of the system. 3. Assess the results of the planning alignment and PPA improvements implemented since the Fall of 2003. 4. Identify and agree upon changes needed for the future.
Day 1: Tuesday, November 30
Please arrive no later than 8:45 a.m. 9:00 Welcome and Agenda Overview Welcome and Participant Introductions Agenda Overview Opening Remarks Mike Ryan, Deputy EPA Chief Financial Officer Steve Thompson, ECOS President The Alignment-PPA Effort: Where We Have Been and Where We Are Headed David Ziegele, EPA Co-chair › Where we’ve been: accomplishments to date › Where we are today: a brief summary of the results of related evaluations › Where we’re headed: evolving the vision, continuing to implement real changes
9:20
9:45
10:15 Break 10:30 View from the States Stephanie Hallock and Steve Owens, State Co-chairs › A state vision for the future › Two state stories from the past year › Plans for the next year based on what we know and where we are
Nov. 30-Dec. 1 Meeting Agenda
Final Draft (Updated Nov. 23)
11:15 View from EPA David Ziegele and Dona DeLeon, EPA Co-chairs › An EPA vision for the future › Two EPA stories from the past year › Plans for the next year based on what we know and where we are 12:00 Lunch (on own) 1:00 The State-Region Connection Objectives: › Identify ways to strengthen state-region planning by better linking: priorities, strategies, resources, commitments, and accountability › Determine how to better coordinate given different planning cycles › Identify ways to strengthen the “definitive” nature of state-region agreements Possible discussion questions: What do states and regions need to strengthen their joint work on the full range of planning linkages? How can resources (staffing and funding) be tied to strong state and regional priorities and strategies? How can the role of regions as state-EPA liaisons be strengthened? How can the Regional Plans achieve their potential to promote state and regional priorities and strategies? How have certain states and regions avoided and resolved issues around “definitive” agreements? 3:00 3:15 Break The National Connection Objectives: › Identify how to better reflect state, regional, and national priorities and strategies in national plans and guidance documents › Identify ways to have mutual decisions about commitments and achieve accountability to “make room” for unique regional and state strategies › Discuss how national resources (e.g., grants or regional staffing) support strong state and regional priorities and strategies Possible discussion questions: How can states and regions shape the next national strategic plan to reflect and accommodate more state and regional priorities and strategies? How can national resources reflect support for strong regional and state strategies, even when those strategies are unique? Are systematic changes needed to assure accountability and “make room” for unique regional and state strategies throughout the planning cycle and within PPAs and other State-EPA agreements? 4:45 5:00 Wrap Up Adjourn
Nov. 30-Dec. 1 Meeting Agenda
Day 2: Wednesday, December 1 8:30 8:45 9:00 Brief Summary of Day 1 and Day 2 Overview
Final Draft (Updated Nov. 23)
Opening Remarks: Charlie Johnson, EPA Chief Financial Officer Leadership and Capacity Objectives: › Determine how to identify and promote the those leaders in states and at EPA who are setting strong examples for everyone else to learn from and follow › Identify opportunities to build capacity within states and EPA to successfully enact the improvements put in place over the past few years Possible discussion questions: How can we best ensure that the right leadership is exerted at the right points in the cycle? What kind of support do state, regional, and national leaders need to enact the improvements and showcase their work and how should they “get the word out”? What kind of structural issues do we have to wrestle with to build capacity for successful joint planning and improved environmental results? What kind of outreach, mentoring, or other support do states and EPA need to strengthen their capacity to engage and realize results?
10:00 Measures Objective: › Discuss the forum needed to systematically and productively address measures. State and EPA interviewees have raised issues around the number and type of measures. In response to these concerns, the Co-chairs recommend that ECOS and EPA consider establishing a joint effort to address and strengthen measures. This effort can consider our experience with Core Performance Measures, identify a process for developing and promoting strong outcome measures with as little burden as possible, and identify the role that measures (including indicators) should play in the evaluation of program and environmental results. To include all relevant parties, the effort would need to involve media programs and State media associations. 10:45 Break 11:00 Oversight Objective: › Decide whether to address oversight through a future State-EPA initiative. Discussions on resources and priorities often lead to a focus on the role of EPA oversight of State programs, and how the necessary oversight should be conducted and with what level of effort. The Co-Chairs recommend that ECOS and EPA consider establishing a joint effort to examine oversight policies and practices, and develop options for achieving the necessary oversight while reducing duplicative efforts and freeing resources where possible to work directly on environmental issues. 11:45 Summary of Recommendations and Next Steps Objectives: › Review the high-level “road map” for the next phase of state-EPA partnerships › Discuss the next ECOS-EPA joint effort and the work that states and EPA (individually and collectively) will do to implement that work outlined throughout the meeting. 12:30 Wrap Up and Adjourn