General Performance Reporting Forms

EPA Grants Performance Reporting Information Collection Request (ICR)

Instructions for the Performance Work Plan Form · August 6, 2024

Grants Performance Reporting ICR

Instructions: Performance Work Plan Form

OMB Control Number = 2090-NEW, Expiration Date = mm/dd/yyyy

OMB Burden Statement: This collection of information is approved by OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. OMB Control Number: 2090-NEW. Responses to this collection of information are mandatory [2 CFR Part 200]. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to be 40 hours per response. Send comments on the Agency’s need for this information, the accuracy of the provided burden estimates and any suggested methods for minimizing respondent burden to Director, Information Engagement Division; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2821T); 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; Washington, D.C. 20460. Include the OMB control number in any correspondence. Do not send the completed form to this address.

Section 0: Introduction

• This document includes instructions for completing the Grant Work Plan Form, which includes three sections: (1) Project Overview; (2) Planned Activities; and (3) Expected Outputs and Outcomes.

• As you complete each section of the form, please review the corresponding instructions in this document. The text includes definitions of key terms as well as explanations and examples.

• The information you report should represent the planned implementation of the project activities.

Section 1: Project Overview

Project Information

• Provide the following information:

• Project Lead Name: Specify the full name of the individual in charge of the project.

• Project Title: State the formal title of the project.

• EPA Program: Indicate the EPA program that is most relevant to your project.

• Expected Project Start Date: Include the date on which the project is expected to commence.

• Expected Project End Date: Include the date on which the project is expected to end.

Problem Statement and Project Purpose

• Describe the specific environmental issue or problem that the project will address.

• Provide a brief summary of the project’s purpose and expected impact.

Project Objectives

• State the specific objectives the project aims to accomplish.

Alignment with EPA Strategic Plan

• Describe how the project aligns with at least one goal and/or objective of the EPA Strategic Plan.

• Link to plan: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-03/fy-2022-2026-epa-strategic-plan.pdf

• Refer to the funding opportunity for more information.

Optional: Alignment with Program Objectives

• Describe how the project aligns with the program’s objectives.

• Refer to the funding opportunity for more information.

Optional: Communications Plans

• Instructions: Describe your strategy to publicize the project activities and results (if relevant). This can include physical signs at locations of activities; social media posts; interviews and reports in newspapers/sites, television, radio; posters and flyers; etc.

Risk Management and Mitigation

• Identify potential risks to the project’s success. Examples include: risks based on Information Technology (e.g., Internet access, security breaches, loss of data); staff capacity (e.g., level of knowledge or skills, workload capacity); and integrity (e.g., improper acts such as fraud).

• Provide at least one strategy for addressing each identified risk.

Section 2: Planned Activities

Planned Activities

• Column A: List each activity (i.e., specific tasks or actions) that will be undertaken to achieve the objectives of the project. Enter each activity in a new row.

Timeline

• Columns B and C: Provide the proposed timeline for each activity. This should include the expected start date and expected end date, if possible. A general time period that reflects the project year/period (e.g., Year 1 Quarter 2) can be provided.

Location(s) of Activity

• Column D: Indicate whether the activity will take place in a state, territory, or Tribe/Alaska Native Village. If you need to report multiple locations for an activity, add a new row in the form for each location.

• Column E: Select the specific state, U.S. territory, and/or Tribe/Alaska Native Village for the activity. Note that the options presented in the drop-down menu will depend on the answer you provide in Column D.

• Column F: Select the expected type of location data that best represents either the physical location in which the activity will take place or the service area boundary of the activity. If you are not sure what type of location data to report, please consult the EPA point of contact listed in your funding opportunity.

  • Examples of location data types include street address, census block group and tract, zip code, city, county, school district, latitude-longitude, and hydrologic unit code (HUD).

  • Note: Programs may amend the drop-down menu options, in order to retain only the location data options that are relevant and appropriate for the program.

• Column G: Provide the unique Feature ID (and name) for your location (e.g., census tract number).

• Note: EPA will provide access to an online location reference map for grantees to obtain a validated unique identifiers for different types of location data.

• If you need to report multiple locations for an activity, add a new row in the form for each location.

• Column H: Select yes or no to indicate whether the location includes one or more communities that are disadvantaged, marginalized, underserved, and/or overburdened by pollution. If you are not sure, please refer to the EPA point of contact listed in the funding opportunity.

• Column I: If you answered “yes” to Column H, list the relevant communities in this column.

• Column J: List the source for the determination in Column H. Options include EJScreen, Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), or other locally available environmental justice screening tools, such as state dashboards.

Partner(s) and/or Collaborator(s)

• Column K: List potential individuals, organizations, or entities that either will collaborate with you to conduct the activity, or will contribute resources, expertise, or financial support to the activity. Please consult your EPA funding opportunity for further information about how your program defines partners and/or collaborators. Please indicate if no partners will be involved.

• Column L: Describe the roles, responsibilities, and/or contributions of each partner or collaborator listed in Column K. Write “not applicable” if no partners will participate in the activity.

[Program-Specific Information]

• Column M: Note - Programs will use this column to request any additional information about each planned activity that has not been captured in the standard reporting columns (e.g. resources budgeted for specific activities). Please note that outputs and outcomes should be reported on a separate sheet.

Section 3: Expected Outputs & Outcomes

Part A – Expected Outputs

Definition of Outputs

• Outputs refer to the products, services, or events that are produced or delivered as part of a project activity.

• Example products include reports and guidance documents; example services including trainings and technical assistance; example events include town hall meetings and launch events.

• Outputs must be measurable during the grant period.

• Where possible, grantees are asked to estimate the number of each project, service, or event that are expected to be produced or delivered as part of the project activity.

Planned Activities

• Column A: List each planned activity that will achieve the objectives of the project (one per row).

• This information can be copied from Column A in Section 2: Planned Activities.

Output Identification Number

• Column B: Assign a sequential identification number to each expected output for every activity. Add each output to a new row.

Expected Outputs

• Column C: List the expected products, services, or events that will be produced or delivered as part of the activity.

  • Example products: reports, guidance documents

  • Example services: trainings, technical assistance

  • Example events: town hall meetings, launch events

• Provide the number of each product, service, or event that is expected to be produced or delivered.

Expected Engagement with Outputs

• Column D: Where possible, indicate the amount of engagement that the communities or groups will have with the outputs (i.e., the product, service, event, etc.) for the activity over a defined time-period. Examples include:

  • number of users of a product, with start and end dates of the recording period

  • number of users of a service, with start and end dates of the recording period

  • number of attendees at an event

Where possible, report the expected engagement for each community or group that you have listed. If this type of detailed forecast is not possible, report the overall expected engagement across all communities and/or groups.

Relevant Output Indicators

• Column E: Identify any relevant targets or indicators for outputs (e.g., number of outputs, expected timeline, target audience, etc.).

Part B – Expected Outcomes

Definition of Outcomes

• Outcomes refer to the results of a project activity that grantees have measured, and which should be aligned with the specific project objectives.

• Outcomes represent the level of performance or achievement that occurred because of the activity or services provided by the project.

• Outcomes may be documented in any of the below categories:

  • knowledge, skills, or attitudes

  • decision-making or behavior

  • community or social

  • economic

  • community-level health

  • environmental

• You do not need to report expected results in all the above listed categories. Rather, you should focus on documenting and reporting the results that are most appropriate for your project and which are feasible to collect during the project.

• Note: Outcomes may not always be achievable or measurable during the period of the grant.

Planned Activities

• Column G: List each planned activity that will achieve the objectives of the project (one per row).

• This information can be copied from Column A in Section 2: Planned Activities.

Outcome Identification Number

• Column H: Assign a sequential identification number to each expected outcome for every activity. Add each outcome to a new row.

Expected Outcomes

• Column I: List any expected results from the activity that you plan to measure or calculate, which should be aligned with your specific project objectives. Results may be documented or modeled in any of the following categories:

  • knowledge, skills, or attitudes

  • decision-making or behavior

  • community or social outcomes

  • economic outcomes

  • community-level health outcomes

  • environmental outcomes

Note: You do not need to report results in all the above listed categories. Focus on reporting the expected results that are most appropriate for your project and which are feasible to collect during the project period.

• Column J: Indicate the methodology you will use to measure or calculate your expected outcomes. Example methods for each category of outcomes are listed below:

  • knowledge, skills, or attitudes: survey, interview, focus group, etc.

  • decision-making or behavior: survey, interview, focus group, observation, etc.

  • community or social outcomes: survey, observation, review of national data, modeling, etc.

  • economic outcomes: review of national data, survey, modeling, etc.

  • community-level health outcomes: review of national data, modeling, etc.

  • environmental outcomes: scientific measurement, observation, modeling, etc.

You do not need to report results in all the above listed categories. Focus on documenting and reporting the results that are most appropriate for your project and which are feasible to collect.

Expected Outcome Timeframe

• Column K: Please indicate whether the expected result is a short-term outcome, an intermediate outcome, or a long-term outcome, based on the definitions provided by your EPA program:

  • short-term outcome = documented within [A months and B months] after the activity

  • intermediate outcome = documented within [C months/years and D months/years] after the activity

  • long-term outcome = documented within [X months/years and Y months/years] after the activity

• Note: EPA programs can amend the instructions and the form to indicate their desired definition of the timeline covered by each type of outcome.

Relevant Outcome Indicators

• Column L: If applicable, identify any relevant targets or indicators for the expected outcomes (e.g., number of hectares of land conserved or restored).

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