U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Program Contract Service Center (3803R), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460-0001

R -- OECA INNOVATIONS DUE 030100 POC Mark J. Thomas, Contracting Officer, (202) 564-4763 E-MAIL: Click here to contact contracting officer via e-Mail, Thomas.Mark@EPA.GOV. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to negotiate a contract modification with the National Academy of Public Administration to assist EPA in the review and evaluation of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) innovative enforcement approaches. The contractor will accomplish these objectives by performing these key tasks: (1) Review relevant materials regarding the evolving role of environmental enforcement and state-Federal relations on environmental policy. (2) Conduct case studies. (3) Conduct interviews with enforcement policy experts. (4) Review available data sources. (5) Prepare report. Background: In EPA's FY 1998 appropriations bill, Congress required the Agency to contract with the National Academy of Public Administration to design and manage a series of independent evaluations of recent EPA initiatives to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of EPA activities. The studies conducted are to be independent evaluations of EPA initiatives and thus help Congress, the general public, state governments, and EPA understand which initiatives are working well, which are not, and how to improve the initiatives and environmental management more generally. EPA has been implementing many changes in its approach to environmental enforcement and compliance. In particular, OECA has been focusing efforts where they can be most effective and, when possible, to secure environmental compliance without going through formal enforcement actions. This specific effort will provide assistance to EPA in the review and evaluation of OECA's approach to environmental enforcement. See numbered Note 22 Posted 01/31/00 (W-SN420320). (0031)

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