DCN: 2018-BOS-010

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Request for Categorical Exclusion (RCE)

Program/Project/Activity Data:

Activity/Project Name: / Supporting the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in conducting general elections in BiH in compliance with international standards on democratic elections”
Assistance Objective: / Increased integrity of the election process
Program Area: / DR. 3 Political Competition and Consensus-Building
3.2. Elections and Political Processes
Country(ies) and/or Operating Unit: / Bosnia and Herzegovina
Originating Office: / DEMO / Date:07/10/2018
PAD Level RCE: Yes No
RCE/IEE Amendment: Yes No
Supplemental RCE: Yes No / DCN of Original RCE/IEE: / N/A
DCN of Amendment(s): / N/A
If Yes, Purpose of Amendment:
DCN(s) of Related EA/IEE/RCE/ER(s):
Implementation Start/End: / August 2018 / November 2018
Funding Amount: / LOP Amount: $110,000
Contract/Award Number (if known): / TBD
Recommended Determination: Categorical Exclusion
Additional Elements:
Government to Government: / Local Procurement: Donor Co-Funded:

1.Project and Activity Description

1.1Purpose and Scope of RCE:

The primary purpose of this activity is to providesupport to the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in conducting general elections in BiH that are in compliance with international standards on democratic elections.

1.2 Project Overview:

The overall objective of this activity is to contribute funds to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to support the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in improving transparency of the election process through deployment of translucent ballot boxes at the polling stations in BiH during the 2018 October Elections.

Specifically the activity aims to improve transparency of the BiH election process by using translucent ballot boxes at the BiH Elections, and thus decrease the number of complaints of alleging election frauds during the voting and vote counting process. Consequently this will result with improvement of integrity of the election process in BiH.

USAID will participate in a pooled funding arrangement managed by OSCE, a Public International Organization (PIO), as an administrator or trustee. Along with contribution from USAID (36%), the governments of Norway and United Kingdom will contribute remaining funds (64%) necessary to fully fund the activity.

2.Project Descriptionand Climate Risk screening:

Following the 2010 General Elections in BiH, the OSCE/ODIHR EOM has issued its Final Report, including a set of recommendations to be taken into the account for further improvement of the election process in BiH. In particular, in order to increase transparency of the election process, the OSCE/ODIHR EOM recommended the CEC to consider using translucent ballot boxes instead of voluminous and heavy metal ballot boxes, which have been in use in BiH since 1996.

Additionally, the OSCE/ODIHR EOM Final Report, following the 2014 General Elections in BiH, pointed to cases where the opening of ballot boxes revealed either an excessive number of ballots or ballots missing. Limited transparency of the voting process has also recently created an ample ground for the CEC to be subjected by certain political groups and individuals to criticism in connection with allegations of fraud.

This Activity aims at supporting the CEC of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in fostering progress in compliance of the BiH elections, and especially the forthcoming October 2018 General Elections, with the OSCE commitments in the area of democratic elections. In particular, this activity will help to bring the BiH election process in line with the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission (EOM), following the 2010 and 2014 General Elections in BiH. The goal is to be achieved through increasing the transparency of the voting process, improving the vote count and verification processes and the packaging of election materials.

Due to the fact that CEC lacks funding to procure the recommended translucent ballot boxes, and that their previous efforts to address this issue with relevant BiH authorities were not successful, these will be procured for the CEC by OSCE. 10,000 ballot boxes will be used by 143 Municipal/City Election Commissions in BiH during the 2018 General Elections, as well as during the elections to be held thereafter.

USAID will participate in a pooled funding arrangement, together with Embassies of Norway and United Kingdom managed by a lead PIO as an administrator or trustee. The OSCE Mission to BiH (OSCE) is going to support the CEC in procurement of 10,000 translucent ballot boxes for use during the October 2018 General Elections and thereafter.

A total of 10,000 (ten thousand) translucent ballot boxes will be procured by the OSCE Mission for the CEC, with the following considerations informing the estimation:

  • There are approximately 5,500 regular and absentee polling stations in BiH, the number of which varies from elections to elections;
  • In light of the usual dimensions of a ballot box ( 40cm x 50cm x 60cm), polling stations with up to 350 voters will need one (1) ballot box, whereas polling stations with more than 350 voters will require two (2).

Defined Deliverable / Potential Climate Risk / Climate Risk Rating*
1. Procurement of Translucent ballot boxes / NO / LOW

Given the nature of the activities, the planned interventions are not sensitive to climate change and will have no impact either positive or negative on climate change.

3.Justification for Categorical Exclusion Determination

The activities under Supporting the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in conducting general elections in BiH in compliance with international standards on democratic elections will not have an effect on the natural or physical environment and are among the classes of activities listed in 22 CFR 216.2(c)(2). Therefore, under §216.2(c)(1), neither an IEE nor an EA will be required for these activities. Instead, a categorical exclusion threshold determination is recommended for the following identified activities under 22 CFR 216.2(c)(2):

•Activity Supporting the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) under §216.2(c)(2) (iv) Projects in which USAID is a minor donor to a multi-donor project and there is no potential significant effects upon the environment of the United States, areas outside any nation’s jurisdiction, or endangered or threatened species or their critical habitat.

4.Limitations of the Categorical Exclusion Determination:

This categorical exclusion does not cover classes of actions normally having a significant effect on the environment under §216.2(d):

  1. Programs of river basin development;
  2. Irrigation and water management;
  3. Agricultural land leveling;
  4. Drainage projects;
  5. Large scale agricultural mechanization;
  6. Resettlement projects;
  7. New land development;
  8. Penetration road building and road improvement;
  9. Powerplants;
  10. Industrial plants; and
  11. Potable water and sewerage projects

In addition, this categorical exclusion does not cover activities that:

  • Support project preparation, project feasibility studies, engineering design for activities listed in §216.2(d)(1);
  • Affect endangered species ;
  • Provide support to extractive industries (e.g. mining and quarrying);
  • Promote timber harvesting;
  • Lead to construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or renovation work;
  • Support agro-processing or industrial enterprises;
  • Provide support for regulatory permitting;
  • Lead to privatization of industrial facilities or infrastructure with heavily polluted property;
  • Assist the procurement (including payment in kind, donations, guarantees of credit) or use (including handling, transport, fuel for transport, storage, mixing, loading, application, clean-up of spray equipment, and disposal) of pesticides or activities involving procurement, transport, use, storage, or disposal of toxic materials--pesticides cover all insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, etc. covered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act; and/or
  • Procure or use genetically modified organisms.

Any of these actions would require a Europe and Eurasia Bureau Environmental Officer (BEO) approved amendment to the categorical exclusion.

5.Mandatory Inclusion of Environmental Compliance Requirements in Solicitations, Awards, Budgets, and Work Plans

  • Appropriate environmental compliance language, including limitations defined in Section 4, shall be incorporated into solicitations and awards for categorical exclusions.
  • The implementing partner shall ensure annual work plans do not prescribe activities that are defined as limitations in Section 4.

6.Revisions

Under §216.3(a)(9), if new information becomes available that indicates that activities covered by the categorical exclusion might be considered major and their effect significant, or if additional activities are proposed that might be considered major and their effect significant, this categorical exclusion determination will be reviewed and, if necessary, revised by the Mission Environmental Officer (MEO) with concurrence by the BEO. It is the responsibility of the USAID Contract Officer’s Representative (COR)/Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR) to keep the MEO and BEO informed of any new information or changes in the activity that might require revision of this determination.

7.Recommended Determination for Categorical Exclusion:


Approval : / ______
Peter Duffy, Mission Director / ______
Date
Clearance: / ______Samir Dizdar, Mission Environmental Officer / ______
Date
Clearance: / ______
Svjetlana Derajic, AOR / ______
Date

Concurrence: / ______
Mark Kamiya
E&E Bureau Environmental Officer / ______
Date

Distribution:

IEE File

MEO (to also provide a copy toCOR)

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EE.BEU Standard Form: RCE.v2