DCN: 2017-MAC-008

SOP 1, Template 2: Request for Categorical Exclusion (RCE)

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

USAID Macedonia

Request for Categorical Exclusion (RCE)

Program/Project/Activity Data:

Activity/Project Name: / Information Safety and Capacity Project
Assistance Objective:
Program Area:
Country(ies) and/or Operating Unit: / Macedonia
Originating Office: / Date: 05/22/2017
PAD Level RCE: Yes No
RCE/IEE Amendment: Yes No
Supplemental RCE: Yes No / DCN of Original RCE/IEE: / DCHA-11-10
DCN of Amendment(s):
If Yes, Purpose of Amendment:
DCN(s) of Related EA/IEE/RCE/ER(s):
Implementation Start/End: / LOP: October 2016 - September 2020
Funding Amount: / AMD: $75,000 / LOP Amount: $24,496,000
Contract/Award Number (if known): / AID-OAA-LA-11-00008
Recommended Determination: Categorical Exclusion
Additional Elements:
Government to Government: / Local Procurement: Donor Co-Funded:
  1. Project and Activity Description
  2. Purpose and Scope of RCE

The overarching goal of the Information Safety and Capacity Project, implemented by Counterpart International, is to provide advanced sustained technical assistance to CSOs, independent media and individuals in closed society whose use of ICT for expression, journalism, communications and advocacy is important for their societies, but potentially risky. Project’s activities will support day-to-day implementation of measures that address vulnerabilities by helping beneficiary groups to develop and implement country-specific plans which include realistically identifying and prioritizing the cyber threats they face then integrating cyber security protection measures into their daily life routine. There is no construction or rehabilitation involved or allowed in this project.

1.2Project Overview

The mission will buy into this field support mechanism to support selected partner CSOs.

  1. Project Description and Climate Risk Screening

The Information Safety and Capacity Project (ISC) is USAID’s flagship Internet Freedom program. It works directly with civil society, media, democracy, and human rights activists and groups vulnerable to online attacks and hacks, data seizures, and surveillance. ISC supports its beneficiaries with a sustained and ongoing mentoring approach that helps them develop and adopt safe communication protocols, appropriate information security, and good digital hygiene. ISC also works with technology developers such as Google, Microsoft, and open source developers to enhance the user experience in developing countries. The project seeks to keep organizations working in the online space safe and resilient. To date, it has mentored and provided technical assistance to 239 organizations, accounting for 4,166 individual beneficiaries (2,537 men; 1,629 women) in 14 countries such as Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Syria, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Sudan, and Cambodia.

The ISC Project provides IT capacity development -- training, tools, and techniques-- to organizations, activists, and media outlets that are in need of mentoring. The ISC has a cadre of dedicated “IT mentors” who build and improve upon long-term relationships with its beneficiaries to help them obtain and maintain necessary IT and information security procedures through face-to-face and/or virtual engagement. In some cases, the ISC might provide equipment to improve their level of technology acumen, which could take the form of servers, WiFi routers, or software. In order to achieve greatest impact, the ISC integrates advanced technical and country specific knowledge with the expertise required to assist organizations possessing varying levels of technology skills. The ISC also facilitates field testing and/or the deployment of new tools as they become available. The ISC coordinates knowledge and resource sharing among a growing network of leading international organizations with advanced IT and information security knowledge and skills.

Defined or illustrative activities under Component One
1.1 IT capacity development -- training, tools, and techniques-- to organizations, activists, and media outlets that are in need of mentoring, through training, consultation (in person and remote), and regional and global workshops.
1.2 Provision of equipment to improve an organization’s/media’s/activist’s level of technology acumen, which could take the form of servers, WiFi routers, or software.
1.3 Facilitation of field testing and/or the deployment of new tools as they become available.
1.4 Coordination of knowledge and resource sharing among a network of leading international organizations with advanced IT and information security knowledge and skills.
1.5 Production of desk research, scholarly research, and policy research on a range of issues related to Internet Freedom

Macedonia / Information Safety and Capacity1

EE.BEU Standard Form: RCE.v3

DCN: 2017-MAC-008

  1. Justification for Categorical Exclusion Determination

The activities under the Information Safety and Capacity Project 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):

  • Activities 1.1 – 1.5 under §216.2(c)(2)(i) Education, technical assistance, or training programs except to the extent such programs include activities directly affecting the environment (such as construction of facilities, etc.);
  1. 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.

  1. 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.
  1. 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.

  1. Recommended Determination for Categorical Exclusion:


Approval : / ______
James Stein, Mission Director / ______
Date
Clearance: / ______
Ivica Vasev, Mission Environmental Officer / ______
Date
Clearance: / ______
AleksanderJovanovic, AOR/COR / ______
Date

Concurrence: / ______
Mark Kamiya
E&E Bureau Environmental Officer / _5/30/2017______
Date

Distribution:

IEE File

MEO (to also provide a copy to AOR/COR)

Macedonia / Information Safety and Capacity1

EE.BEU Standard Form: RCE.v3