The National Environmental Performance Partnership System, Essay Example

The National Environmental Performance Partnership System, or NEPPS, is a system of agencies that are charged with strengthening the protection of public health and the environment by1) allocating the relatively small amounts of public resources towards enhancing environmental results and 2)by  permitting states a greater amount of control to accomplish those goals as well as increasing accountability.  This essay will describe the formation of NEPPS and why it has been a vital  instrument to address environmental issues.

When it was formed two decades ago, the EPA delegated a great deal of its management strategies to each individual state.  Because the result was 50 different organizations with their own method of operations, in 1995, NEPPS was formed in an effort to consolidate and oversee the states’ capabilities and develop a national strategy for environmental protection.  This development was of vital importance to the national environmental health because it helped states to share ideas and establish solutions by working together cooperatively.

A central value of the NEPPS agreement is that each state is distinct and has its own set of environmental needs and problems; therefore, the solutions are just as varied from state to state.  Each state is able to allocate funds based on how it views its own priorities.

The Partnership Agreement is negotiated between each state and its EPA regional office, and is based on a priority-setting agenda after an analysis is performed and a strategic direction developed  (National environmental performance partnership system (NEPPS), 2010) The plans are based on an evaluation of the state’s environmental health and the programs it needs to implement, as well as a thorough examination of which methods and resources would maximize outcomes (Performance partnership agreements, 2010).

In addition, an important aspect of NEPPS is its emphasis on evaluating its own programs.  These self-assessments are used to evaluate the goals that have been achieved in each state as well as to implement changes in each state’s programs depending on their effectiveness.

Sources

National environmental performance partnership system (NEPPS). (2010). Retrieved October 21, 2010, from State and Tribal Air And Radiation Planning Project: http://www.pepps.fsu.edu/STARPP/work/material/nepps.pdf.

Performance partnership agreements. (2010, May 26). Retrieved October 21, 2010, from United States Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/ocir/nepps/pp_agreements.htm