Request for Categorical Exclusion (Rce)

REQUEST FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION (RCE)

AMENDMENT #1

PROJECT/ACTIVITY DATA:

Project Name: USAID Basic Education, Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR)

Country/region: Lao PDR

Start Date: 4/1/2017 End Date: 9/27/2024[1]

Life of Project Amount ($): 25,000,000

IEE Prepared by: DalinaPrasertsriDate: 3/19/2018

The RCE covers two following Basic Education activities in Lao PDR:

Activity Name #1: Donor-to-Donor Resources to Advance Basic Education in Laos through Support to Select Sub-Components of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s BEQUAL Project

Start Date:9/7/2017 End Date: 9/30/2019

Activity Name #2: USAID Learn to Read

Start Date:9/28/2018 End Date: 9/27/2023

Is this the original IEE (Y/N): No. This is Amendment 1 of the approved IEE (Asia 17-028).

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION RECOMMENDED: (Place X where applicable)

Categorical Exclusion: [ X ] Negative Determination with Conditions: [ ]

Positive Determination:[ ]Deferral: [ ]

Background

This is the first amendment of the approved IEE (Asia 17-028) which addresses the following:

1. Extension of the end date from 4/1/2017 to 9/27/2024.
2. Increase the Life of Project amount ($) to 25,000,000.
3. Identify the list of activities to be covered under this RCE.
4. Climate risk management section.

All other sections remain unchanged.

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this document, in accordance with Title 22, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 216 (22CFR216), is to provide a preliminary review of the reasonably foreseeable effects on the environment, as well as recommended Threshold Decisions, for the activities detailed below. This document provides a brief statement of the factual basis for Threshold Decisions as to whether an Environmental Assessment or an Environmental Impact Statement is required for the activities managed under the scope of this document.

The activities under review are recommended for categorical exclusion.

Background and Description of Activities

The USAID Basic Education activity will strengthen the delivery of primary education in Lao PDR with the objective of improving early grade reading outcomes in disadvantaged communities. Activities will focus on improving teacher performance, increasing access to instructional materials, strengthening performance monitoring and academic assessment, and strengthening advocacy for reading at the community level as well as strengthening the book supply chain, mostly through technical assistance. The specific interventions under consideration are:

Instructional level:

●Delivering in-service teacher training;

●Developing decodable books and leveled readers[2];

●Supporting cost-effective publishing and printing by collaborating with a successful local academic press or other interested partners;

●Distributing supplemental reading materials to schools; and

●Developing or supporting the scale-up of after-school activities to support student engagement and commitment, especially for girls.

District level:

●Training principals to more effectively monitor and coach for improved teacher performance;

●Developing or supporting public education campaigns in targeted communities to advocate for the value of reading and promote out-of-school reading opportunities; and

●Engaging Village Education Development Committees to promote and support education in targeted communities.

National level:

●Supporting the review and revision of national education assessment tools;

●Training key Ministry of Education and Sports staff on the delivery and results analysis of national education assessments;

●Working with teacher training institutes to improve pedagogical methodologies;

●Reviewing the deployment of teachers in a manner that optimizes the use of their skills, including language capabilities;

●Encouraging partnerships between local institutions and non-profit associations to implement project components; and

●Providing technical assistance to strengthen the national book supply chain.

Recommended Threshold Decisions

-Justification for Categorical Exclusion Request

The proposed interventions to be implemented by the referenced activities are unlikely to cause adverse impact to the environment, therefore, they justify Categorical Exclusions, pursuant to 22CFR216.2(c)(1) and (2), for which an Initial Environmental Examination, or an Environmental Assessment are not required because the actions do not have an effect on the natural or physical environment.

Specifically, as currently planned, these activities fall into the following classes of action:

●Education, technical assistance, or training programs except to the extent such programs include activities directly affecting the environment (such as construction of facilities, etc.)

●Analyses, studies, academic or research workshops and meetings

●Document and information transfers

Climate Risk Management

As part of the climate risk assessment, various climate studies for Lao PDR were reviewed including USAID Mekong Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change (ARCC) project’s Vulnerability Assessment Report, World Bank Climate Risk Adaptation Country Profile, World Food Programme’s report on Livelihood and Resilience Analysis and USAID/RDMA’s Climate Vulnerability Profile. While these studies highlighted multiple climate risks that could negatively impact the livelihoods and lives of Laotians, especially those living in rural communities, all climate risks were identified as low impact on the implementation of the Activity. The design team is aware that more intense rainfall events causing more frequent and severe floods could impact the scheduling or the mode of transportation to access certain flood-affected areas to provide training, attend meetings or for children to attend classes. The selected implementing partner will consider such climate risks and plan accordingly to avoid any disruption in the implementation of the activity.

Activity-Level Climate Risk Management Summary Table

Levels of Intervention / Climate Risks / Risk Rating / How Risks are Addressed / Opportunities to Strengthen Climate Resilience
Instructional level / Heavy rainfalls could lead to floods / Low / Planning accordingly to avoid any disruption in the implementation of the Activity / N/A
District level / Heavy rainfalls could lead to floods / Low / Planning accordingly to avoid any disruption in the implementation of the Activity / N/A
National level / Heavy rainfalls could lead to floods / Low / Planning accordingly to avoid any disruption in the implementation of the Activity / N/A

Revisions and Limitations

If during implementation, project activities are considered outside of those described in this document, an amendment shall be submitted. Pursuant to 22CFR216.3(a)(9), if new activities are added and/or information becomes available which indicates that activities to be funded by the project might be “major” and the project’s effect “significant,” this determination will be reviewed and revised by the Contract/Agreement Officer’s Representative of the project, and submitted to the Mission Environmental Officer and Bureau Environmental Officer for approval and, if appropriate, an environmental assessment will be prepared.

Limitationsof this RCE

This RCE does not cover activities involving:

-Construction or rehabilitation of infrastructure of any size.

Attachment

-Initial Request for Categorical Exclusion (Asia 17-028)

APPROVAL OF REQUEST FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION

Laos Country Office Director

Clearance _Cleared by email______March 22, 2018
Alexandria Huerta Date

Mission Environmental Officer
Clearance ___Cleared by email______March 23, 2018
SaengroajSrisawaskraisorn Date
Climate Integration Lead
Clearance _Cleared by email______March 23, 2018
PornpunPinweha Date

Program Development Office Director
Clearance _Cleared by email______March 27, 2018
Steven Majors Date

Resident Legal Officer
Clearance _Cleared by email______April 9, 2018
Ying Hsu (for) Date
Regional Environmental Advisor
Clearance _Cleared by email______March 28, 2018
Michael Weaver (for) Date

Deputy Mission Director
Clearance _Cleared by email______April 10, 2018
Jeffrey Spence Date

APPROVAL:
Mission Director
______
Richard Goughnour Date
CONCURRENCE:
Bureau Environmental Officer

______
William Gibson Date

1

[1] The proposed end date for the RCE is extended beyond the planned activity end date by 6 months to provide sufficient time for the selected implementing partner (IP) and the Ministry of Education and Sports to negotiate and sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) so that the IP may formally implement the new USAID Learn to Read activity. Based on prior experience MOU signing in Lao PDR has taken between nine months to a year.

[2] Decodable books are books that contain only phonetic code or words that the reader has already learned. It is a controlled text made for appropriate reading level in order for the reader to practice what they have been taught, to internalize the new learning and to be able to read independently. The books allow the reader to have reading success before moving on to the next book of higher level.