Note. Please refer to the training section of this website for short-format training materials. See the “laws regulations and policies section” for links to the automated directives system (ADS) sections related to environmental compliance processes, roles & responsibilities.

General USAID staff roles and responsibilities. The ADS assigns to Agreement Officers’ Representatives (AORs) and Contract Officers’ Representatives (CORs) primary responsibility for environmental compliance of the projects and activities under their purview. Mission environmental officers (MEOs), by contrast, serve as environmental review gatekeepers and environmental compliance advisors and resources within their mission.

• GEMS Training Presentation: Environmental Compliance: Roles, Responsibilities, Reporting & Resources. An overview of how environmental compliance requirements are “mainstreamed” into USAID’s ADS, and the compliance roles and responsibility of different USAID staff functions. PDF (1 MB)
• Environmental Procedures Briefing for Mission Staff. Plain-text overview of life-of-project environmental compliance requirements and roles and responsibilities of various mission staff. Word (117 KB)

Mission Environmental Officer (MEO) Role and Responsibilities. As noted, MEOs serve as environmental review gatekeepers and environmental compliance advisors and resources within their mission.

• MEO Handbook. A “how to” guide for Mission Environmental Officers. Developed for Africa Bureau, but generally applicable. PDF (1 MB)
• Model MEO Appointment Memo. Consistent with the MEO Handbook and Model Environmental Compliance Mission Order. Word (49 KB)

Mission capacities and processes underlie environmental compliance and environmentally sound design:

• Mission environmental compliance “best practice standard.” This standard covers both the processes and capacities (staff training, awareness) that support environmental compliance. While developed by Africa Bureau, the standard is generally applicable across other regions.
• Environmental Procedures Best Practices Review (BPR). The BPR is a voluntary review of a mission and its portfolio against the Best Practice Standard. A BPR is conducted as a mix of desk review, interviews with mission staff and IPs, and project site visits. GEMS undertakes BPRs at the joint request of missions and Bureau Environmental Officers. For more information, read the
• Bureau for Africa (AFR) Environmental Compliance Best Practice Standard Word 572 KB
• Best Practice Review: Survey Questions for Practitioners Word 119 KB
• Best Practice Review FactsheetWord 415 KB
• The model environmental compliance mission order is consistent with the best practice standard, supporting life-of-project compliance across a mission’s full portfolio. It reproduces the content of the Environmental Procedures Briefing for Mission Staff. Word (96 KB)

Bureau Environmental Officers. Per ADS 204, BEOs oversee and monitor compliance with USAID’s environmental procedures across all operating units in the Bureau, review and as specified in 22 CFR 216, concur in or approve 22 CFR 216 documents, and work to ensure awareness and training of all Bureau staff to support environmental procedures compliance.

• Recommended BEO Appointment Memorandum (ADS 204 Help Document) PDF (1 MB)