 | Vol. 5 No. 3 Winter 1997 |
| A Newsletter About New Jersey's Water Quality Programs |
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NAPA is an independent, nonpartisan, non profit organization that assists federal, state and local governments in improving their performance. NAPA’s report to Congress entitled Resolving the Paradox of Environmental Protection: An Agenda for Congress, EPA and the States identifies the implementation of the National Environmental Performance Partnership System (NEPPS), among other initiatives, as an important component toward resolving inconsistent directives in environmental protection. The group posed two questions: 1) How can government, the regulated community and citizens utilize market forces and public actions to protect and restore the environment for current and future generations? 2) How can EPA implement consistent national programs that are responsive to individual state and tribal needs? The answers, NAPA believes, may come from results-based management.
The NAPA report includes a case study of NEPPS implementation in New Jersey that evaluates results based management. The case study, which was conducted via interviews with DEP and EPA staff and managers, focused on 6 areas: performance based management of NEPPS; information needs; encouraging integrated decision making and actions; public roles; EPA oversight; and the costs of NEPPS. The major conclusions of the case study are summarized below.
NEPPS encourages integrated management, comprehensive decision making, coordinated actions, and multi media efforts. NEPPS facilitates a strong role for state commissioners in setting policies and deciding strategies. Through the preparation of the NEPPS Self Assessment and Performance Partnership Agreement, evaluations of environmental conditions and program effectiveness can be used to identify collaborative efforts to improve programs and the environment. The NEPPS process represents a significant improvement over traditional program specific workplans in this regard.
NEPPS is a tool for performance based management. Because of investments in planning, development of environmental indicators and the GIS, New Jersey is better equipped than many states to make NEPPS work. However, even with these investments, critical linkages in data and data assessments are still needed to quantify the relationships between environmental conditions, the many causes of pollution, and the overall effectiveness of management tools. In addition, sustained leadership is needed to make sound, scientifically-based decisions on environmental issues involving various interests and values.
EPA is only beginning to employ the potential of NEPPS to strengthen oversight and communicate with the public about state performance. Although less information on daily activities is provided to EPA under NEPPS, all statutory and regulatory requirements remain in effect. In addition, valuable information regarding environmental conditions and program effectiveness is now available to EPA and the public. This information could be used to try new strategies that will improve environmental conditions.
NEPPS can be a powerful tool for public understanding and engagement. New Jersey and many other states have recently begun the dialogue with constituents to form consensus for environmental goals and milestones to measure progress toward those goals. In addition, suitable strategies and actions for EPA, New Jersey, the regulated community and citizens to meet those goals and milestones can be discussed in a public forum.
NEPPS provides a vehicle for reshaping the EPA State partnership. Historically, program specific workplans were approved by EPA. Under NEPPS, comprehensive Performance Partnership Agreements are subject to scrutiny and involvement by governors, state and federal environmental officials, legislators, and environmental and business leaders.
The NAPA case study concluded that New Jersey has gone further than many other states in making the transition to comprehensive agreements that will become the basis for a new system of performance based management. Thus, the New Jersey case illustrates many of the key elements of what NEPPS was meant to be and what it could become. It has the potential to make federal oversight of state programs more substantive and effective as well as to make the quality of state performance readily apparent to the public. But to achieve that potential, the fledgling system will need sustained commitment from senior EPA and state managers.
For additional information about the National Environmental Performance Partnership System in New Jersey or the NAPA report, contact Karen Schaffer at (609) 633 1127 or visit the DEP website: www.state.nj.us/dep.
National Academy of Public Administration. (September, 1997). Resolving the Paradox of Environmental Protection: An Agenda for Congress, EPA and the States. 220 pages.