Common menu bar links
Institutional links
Proactive Disclosure
CIDA’s Environmental Requirements and Procedures
(Environment Handbook for Community Development Initiatives)
2.1 Planning
2.2 Implementation
As indicated in the Foreword of this document, CIDA's environmental requirements are based on the Agency's Policy for Environmental Sustainability and theCanadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA). This section provides a framework for the environmental requirements and procedures of CIDA's Canadian Partnership Branch (CPB), Multilateral Programs Branch and the bilateral branches. The framework presented in this section serves as a guide, reflecting the most typical situations. Since exceptional cases do arise, partners are encouraged to contact the appropriate CIDA manager or environmental specialist, and to consult contractual documents signed with the Agency, to clarify these aspects. Partners are also encouraged to consult the proposal submission guidelines for the program from which they are soliciting CIDA funding, when such guidelines exists.
2.1 Planning
CIDA's partners are expected to possess a level of environmental institutional capacity commensurate with the degree to which their activities affect the environment. This could include having access to, or resources for, environmental expertise. In addition, partners are expected to integrate environmental considerations into the planning/ design of initiatives.
Certain CIDA programs or funds involve the submission of a preliminary proposal (for example, the description of the project concept when applying to bilateral programs, and letters of intent for Tier 1 initiatives of the University Partnerships in Cooperation and Development Program). In these cases, it is appropriate to identify the potential environmental implications of the proposed initiatives. To gain a better understanding of the environmental questions to address, partners may consult proposal submission guidelines, where they exist, or contact the appropriate CIDA manager or environmental specialist.
At the detailed proposal stage, all proposals with environmental implications are expected to contain an environmental component that reflects the scope and nature of the proposed initiative. Environmental considerations should be integrated in a cross-cutting manner within the main text of the proposal and in other key documents (for example, Results-Based Management Planning Sheets, Logical Framework Analysis, and so on). Such proposals must identify the environmental implications of the proposed activities (including the environment's possible impact on the activities) and demonstrate the organization's capacity to manage relevant environmental issues. Consequently, whenever appropriate as per the environmental linkages of the initiative, proposals are expected to fulfil the following.
- Demonstrate the organization's capacity to address the environmental issues associated with the initiative and to meet any environmental requirements stipulated in CIDA contractual documents. For example, organizations could include reference to their environmental management system (EMS) if one has been developed, or indicate their environmental experience, expertise, or resources.
- Include an analysis of the environmental implications of the proposed initiative. Typically, such an analysis describes the status of the environment at the initiative's site, clarifies the context with respect to the applicable environmental regulations and policies, and identifies environmental issues or risks associated with the proposed initiative, including its potential impacts and the ways in which they will be managed. It is important to remember that, through the analysis, organizations aim not only to mitigate adverse environmental impacts but also to maximize the initiative's environmental benefits and its contribution to sustainable development.
Furthermore, in cases where substantial environmental implications are associated with the initiative (for example, the management or transformation of natural resources, infrastructure, construction, and so on), anenvironmental assessment 2 may be requested to supplement the initial analysis of the initiative's environmental implications. In the specific case of initiatives that constitute a "project" as defined in the CEAA (see Section 3.1.2), this assessment will have to be completed, submitted for review to CIDA, and accepted by CIDA before CIDA funds are committed to the initiative's implementation.
Finally, in the case of program initiatives3 submitted to CPB and, similarly, initiatives with a number of related sub-components submitted to other branches, a strategic environmental assessment4 is expected to be included in the proposal to serve as the analysis of the environ-mental implications of the proposed initiative.
Depending on the nature of the initiative, however, there may be some variations in the procedures described above. These will be determined on a case-by-case basis and stipulated in the contractual document signed with the Agency. It is particularly important to note the CEAA-related responsibilities of CPB's program NGO partners. Box 1 describes these responsibilities.
2.2 Implementation
Although it is important to consider environmental issues during the planning stages, it is equally important to carry environmental considerations through to the implementation and monitoring/ evaluation phases. Therefore, reports to CIDA are expected to include relevant environmental information pertaining to the reporting period and indicate any changes that may have occurred, in accordance with the environmental requirements stipulated in the contractual document signed with the Agency. Where applicable, these reports must include the following:
- any changes to the organization's approach/ capacity in environmental management or assessment;
- results of environmental monitoring/follow-up activities identified in environmental assessments or during the planning and implementation phases of the initiative, as they relate to identified environmental objectives, environmental indicators, and mitigation measures. Please note that the results of an environmental assessment (e.g. chosen mitigation measures and responses to public concerns) or the results of another form of environmental diagnostic can be re-invested in the results-based management logical framework (e.g. in the activities, results, and risks/ assumptions of an initiative).
Box 1: CEAA-Related Responsibilities of CPB's Program NGO Partners
Given the unique nature of the CPB program funding mechanism, organizations are assigned particular responsibilities for environmental assessment in accordance with the CEAA, as outlined in the environmental clause of their contractual document.
This environment clause contains two sections. The first outlines the organization's responsibility to systematically integrate environmental factors into its decision-making processes (in line with CIDA's Policy for Environmental Sustainability). The second outlines the organization's environmental assessment responsibilities in accordance with the CEAA. In essence, the clause makes these partners responsible for the following:
To better ensure that organizations have the capacity to assume these responsibilities, CIDA encourages them to develop and implement an environmental management system that appropriately reflects the nature and scope of the organizations' programming as it relates to the environment. Although CIDA does not participate in the project-level decision-making process for such organizations, the Agency will ensure that the organizations have established appropriate environmental practices and have the capacity to carry out these responsibilities. During the period covered by the contractual document, and for five years following its end date, CIDA may monitor the environmental practices of the organization. Monitoring may involve the consultation of documents and reports produced by the organization and/or visits to the organization and its sites in the field. In addition, CIDA may request a copy of the environmental assessment reports and may perform environmental audits of the initiatives. Please note that environmental assessment reports completed under this process are not filed with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry.
Given the unique nature of the CPB program funding mechanism, organizations are assigned particular responsibilities for environmental assessment in accordance with the CEAA, as outlined in the environmental clause of their contractual document.
This environment clause contains two sections. The first outlines the organization's responsibility to systematically integrate environmental factors into its decision-making processes (in line with CIDA's Policy for Environmental Sustainability). The second outlines the organization's environmental assessment responsibilities in accordance with the CEAA. In essence, the clause makes these partners responsible for the following:
- determining if the activity requires an environmental assessment in accordance with the CEAA;
- ensuring that an environmental assessment is carried out for all "projects" that require an environmental assessment, once essential "project" details are known and before irrevocable decisions are made;
- ensuring the quality of environmental assessment reports produced (see Box 11);
- determining if the "project" is likely to bring about significant adverse environmental effects;
- ensuring that no part of program funding is used for the implementation of a "project" that is likely to create significant adverse environmental effects; and
- ensuring that identified mitigation measures are implemented.
To better ensure that organizations have the capacity to assume these responsibilities, CIDA encourages them to develop and implement an environmental management system that appropriately reflects the nature and scope of the organizations' programming as it relates to the environment. Although CIDA does not participate in the project-level decision-making process for such organizations, the Agency will ensure that the organizations have established appropriate environmental practices and have the capacity to carry out these responsibilities. During the period covered by the contractual document, and for five years following its end date, CIDA may monitor the environmental practices of the organization. Monitoring may involve the consultation of documents and reports produced by the organization and/or visits to the organization and its sites in the field. In addition, CIDA may request a copy of the environmental assessment reports and may perform environmental audits of the initiatives. Please note that environmental assessment reports completed under this process are not filed with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry.
In the case of initiatives with many sub-components (for example, CPB programs), the report is also expected to include a list of environmental assessments completed for initiatives in accordance with the CEAA during the previous reporting period, as specified in the environment clause of the contractual document signed with CIDA.
This handbook's accompanying document, "Additional Resources", includes environmental follow-up/monitoring tools, which may useful to assist reporting activities.
CIDA monitoring may involve the consultation of documents and/or visits to the organization and its initiatives in the field. Environmental matters will also be considered in the evaluation of organizations.
Notes
- See Section 3.3. An environmental management system is a systematic management tool that provides a framework for practices, procedures, and processes to implement an organization's environmental policy and manage its environmental action plan, as well as to document, communicate, and evaluate its environmental performance. CIDA strongly encourages organizations that receive program funding from the Canadian Partnership Branch and whose programming has substantial environmental linkages to develop a basic environmental management system (that is, one that presents the organization's environmental policy or objectives, implementation strategy / environmental action plan, and associated tools) as a means of demonstrating their capacity to meet special environmental requirements. This tool can also be used in dealing with other CIDA branches to demonstrate environmental institutional capacity.
- See Section 3.1. An environmental assessment is a tool and a process for assessing an initiative's environmental effects (biophysical, cultural, and socio-economic; negative and positive), as well as the environment's effect on the initiative. It addresses a Canadian legal requirement (the CEAA) and CIDA's Policy for Environmental Sustainability.
- A program consists of a series of interconnected activities or sub-components. Generally speaking, a program has a long time frame, a broad scope, and its sub-components may be in various countries or in different regions within a single country.
- See Section 3.2. A strategic environmental assessment is a tool proposed in line with CIDA's Policy for Environmental Sustainability. Its purpose is to outline the environmental implications of a proposed policy, plan, or program (or initiative with a number of sub-components) and to demonstrate how environmental considerations are integrated. It also serves to identify opportunities to achieve environmental benefits and positive environmental outcomes. This tool is in line with what was referred to as a "program environmental analysis" in the previous edition of this handbook.
