IGAP Work plans that work
Before you start writing an IGAP work plan
· Conduct a community needs assessment to help you determine the needs and wants of the community and to help you convince the funding agent that you fully understand these needs.
· Identify your priorities and most pressing needs.
· Identify your resources:
o Internal: What resources does the Tribe already have to address these needs?
o External: Who else is willing to help?
· Carefully read the funding announcement.
· Call your potential funder to discuss your priorities to see if they match the funder’s priorities.
· If you plan on using contractors, begin requesting information about costs and typical rates for the work you are considering.
Writing a work plan - three basic requirements for an IGAP proposal
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The Narrative Introduction
Describe the Tribe.
Include anything that will be helpful for a reader to know about your Tribe such as:
• Where is it located?
• Cultural groups?
• How many members?
• Community population?
Detail the Tribe’s administrative capacity:
• Is the Tribe a compacting or self governance Tribe?
• Does it have regular audits?
• What other programs are administered by the Tribe?
• How many employees does the tribe have?
• What are the current policies and procedures?
• What are the financial policies and systems?
• Have there been any issues in the past?
Document the Tribe’s history with the IGAP program.
• How long has the Tribe had the IGAP?
• What accomplishments have been made with IGAP?
• Has the Tribe achieved all of its goals?
• Have there been any issues in the past?
• List any changes or corrective actions.
Provide background information about the environmental issues to be addressed by your work plan.
This section should include a narrative description of risks to human health and the environment and their relation to any environmental assessment or strategy efforts conducted to date.
• Describe the environmental problems to be addressed with this work plan.
• What has been tried in the past address these problems?
• Who are your partners?
List the long term environmental goals that will be supported by the work plan.
• What is the change that the Tribe is working toward?
• Is this is a long term outcome?
• Remember that outcomes can be accomplished after the grant’s project period is completed.
Address the Part 35 requirements
• Identify the role of the EPA in completing your work plan commitments
• Detail the cost per component both in FTE (Staff time) and money. (A chart is the easiest way to show the cost per component.)
Work plan
Budget
Recommend Focus Areas for your IGAP Grant
While EPA Region 10 provides funding for all activities that build the capacity of Tribal Governments to manage environmental programs, Region 10 recommends objectives and activities in the following areas:
Managing Solid and Hazardous Waste: Region 10 recommends this focus for two reasons. First, implementation of solid and hazardous waste management programs and projects is within the scope of the GAP program. Second, Region 10 is aware that solid waste management is a significant concern to many of the Tribes in Region 10 and elsewhere. It appears to be an issue of special importance to Tribes located in Alaska where unmanaged open dumps may contaminate drinking water sources and otherwise have adverse effects on tribal health and subsistence.
Responding to Climate Change: Tribes in Region 10, especially those located in Alaska, are increasingly concerned about the rate and effect of climate change on their communities and life ways. Region 10 supports the use of GAP funds, consistent with the capacity building focus of the program, to gather and report on changed climatic conditions and to plan for how Tribes can best respond to the climate-change related risks, such as the coastal erosion and consequent increased risk of flooding. Exploration of ways in which Tribes and their members can reduce carbon emissions is also encouraged.
Protecting Subsistence Resources: At the most recent Tribal Leaders Summit hosted by the Umatilla Tribe in August 2006, emphasis was placed on the importance of protecting the harvest of subsistence foods. Region 10 recognizes that protecting and restoring healthy and abundant subsistence foods is critical to maintaining tribal communities and tribal culture. Region 10 encourages the use of GAP funds for activities such as fish tissue sampling, and fish consumption surveys, and baseline water quality assessments.