2010-2015 EPA Strategic 

Plan Approach

National Advisory Council for 

Environmental Policy and Technology

May 25, 2010
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Strategic Planning

Annual Planning and 

Budgeting

Results Measurement, 

Reporting, and Evaluation

2010-2015 Strategic Plan 

(under development)

Operations and Execution

Performance and Accountability Report

FY 2012 Annual Plan and Budget 

FY 2012 National Program 

Guidance

EPA’s Performance Management System
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EPA Strategic Plan: Background

 Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) 

requires EPA to publish a Strategic Plan at least every 

3 years.

 Describes the Agency’s long-term (5-year) environmental and 

human health outcomes, and strategies to accomplish those 

results.

 4 Strategic Plans provided to OMB/Congress since 1997, most 

recently in 2006.

 Basis for annual planning and budgeting and accountability 

reporting.
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Goals for EPA Strategic Plan Revision

 Create a simplified and meaningful Strategic Plan 

that:

 Advances the Administrator’s priorities

 Sets Agency direction

 Is used by senior leadership as a management tool

 Reflects EPA’s core values: science, transparency, rule of 

law
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Administrator’s Priorities

 Seven priorities:

 Taking action on climate change

 Improving air quality

 Assuring the safety of chemicals

 Cleaning up our communities

 Protecting America’s waters

 Expanding the conversation on environmentalism 

and working for environmental justice

 Building strong state and tribal partnerships
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EPA Strategic Plan Approach

 Goals and Objectives: Sharpen and align the language of the 

goal and objective statements with Administrator’s priorities

 Cross-cutting fundamental strategies: Set expectations for 

fundamentally changing the way we work Agency-wide in 

achieving strategic goals

 Strategic Measures:

 Most critical measures to assess progress

 Significantly reduce the number of strategic measures and 

make them more meaningful

 Revise or add measures to capture new or different work

 In sum: Clear, concise, measurable, and used to manage
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EPA Strategic Goals: Current and Proposed 

Proposed Goals: 2010-2015

 Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate 

Change and Improving Air Quality 

 Goal 2: Protecting America’s Waters

 Goal 3: Cleaning Up Our 

Communities

 Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of 

Chemicals

 Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws

Current Goals: 2006-2011

 Goal 1: Clean Air and Global 

Climate Change 

 Goal 2: Clean and Safe Water

 Goal 3: Land Preservation and 

Restoration

 Goal 4: Healthy Communities and 

Ecosystems

 Goal 5: Compliance and 

Environmental Stewardship
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New: Cross-Cutting Fundamental 

Strategies

 Proposed cross-cutting fundamental strategies 

 Expanding the conversation on environmentalism

 Working for environmental justice and children’s health

 Advancing science, research, and technological innovation

 Strengthening state, tribal, and international partnerships

 Strengthening EPA’s workforce and capabilities
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Expanding the Conversation on 

Environmentalism

 Engage and empower communities and partners

 Include those who have been historically underrepresented

 Support and advance environmental protection 

and human health nationwide.
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Working for Environmental Justice and 

Children’s Health

 Reduce and prevent harmful exposures and health 

risks to children and underserved, overburdened 

communities.

 Support community efforts to build healthy, 

sustainable green neighborhoods. 
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 Improve EPA’s internal management

 Encourage innovation and creativity in all 

aspects of our work

 Ensure that EPA is an excellent workplace that 

attracts and retains a topnotch, diverse 

workforce

 Positioned to meet and address the 

environmental challenges of the 21st century. 

Strengthening EPA’s Workforce 

and Capabilities
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Strategies in the Plan: Narrative

 Vision for each strategy

 Basic operating principles for changing how the 

Agency will do business

 Overarching statement that the Agency will hold 

itself accountable and how it will do that.
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Framework of Fundamental Strategies

 Vision and operating principles

 Champions develop action plans

 Program and Regional offices develop and propose firm 

commitments

 Program and Regional offices report on progress
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Timeline

 June 18-July 30 Public review of draft Strategic Plan

 August 13 Initiate formal OMB Review

 September 30 Issue final Strategic Plan