ADDENDUM_IV_DCN_2018_KOS_041_RCE_Up_to_Youth.pdf

DCN: 2018-KOS-041

Kosovo/ Up to Youth 1 EE.BEU Standard Form: RCE.v3

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) USAID/ Kosovo

Request for Categorical Exclusion (RCE)

Program/Project/Activity Data:

Activity/Project Name: Up to Youth

Assistance Objective:

1. Improved Rule of Law and Governance that Meets Citizens’ Needs

2. Increased Investment and Private Sector Employment

3. Enhanced Human Capital

4. USAID Youth in Development Policy

Program Area:

Country(ies) and/or Operating Unit: Kosovo Originating Office: Program and Policy Office Date: July 25, 2018 PAD Level IEE: Yes No Supplemental IEE: Yes No RCE/IEE Amendment: Yes No

DCN of Original RCE/IEE:

DCN of Amendment(s):

If Yes, Purpose of Amendment (AMD):

DCN(s) of All Related EA/IEE/RCE/ER(s):

Implementation Start/End: LOP: FY 2019 - FY 2024

Funding Amount: LOP Amount: $ XXXXXX

Contract/Award Number (if known):

Recommended Environmental Determination:

Categorical Exclusion: Positive Determination:

Negative Determination: Deferral:

Additional Elements:

Conditions: Local Procurement:

Government to Government: Donor Co-Funded:

Sustainability Analysis (included): Climate Change Vulnerability Analysis (included):

1. Project and Activity Description

1.1 Purpose and Scope of RCE - The Up to Youth Activity will foster youth resilience in Kosovo through mobilizing and empowering vulnerable youth. Youth vulnerable to social exclusion and socioeconomic inequalities will engage in meaningful ways to effect positive change in their communities. This RCE is for a new 5-year activity called Up to Youth with a budget of $xxxx. The activity is expected to be implemented in 5-12 geographic focus areas within Kosovo. Identification and final selection of these areas will be in cooperation with the Contractor. There will be a particular focus on those municipalities that host youth who are more vulnerable to social exclusion and identified factors that lead to social exclusion. There will be no construction or rehabilitation activities involved in this project. If the scope of work changes and these activities are planned an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) will be completed. None of these activities are allowed to proceed until the IEE is completed. The constituencies, municipalities and locations should be proposed for Activity

Addendum IV

Kosovo/ Up to Youth 2 EE.BEU Standard Form: RCE.v3 implementation based on the following criteria:

● Presence of youth vulnerable to social exclusion

● Basic needs of the community

● Areas with prior USAID investment

● Areas not covered by other donors or where synergy is probable

● Potential for making quick progress in expanding local economic opportunities for youth.

The primary beneficiaries of this activity are youth who are out of school and aged 18-29 or as defined by the Government of Kosovo.

1.2 Project Overview: The Up to Youth Activity Theory of Change is as follows: IF youth in Kosovo vulnerable to social exclusion are mobilized and empowered to effect positive change in their communities, AND local resilient networks are supported to create meaningful engagement for youth, THEN youth resilience to social exclusion and extremism will be increased.

This Activity supports the USAID/Kosovo’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) 2014- 2019 Democracy and Governance assistance Objectives “Improved Rule of Law and Governance that Meets Citizens’ Needs,” “Increased Investment and Private Sector Employment,” and “Enhanced Human Capital” and “USAID Youth in Development Policy.”

USAID Kosovo strives to engage youth as full and equal partner in strategic and program planning.

Youth in Kosovo are positioned to yield dividends for social change. Kosovo has the youngest population in Europe with 50 percent under the age of 25. Given this demographic make-up, the inclusion of youth is critical to fostering democratic multiparty consolidation. USAID Kosovo has a strong record of catalyzing youth potential as evidenced through our past and current activities. However, during the recent years USAID Kosovo did not have any standalone activities on youth development. Youth inclusion is cross-cutting and the Mission strives to further build upon best practices.

In contrast, this Activity is focused on positive youth development in numerous municipalities throughout Kosovo. Interventions are to be flexible and tailor to specific contexts from the village to the national level. Youth beneficiaries will have varying needs; it is critical for the Activity to have versatility so that it can adapt to varying needs. Further it is anticipated that communities or municipalities selected will have different internal and external challenges related to political, ethnic, or socioeconomic factors. It is imperative this Activity allows USAID Kosovo to respond appropriately to these challenges in a manner that aligns with the Kosovo context and engages youth as fully and sustainably as possible.

There will be no construction or rehabilitation activities involved in this project. If the scope of work changes and these activities are planned an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) will be completed.

None of these activities are allowed to proceed until the IEE is completed.

Over the 5-year period, the Activity will work in selected communities in the three Components below.

These Components are interconnected and are mutually reinforcing; it is expected that some interventions will address more than one Component.

Component 1 –Mobilize youth to be forces for positive change in their communities.

Activities Include:

1. Rapid needs assessment to determine the needs and capacities of each selected municipality and identify local established youth entities (if they exist) at the community level.

Kosovo/ Up to Youth 3 EE.BEU Standard Form: RCE.v3

2. Completing a community-specific strategy to develop existing youth-focused entities; create new youth-focused entities; and/or facilitate youth-led, youth-owned and youth-managed foundations and systems.

3. Creating a youth mobilization strategy and implementing this strategy across all selected municipalities and tailored for specific needs of each municipality. Implementation activities of this strategy may include creating a Youth Advisory Board; preparing youth to carry out a mapping exercise to identify priority needs; training in organizational management, advocacy, leadership, and democratic organizational practices (roll call, elections, bylaws, constitutions, etc.); people-to-people dialogue;

training on and strategies, public participation, and strategic communication campaigns to broaden awareness and information.

Results include:

1. Youth have an increased sense of responsibility in their communities.

2. An increase in youth-led participatory analyses of community-level problems and their solutions.

3. Demonstrated community-level leadership and engagement in democratic processes by targeted youth.

Component 2 - Develop and demonstrate life/soft skills among youth.

Activities Include:

1. Delivering skills building and capacity building interventions to prepare youth to engage in meaningful ways to effect positive change. Interventions must be tailored for specific needs of each municipality. Interventions may include: self-employment programs, grant-making programs, incentive funds, industry development and strengthening such as the agriculture sector, public and private alliances, private sector funding such as angel investors or venture capital firms. Grants and incentive funds will not be purchasing equipment or other actions that could have an environmental impact. If any actions are planned a new Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) will be completed and work will not commence until the IEE is approved.

Results include:

1. Youth will have gained a set of basic life/soft skills which give them the means to create positive social change.

2. Youth will have gained a set of targeted economic skills that provide them the means to penetrate and participate in the local economy.

Component 3 –Develop, build and support local resilience partners in fostering an environment for youth to engage in a positive and meaningful way.

This focuses on identifying formal/informal actors who can serve as resilience partners; developing existing local resilience networks and building new networks at the community level. Interventions will support the formal/informal actors and networks so they can foster an environment in which youth can contribute in meaningful ways.

Activities Include:

1. Conduct survey(s) to identify existing local resilience networks, formal/informal actors who can serve as resilience partners and identify techniques to build new local resilience networks;

2. Facilitate dialogue and discussion among youth and formal/informal community members. This process can include activities such as people-to-people dialogue; training on and strategies, public participation, and strategic communication campaigns to broaden awareness and information.

Results Include

1. Formal and informal actors at the community level are engaged as members of resilience networks.

Kosovo/ Up to Youth 4 EE.BEU Standard Form: RCE.v3

2. Local resilience networks are developed and/or created.

3. Increase in cooperation between youth and local resilience networks that result in meaningful youth engagement.

2. Project Description and Climate Risk The anticipated activities were screened against the Climate Risk Management form and no activity has been found to be significantly impacted from climate risks. The overall climate risk rating to the listed activities in the table below is considered to be low and as a result the Mission is not required to incorporate specific plans to address any climate risk related to these activities.

Defined or illustrative activities under Component One— Mobilize youth to be forces for positive change in their communities.

Potential Climate Risk

Climate Risk Rating*

1.1 Rapid needs assessment to determine the needs and capacities of each selected municipality and identify local established youth entities (if they exist) at the community level.

N/A Low

1.2 Completing a community-specific strategy to develop existing youth-focused entities; create new youth-focused entities; and/or facilitate youth-led, youth-owned and youth-managed foundations and systems.

N/A Low

1.3 Creating a youth mobilization strategy and implementing this strategy across all selected municipalities and tailored for specific needs of each municipality. Implementation activities of this strategy may include creating a Youth Advisory Board; preparing youth to carry out a mapping exercise to identify priority needs; training in organizational management, advocacy, leadership, and democratic organizational practices (roll call, elections, bylaws, constitutions, etc.); people-to-people dialogue; training on and strategies, public participation, and strategic communication campaigns to broaden awareness and information.

N/A Low

Defined or illustrative activities under Component Two— Develop and demonstrate life/soft skills among youth.

Potential Climate Risk

Climate Risk Rating*

2.1 Delivering skills building and capacity building interventions to prepare youth to engage in meaningful ways to effect positive change.

Interventions must be tailored for specific needs of each municipality.

Interventions may include: self-employment programs, grant-making programs, incentive funds, industry development and strengthening such as the agriculture sector, public and private alliances, private sector funding such as angel investors or venture capital firms.

N/A Low

Defined or illustrative activities under Component Three - Develop, build and support local resilience partners in fostering an environment for youth to engage in a positive and meaningful way.

Potential Climate Risk

Climate Risk Rating*

3.1 Conduct survey(s) to identify existing local resilience networks, formal/informal actors who can serve as resilience partners and identify techniques to build new local resilience networks.

N/A Low

3.2 Facilitate dialogue and discussion among youth and formal/informal community members. This process can include activities such as people-to-people dialogue; training on and strategies, public participation, and strategic communication campaigns to broaden awareness and information.

N/A Low

Kosovo/ Up to Youth 5 EE.BEU Standard Form: RCE.v3

3. Justification for Categorical Exclusion Determination The activities under the Up to Youth will not have an effect on the natural or physical environment and are among the classes of activities listed in 22 CFR 216.2(c)(2). Therefore, under §216.2(c)(1), neither an IEE nor an EA will be required for these activities. Instead, a categorical exclusion threshold determination is recommended for the following identified activities under 22 CFR 216.2(c)(2):

• Activities 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 3.2 under §216.2(c)(2)(i) Education, technical assistance, or training programs except to the extent such programs include activities directly affecting the environment (such as construction of facilities, etc.);

• Activities 1.1 and 3.1 under §216.2(c)(2) (iii)Analyses, studies, academic or research workshops and meetings;

4. Limitations of the Categorical Exclusion Determination:

This categorical exclusion does not cover classes of actions normally having a significant effect on the environment under §216.2(d):

i. Programs of river basin development;

ii. Irrigation and water management;

iii. Agricultural land leveling;

iv. Drainage projects;

v. Large scale agricultural mechanization;

vi. Resettlement projects;

vii. New land development;

viii. Penetration road building and road improvement;

ix. Powerplants;

x. Industrial plants; and

xi. Potable water and sewerage projects In addition, this categorical exclusion does not cover activities that:

• Support project preparation, project feasibility studies, engineering design for activities listed in §216.2(d)(1);

• Affect endangered species ;

• Provide support to extractive industries (e.g. mining and quarrying);

• Promote timber harvesting;

• Lead to construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or renovation work;

• Support agro-processing or industrial enterprises;

• Provide support for regulatory permitting;

• Lead to privatization of industrial facilities or infrastructure with heavily polluted property;

• Assist the procurement (including payment in kind, donations, guarantees of credit) or use

(including handling, transport, fuel for transport, storage, mixing, loading, application, clean-up of spray equipment, and disposal) of pesticides or activities involving procurement, transport, use, storage, or disposal of toxic materials--pesticides cover all insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, etc. covered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act; and/or

• Procure or use genetically modified organisms.

Any of these actions would require a Europe and Eurasia Bureau Environmental Officer (BEO) approved amendment to the categorical exclusion.

5. Mandatory Inclusion of Environmental Compliance Requirements in Solicitations, Awards, Budgets, and Work Plans

• Appropriate environmental compliance language, including limitations defined in Section 4, shall be incorporated into solicitations and awards for categorical exclusions.

Kosovo/ Up to Youth 6 EE.BEU Standard Form: RCE.v3

• The implementing partner shall ensure annual work plans do not prescribe activities that are defined as limitations in Section 4.

6. Revisions Under §216.3(a)(9), if new information becomes available that indicates that activities covered by the categorical exclusion might be considered major and their effect significant, or if additional activities are proposed that might be considered major and their effect significant, this categorical exclusion determination will be reviewed and, if necessary, revised by the Mission Environmental Officer (MEO) with concurrence by the BEO. It is the responsibility of the USAID Contract Officer’s Representative (COR)/Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR) to keep the MEO and BEO informed of any new information or changes in the activity that might require revision of this determination.

7. Recommended Determination for Categorical Exclusion:

Approval : _______________________________________ Lisa Magno, Mission Director

Date

Clearance :

Brian Martalus, Acting Deputy Mission Director

Date

Clearance: ___________________________________________ Edmond Shyti, Mission Environmental Officer

Date

Clearance :

Paul Vaca, Activity Manager/COR/AOR

Date

Concurrence: ___________________________________________ Mark Kamiya E&E Bureau Environmental Officer

Date

Distribution:

IEE File MEO (to also provide a copy to AOR/COR)

Attachments: Annex A Climate Risk Screening and Management Tool for Activity/Project/Strategy Design

Kosovo/ Up to Youth 7 EE.BEU Standard Form: RCE.v3

1.1: Tasks / Defined or Anticipated Tasks or

Interventions*

1.2:

Time-frame

1.3:

Geo-graphy

2: Climate Risks*

3:

Adaptive Capacity

4:

Climate

Risk Rating*

5:

Opportunities

6.1: Climate Risk

Management Options

6.2: How Climate

Risks are Addressed in the Activity*

7: Next Steps for Activity

Implementation*

8:

Accepted Climate Risks*

1. Rapid needs assessment to determine the needs and capacities of each selected municipality and identify local established youth entities (if they exist) at the community level.

Five years Kosovo wide

Low climate risks in all tasks since the services that will be provided are performance evaluations and data gathering.

The services that will be provided are performanc e evaluations and data gathering.

Low None that are relevant to this activity

While the services are provided the contractor should be mindful to gather any information related to climate change, if applicable.

While the services are provided the contractor should be mindful to gather any information related to climate change, if applicable.

While the services are provided the contractor should be mindful to gather any information related to climate change, if applicable.

None

2. Completing a community-specific strategy to develop existing youth-focused entities;

create new youth-focused entities; and/or facilitate youth-led, youth-owned and youth-managed foundations and systems.

Same as above

Low Same as above Same as above

None

3. Creating a youth mobilization strategy and implementing this strategy across all selected municipalities and tailored for specific needs of each municipality. Implementati on activities of this strategy may include creating a Youth Advisory Board;

preparing youth to carry out a mapping exercise to identify priority needs;

training in organizational management, advocacy, leadership, and democratic organizational practices

(roll call, elections, bylaws, constitutions, etc.); people-to-people dialogue;

training on and strategies, Same as above

Low Same as above Same as above

None

Kosovo/ Up to Youth 8 EE.BEU Standard Form: RCE.v3 public participation, and strategic communication campaigns to broaden awareness and information.

4.Delivering skills building and capacity building interventions to prepare youth to engage in meaningful ways to effect positive change.

Interventions must be tailored for specific needs of each municipality.

Interventions may include:

self-employment programs, grant-making programs, incentive funds, industry development and strengthening such as the agriculture sector, public and private alliances, private sector funding such as angel investors or venture capital firms.

Same as above

Low Same as above Same as above

None

5. Conduct survey(s) to identify existing local resilience networks, formal/informal actors who can serve as resilience partners and identify techniques to build new local resilience networks.

Same as above

Low Same as above Same as above

None

6. Facilitate dialogue and discussion among youth and formal/informal community members. This process can include activities such as people-to-people dialogue; training on and strategies, public participation, and strategic communication campaigns to broaden awareness and information.

Same as above

Low Same as above Same as above

None