Why We Did This Report
In response to a congressional request, our objective was to determine whether the fiscal year 2021 Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving, or EJCPS, Program was achieving project objectives and whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s monitoring of these projects ensured that funds were used as intended.
Summary of Findings
We were unable to determine whether the EJCPS cooperative agreements we reviewed fully achieved the project objectives described in work plans, as well as whether the EPA’s monitoring of these projects ensured that the funding was being used as intended. Specifically, (1) four of six work plans did not consistently contain well-defined measurable outputs and expected outcomes, (2) three of six recipients’ performance reports lacked details to fully measure progress, and (3) the project officers for four of six projects did not document their review of recipients’ performance reports.
