1

Technical Assistance Needs Assessment

Technical AssistanceNeeds AssessmentDescription

The Technical Assistance Needs Assessment(TANA) is a site-specific process to identifywhether a community requires additional supportfrom EPA in order to understand technical informa-tion and enable meaningful community involvementin the Superfund decision-making process. Mem-bers of the community are interviewed in order toget their views on how the community is receivingtechnical information about a site; whether thecommunity needs additional assistance in order tounderstand and respond to site-related technicalinformation; and whether there are organizations inthe community that are interested or involved insite-related issues and capable of acting as anappropriate conduit for technical assistance ser-vices to the affected community. The TANAprocess produces a blueprint for designing acoordinated effort to meet the community’s needsfor additional technical assistance while minimizingthe overlap of services provided by the remedialproject manager (RPM) or on-scene coordinator(OSC), community involvement coordinator (CIC),external partners, and EPA grants and contracts.

Required Activity

No. TANAs are not required by statute or regula-tion, but they are strongly recommended whenevera community may require additional technicalassistance. The TANA can be conducted concur-rently with the initial Community Interviewsadministered for development of a CommunityInvolvement Plan (CIP) or at a later date if thetechnical assistance needs of the community cannotbe adequately defined by community members atthat time.

Additionally, the CIC can conduct a TANA at anytime during the Superfund cleanup process if itbecomes evident that the technical assistance needsof the community are not being effectively ad-dressed through existing technical assistance

mechanisms. The TANA will help ensure thecommunity’s needs for technical assistance aredefined as early in the community engagementprocess as possible.

Making it Work

Why

A TANA will help the CIC and the RPM or OSCdetermine the technical assistance needs of acommunity affected by a given site. This assess-ment will provide the Agency with a detailed recordof potentially unmet technical assistance needs andprovide a working document from which the mostappropriate forms of informal and formal technicalassistance can be identified and provided to thecommunity.

Informal technical assistance generally is providedby the EPA Site Team, and may include fact sheets,availability sessions, workshops, trainings, etc. Oneexample of informal technical assistance would bethe creation of a fish advisory fact sheet producedby the CIC and translated appropriately for theimpacted community. This resource would providetechnical information to community members onhow to limit or avoid eating certain species of fish inorder to reduce potential health risks. This technicalassistance would be provided by the EPA andwould not require an external partner or use of anEPA funding vehicle (e.g., grant or contract).

Formal technical assistance generally is provided by an independent technical expert (and sometimes, a mediator or facilitator) working with a community organization through an EPA program or funding vehicle—e.g., Technical Assistance Grant (TAG), Technical Assistance Services for Communities(TASC) contract, Technical Assistance Plan (TAP), or Conflict Prevention and Resolution Services(CPRS) contract—or through an external partner such as a university or nonprofit organization.

‘

July 2016

2

Technical Assistance Needs Assessment

The summary document generated through theTANA process will serve as a blueprint for design-ing a coordinated effort to address the technicalassistance needs of the community. This documentwill help EPA identify appropriate technical assis-tance resources, and determine if technical assis-tance needs can be met and how these needs willbe addressed effectively and efficiently.

Objectives for conducting the TANA include thefollowing:

Help the EPA Site Team and external partners todetermine collaboratively the current and antici-pated technical assistance needs of a communityand formulate effective methods to addressthese needs.

Identify unaddressed technical assistance needsrelating to the remedial/removal activitiesoccurring at a given site, including non-advocacyinformation assistance and expertise; communityeducation needs; organizational capacity-buildingassistance; and mediation or conflict resolutionservices.

Expand the conversation on environmentalism bygiving a voice to community stakeholders whohave not had a chance to fully engage in theSuperfund cleanup process and who may haveunaddressed technical assistance needs.

Ensure the technical assistance needs of NativeAmerican communities are appropriatelyaddressed given tribal communities typicallymust consider a much broader range of envi-ronmental effects and risks when impacted by aSuperfund site.

Generate a summary document that will serve asa blueprint for addressing the technical assistanceneeds of a community.

Increase internal EPA communication andcollaboration between CICs, RPMs, OSCs,Regional TAG coordinators, TASC work assign-ment managers, attorneys, and CPRS contractmanagers.

Enhance opportunities for EPA to partner withother organizations (e.g., National Institute ofEnvironmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)Superfund Research Program grantees,andnonprofits providing capacity building assis-tance) with the shared goal of addressing acommunity’s technical assistance needs.

Ensure the most efficient utilization of EPAtechnical assistance funding vehicles (e.g.,TASC contracts, TAGs, CPRS contracts, etc.)

Avoid unnecessary duplication of technical assis-tance provided to a community through EPA fundingvehicles and via university and nonprofit partners.

When

For most sites, informal technical assistance will besufficient to address the community’s needs.However, when a community may have unmettechnical assistance needs, a TANA should beconducted. TANAs can be conducted at any timebut are most effective when completed early in theSuperfund cleanup process. Community interviewsconducted to develop the CIP include questions thathelp the EPA Site Team begin to identify technicalassistance needs of the community and to assesswhether a formal TANA also should be conductedconcurrently with the interviews or soon thereafter.

When is informal technical assistance sufficientin lieu of a formal TANA?

The conditions or situations that suggest the needfor informal technical assistance provided directlyby EPA (often in the form of fact sheets, work-shops, availability sessions, etc.) include:

Obvious community interest to become involvedin the process or to partner with EPA.

Lack of or limited expertise or understandingwithin the community about the Superfundprocess and cleanup options.

Clear or increased community interest in the siteand EPA’s role in the cleanup, measured by anincrease in the frequency of contacts from thecommunity.

Obvious community interest to understand theSuperfund process, remediation options, technicaldocuments, and EPA’s rationale for its decisions.

Media coverage of the site and EPA’s efforts atthe site.

When does a CIC conduct a TANA?

If one or more of the following conditions becomeevident during the initial community interviews orlater during the Superfund process, the CIC shouldcomplete a TANA with selected interviewees tohelp determine the community’s potential need foradditional technical assistance:

3

Technical Assistance Needs Assessment

Existence of a community group, either a formalgroup or a loosely organized group, interested inthe cleanup of the site and/or its future use.

A specific request for technical assistance, suchas inquiring about a TAG, requesting training, orasking for help convening a CAG or similar group.

Clear concern (both organized and unorganized)regarding the characterization of the site, the riskassessments or proposed remedies.

Stated intention by the community or individualsof plans to submit comments to EPA.

The receipt of numerous or significant comments,both formal (as a result of the comment period)and informal (through phone calls or emails).

Significant media coverage of the site and EPA’sefforts at the site.

It becomes evident that some community stake-holders have not been given the chance to fullyengage in the Superfund cleanup process and theTANA will provide an opportunity to expand theconversation on environmentalism.

The technical assistance needs of the communityare significant and complex.

Whenever appropriate and possible, a TANA canbe conducted concurrently with the CIP communityinterviews if the technical needs of the communityare known at that time. Conducting the TANAconcurrently with the CIP community interviewscan help minimize EPA staff time, defray costs andreduce the administrative/time burden placed oncommunity members. (See Community Interviewstool.) However, the TANA can be conducted at anytime following the community interviews. Addition-ally, when the CIP is revised and the requisitecommunity interviews indicate that the communitymay have unaddressed technical needs, a TANAshould be conducted.

How

Prior to conducting a TANA, the CIC should meetwith the site RPM or OSC and other members ofthe Site Team to identify current and future areas inwhich community members may express a need fortechnical assistance. The interviews associated withthe TANA may be one of the first opportunitiesEPA has to engage with community members one-on-one. RPMs and OSCs are required to accom-pany the CIC, to learn firsthand about the commu-nity member’s concerns.

How should TANA interviewees be selected?

Generally, 15 to 25 community interviews should beconducted for developing the CIP. When the TANAis being conducted concurrently with the CIPcommunity interviews, the CIC should identifyinterviewees by using the Community Interviewstool. If the preliminary questions in the communityinterviews suggest the need to conduct a TANA,the CIC may wish to conduct the TANA interviews

Example 1: When Informal TechnicalAssistance is Sufficient

For example, the EPA Site Team at aSuperfund Alternative Approach (SAA)Site in Pennsylvania determined that thecommunity needed additional assistance tounderstand vapor intrusion issues at thesite and that providing additional informaltechnical assistance would be sufficientand also the most appropriate way to meetthese needs. The EPA Site Team wasmeeting regularly with a CommunityAdvisory Group (CAG) during the begin-ning stages of the Remedial Investigation(RI). At the time, the CAG was consideringrequesting formal technical assistance inthe form of a TAP, but had not yet begunthe application process. When discussingupcoming vapor intrusion sampling withthe CAG, it became apparent that thecommunity had extensive questions andconcerns about vapor intrusion, how theinvestigation would be conducted, and thepotential impact that the investigationmight have on the community. To addressthese concerns, the EPA Site Team andrepresentatives from the Potentially Re-sponsible Party (PRP) held a series ofthree Vapor Intrusion Information Ses-sions. These sessions were open to thegeneral public, introduced the communityto personnel who would be conducting thesampling, and technical questions from thepublic were answered. The informaltechnical assistance provided at theseinformation sessions helped EPA and thePRP obtain access for sampling to over90% of the residences within the studyarea while also addressing the technicalassistance needs of the community.

4

Technical Assistance Needs Assessment

with a smaller number of individuals who can helpdefine the community’s specific needs. TANAinterviewees may include state and local govern-ment officials, a PRP representative (if applicable),

and community members who have expressed aspecific interest in, or knowledge of, thecommunity’s technical assistance needs (includingbut not limited to those participating in the site’sTAG, CAG or TASC). The CIC should make everyeffort to ensure all affected stakeholder groups arerepresented in the TANA interviews and give avoice to those who have not had the opportunity tofully engage in the Superfund cleanup process.

If the TANA is being conducted after the CIPcommunity interviews have been completed, theCIC may select interviewees from those participat-ing in the original community interviews and includeothers who may be able to define the community’spotential technical assistance needs. Given thespecific nature of the TANA, eight to ten personsshould be interviewed. If the TANA is conductedconcurrently with the CIP community interviews,this number may be even greater. The interviewsshould be targeted towards those individualsrequesting additional support on technical issues(e.g., inquiring about site documents to review).

How should the interviews be conducted?

The CIC should start each interview by introducingthemselves and any others who have accompaniedthem. Before asking the questions in the TANAquestionnaire (Attachment A), outline the purposeof the TANA, how long the interview is expected totake, and thank the interviewee for taking the timeto participate. Explain that providing technicalassistance is an important way that EPA can helpcommunities participate meaningfully in the deci-sions that affect them, and that EPA is conductingthe TANA so that the Agency can allocate thelimited resources available for technical assistancein a way that best meets the community’s needs.

As is true for CIP community interviews, it is stronglysuggested that EPA employees conduct the TANAinterviews. Whenever a contractor conducts theTANA interviews, EPA personnel should be present.If the TANA is conducted concurrently with the CIPcommunity interviews, the interviewer should make aseamless transition to the formal TANA questionnaire,which is included as an attachment in the CommunityInterviews tool. The interviewer should ask eachstakeholder a series of questions, with the responsesbeing documented. The stakeholder interview processshould incorporate additional questions or requestsupplemental information as needed.

Example 2: When Formal TechnicalAssistance Was Necessary

The EPA Site Team at a National PrioritiesList (NPL) site in Rhode Island determinedthat the impacted community had unad-dressed technical assistance needs (e.g.,assistance reviewing EPA documents). TheRPM and CIC for the site conducted inter-views to determine what the community’stechnical assistance needs were and to startthe process of identifying the most appropri-ate resources available. The communityrequested assistance reviewing the RI,Human Health Risk Assessment and theEcological Risk Assessment in order toidentify key issues, and to assess remedialoptions and the future usability of the site. Inaddition, the community requested a detailedanalysis of the remedial alternatives pro-posed in the Feasibility Study, and technicalassistance when the Record of Decision andRemedial Design/Remedial Action werereleased.

The CIC and RPM for the site determinedthat informal technical assistance would notbe sufficient to meet the community’s needs,and coordinated a meeting with the RegionalTASC work assignment manager (WAM) andRegional TAG coordinator to determine themost appropriate vehicle to address thetechnical assistance needs of the community.The RPM, CIC, TASC WAM and TAG coordi-nator believed a TAG grant would be thebest mechanism as the needs were long-termin nature with assistance required through-out the Superfund cleanup process. The CIC,RPM and Regional TAG coordinator metwith the community, described the TAGprogram and discussed whether this vehiclewould effectively address their technicalassistance needs. The community applied forand received a TAG grant, has procured anindependent technical advisor and has actedas a key conduit for dispersing technicalinformation to the broader community.

5

Technical Assistance Needs Assessment

CICs can use contractor support to prepare for andconduct the TANA. The contractor support shouldbe utilized judiciously and may be useful for docu-menting the interviews and summarizing notes fromindividual interviews. The CIC usually is responsiblefor summarizing the interviews into a final TANAsummary document (Attachment B). For detailedguidelines on how to prepare for, conduct, andsummarize community interviews, please refer tothe Community Interviews tool.

How should the TANA summary be preparedand technical assistance coordinated?

The CIC should promptly thank the interviewees,preferably in writing, and start drafting the TANAsummary document. If the RPM, OSC or othersconducted some of the interviews, the TANAsummary document should be drafted jointly. Thiswill help ensure the views of community membersare accurately reported. The summary documentshould be succinct (limited to 4-6 pages), and followthe format shown in Attachment B.

Before sharing the TANA summary with thecommunity, the CIC should talk with the RPM/OSCand appropriate members of the Site Team aboutwhat has been learned. Once the CIC, RPM/ OSC,and appropriate members of the Site Team agreeon the content of the TANA summary, it should bedistributed to the community. The CIC shouldexplore what additional informal technical assis-tance might be offered, whether there may beuniversities and nonprofits currently enrolled in thePartners in Technical Assistance Program (PTAP)that could meet the community’s technical assistanceneeds, and whether additional forms of formaltechnical assistance may be necessary. (See Attach-ment C for a description and matrix of Superfundtechnical assistance services and programs.)

If appropriate, the CIC should share the TANAwith universities and nonprofits currently enrolled inthe PTAP. Universities and nonprofits can join thePTAP program at any time by signing a co-sponsor-ship agreement with the EPA, which specifies thatone benefit of the PTAP program is access toTANA documents generated for a remedial/removal site. PTAP members interested in provid-ing non-advocacy technical assistance shouldcontact the CIC responsible for the TANA.

The CIC should then coordinate a meeting with theRPM or OSC, and Regional technical assistance

liaisons [e.g., TASC WAM, Regional TAG coordi-nator] to initiate the dialogue and determine the bestway to address the technical assistance needs ofthe community. This group of people will review theTANA summary, determine whether the technicalassistance needs of the community can be met,review the list of interested PTAP members, anddetermine how the technical assistance needs ofthe community can be addressed most efficiently—through a singular vehicle or a multi-facetedapproach (e.g., mixture of informal technicalassistance provided by the EPA Site Team, andthrough formal technical assistance provided by anEPA funding vehicle or through an external part-ner). By the end of this meeting, the group shouldidentify the most appropriate vehicles for providingtechnical assistance.

Once the appropriate technical assistance providersare identified, the CIC should coordinate a technicalassistance “kickoff” meeting with the EPA SiteTeam, the appropriate EPA technical assistanceproviders (e.g., TASC WAM and/or contractor,Regional TAG coordinator, and/or the appropriatePTAP partners) and the community to ensure allparties are fully aware of their roles in addressingthe technical needs of the community.

Tips

Conducting TANA interviews with the site’s RPMor OSC will aid in ensuring the technical needs ofthe community are accurately represented.

TANA interviews should be compiled into asummary document as soon as possible followingthe final interview. Others present during theinterviews should assist in jointly drafting theappropriate summary documents.

The CIC should ensure all affected stakeholdergroups are represented in the TANA interviewsand have the opportunity to engage in theSuperfund cleanup process. The TANA processwill, as a result, expand the conversation onenvironmentalism.

Attachments

Attachment A—TANA Sample Questionnaire Attachment B—Sample TANA Summary

Document Outline

6

Technical Assistance Needs Assessment

Related Tools Community Involvement Plans Community Profiles Community Interviews

7

Technical Assistance Needs Assessment

Attachment A: Technical Assistance Needs AssessmentSample Questionnaire

Questions for community leaders, representatives of community groups andothers who may be able to help define the community’s potential technicalassistance needs:

1. How have you been involved with the community during the Superfund cleanup process?2. Does your organization have any current, past, or future responsibilities at the site?3. How would you describe the community’s relationship with the EPA and the state (if applicable)

during the Superfund cleanup process?4. Has the community been receiving sufficient technical information from EPA? Has this information

been clear and easy-to-understand? If not, describe the areas where you believe the community mayneed assistance understanding and responding to information about the site.

5. From the community’s perspective, what could prevent the Superfund cleanup process from movingforward? What could EPA potentially do to address this situation?

6. What are the issues or areas in which the community may require assistance in order to participatemeaningfully in the Superfund decision-making process?

7. What type of assistance do you believe would be most helpful?8. Are you aware of the types of technical assistance from EPA that may be available to the commu-

nity? (If so, please tell me what you understand to be available to the community).9. Has the community previously received technical assistance (e.g., TAG, TASC, TAB, TAP, or TOSC)?

a. If so, what community group received the assistance on behalf of the community?b. What were the benefits and limitations of this assistance?

10. What are the existing organizations in the community that are involved in site issues or which tend tobe the “go-to” groups for community members interested in site issues or related concerns?

a. Are these organizations representative of, or have the ability to reach, all parts of theaffected community?

b. Are these groups effective in listening to the community and providing a voice to all segmentsof the community?

c. Do these organizations have a robust membership, have a defined strategic plan, request inputfrom the broader community, or have an effective relationship with the local press?

d. Are there organizations within the community that have competing interests or are highlydivisive?

e. Are there particular community members or stakeholders affected by the site who may needadditional assistance understanding site information and what it may mean to them? Are thesestakeholder groups reached by existing organizations that serve the broader community?

11. What other stakeholders would you recommend we speak with in completing this technical assistanceneeds assessment?

12. Is there any other pertinent information you would like to share with us at this time?

8

Technical Assistance Needs Assessment

Attachment B: Technical Assistance Needs Assessment SummaryOutline

Technical Assistance Needs Assessment Summary for (Community Name)

Prepared by:Name: ________________________________________________________________________Office/Organization: ______________________________________________________________Phone #: ______________________________ Email: ___________________________________

Issue Statement:Explain the reason for conducting a TANA and the problems or issues that can be addressed throughtechnical assistance.

Part 1: Background Information

The information for this section will be derived from the CIP or the Community Interviews conducted forthe CIP. This section should not exceed one page and will provide the necessary background informationto parties responsible for allocating technical assistance (e.g. CICs, TASC work assignment managers,Regional TAG coordinators, university researchers, and capacity-building nonprofits).

1. Describe the impacted community, including historical, demographic, economic, social/cultural,geographic, and other pertinent information. (Include information specific to the site and the commu-nity it impacts. Such information should include but not be limited to: site history; demographics of theaffected community; social, economic and cultural issues; overall concerns of the community; currentphase of remedial/ removal work being conducted at the site; and preferred communication strategyfor the broader community. (Much of this information may be derived from the Community Profileprepared as a section of the CIP.)

2. Summarize the key issues or problems preventing the community from participating meaningfully inthe discussion and decision-making process for the Superfund site. Describe technical assistance thatpreviously has been provided to the community.

Part 2: Potential Technical Assistance Recipient Groups

1. List and provide information on the group or groups that have been identified as a possible recipientof technical assistance services. Include the name of the group and contact information.

2. Briefly describe the organizational capacity of the group to receive technical assistance; the group’sprior experience receiving technical assistance and any other pertinent information about the group.

Part 3: Community Issues and Technical Assistance Needs

Complete and include the simple TANA technical assistance matrix on the next page to identify thespecific services that can address each of the community’s technical assistance needs and match themwith service providers.

Issues and Technical Assistance Needed

1. Identify each issue for which the community may need technical assistance. For each issue identified: Describe the specific type of technical assistance that is needed. List previous technical assistance received by the community. Explain how the community would benefit from the technical assistance service proposed.

9

Technical Assistance Needs Assessment

Technical Assistance Providers for Each Need Identified

1. Consult Attachment D, Superfund Technical Assistance Services and Programs Matrix, and identifythe appropriate services or programs to meet community need.

2. Complete the TANA technical assistance matrix.

TANA Technical Assistance Matrix

Community Issue Technical AssistanceProvider

Technical AssistanceNeed

Technical Assistance Servicesto Meet This Need