Under EISN, DevTech provided support to the Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) Division of the Bureau for Europe and Eurasia. The support ranged from assisting with management of Regulation 216 compliance to supporting EcoLinks (an environmental trade program). The EISN Project has provided DevTech the opportunity to implement a number of different activities. Some examples include:

• Biodiversity Assessments – DevTech provided technical expertise to the USAID Missions in Bulgaria and Serbia/Montenegro to develop strategic biodiversity assessments in conjunction with their five-year strategies. Country needs were identified and analyzed to provide concrete recommendations for strengthening the Missions' environmental portfolios.

• Technical Review of Biodiversity Assessments – DevTech performed technical review and evaluation of results from five assessments from the Central Asia Region that were conducted by another firm to ensure completeness and accuracy of the environmental information and usefulness of recommendations. During the review we identified several areas in the assessments where the Missions could easily introduce environmental themes into on-going projects, helping them to be more crosscutting.

• Assessment of Priority Issues Regarding Environmental Impacts of Land Privatization in Eastern Europe and Eurasia– A DevTech team of in-country and US-based specialists conducted an assessment of environmental impacts of land privatization activities in 15 transition countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia. The field study, commissioned by Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) Division of the Bureau for Europe and Eurasia, identified environmental impacts, both positive and negative, of land privatization in the region, and outlined priority focal points for USAID during the ongoing land privatization process. The work was completed under tight deadlines within a two-month time frame.

• Report on Progress Towards Meeting the E&E Bureau Strategic Objective for Environment – The assessment of progress toward development goals is essential for the efficient design of environmental assistance programs. DevTech specialists took stock of developments in transition countries in Eastern Europe and Eurasia and evaluate the environmental performance of beneficiary countries in 1999, 2000, and 2001. The analysis available in the Transition Report was used to evaluate the effectiveness of assistance programs in the region. ENR Division staff use the information in these reports to provide briefing information to senior management at USAID. The reports also were used as an indicator of which countries were progressing sufficiently to allow a decrease in program support in environment.

• Analysis of Water and Wastewater Treatment Technologies Applicable to Eastern Europe – DevTech surveyed promising water and wastewater treatment technologies and prepared an analysis of their suitability in the E&E region. We performed and extensive web search and surveyed more than 20 companies to determine which new technologies might be easily adapted in the region. The output of the report was provided to EcoLinks management to help them in strategy development for the upcoming year.

• Technical Review of a Risk Assessment Methodology – DevTech reviewed a report intended for use as a risk assessment methodology primer. The review was used by USAID to require further refinement of the report to provide more focus on the actual methodology of risk assessment.

• Caspian Environmental Regulatory Partnership Program Workshop on Air Emission Regulation Development – DevTech provided expert technical assistance in implementing this workshop on air emissions and permitting for oil exploration in Kazakhstan. As part of facilitating the program, DevTech staff moderated the US-Kazakh workshop on implementing air pollution control permits. The meeting ended with general agreement that the working group approach to developing realistic regulatory reform has the potential to be effective.