Unified Program Agency Evaluations
The California Health and Safety Code Section 25404.4 requires that the Secretary for the California Environmental Protection Agency periodically review the ability of each CUPA to carry out the requirements of the chapter. The required process is defined in Title 27 of the California Code of Regulations, Article 8, Section 15330. The goal is to assess whether the CUPA is effectively implementing all of the Unified Program elements, and is continually improving to meet the intent of the law: coordination, consolidation, and consistency of all Unified Program elements. During the evaluation if a CUPA is not currently achieving success meeting the requirements prescribed in the statute and regulations, the state offers guidance and assistance for improvement.
Each CUPA is assessed every fall by a team made up of senior staff from each state agency with Unified program responsibilities, Cal/EPA, OES, OSFM, DTSC, and SWRCB. The assessment uses a spectrum of performance measures and criteria and results in a schedule of evaluations for the next year. Evaluations are a more detailed look at a specific CUPA and can be Full, Partial, or Basic, depending on the results of the assessment. There are normally about 30 evaluations completed each fiscal year.
Evaluation procedures include a site visit to the CUPA to examine local program procedures, their documentation, and may include observations of the CUPAs inspectors in the field. Evaluations conclude with a state and CUPA staff meeting and a Summary of Findings, which include an agreed upon list of deficiencies, corrective measures, and correction time frames. CUPAs are evaluated as Meeting or Exceeding Standards, Satisfactory with Improvement Needed, or Unsatisfactory with Improvement Needed.
Evaluation Survey
Cal/EPA is committed to continuous improvement of the Evaluation process and
has a survey form (PDF Format or
Word Format) that may be used by
CUPAs to provide feedback on their recent evaluation experiences.
Evaluation Checklists
The evaluation checklists may be used as a guidance document for CUPAs when
preparing for a evaluation or when seeking to self-audit the Unified
Program. They are used by the Evaluation Team members to aid in asking
consistent questions, ensuring that the same types and levels of
documentation are examined at each CUPA, and providing instant feedback to
the agency being evaluated.
In order to view these documents, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.
California Environmental Protection Agency
- Evaluation of General Unified Program Standards--Participating Agency (PA) Integration/Implementation
- Evaluation of General Unified Program Standards
Department of Toxic Substances Control
Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES)
State Water Resources Control Board
Office of the State Fire Marshal
Compendium of CUPA Performance Standards
In an effort to consolidate and make all of the requirements more
accessible, a compendium of CUPA Performance Standards has been created. The
compendium has been used as a tool to aid in finding a specific standard or
citation, as a checklist in ensuring that an agency meets all applicable
standards and as a reference for deficiencies noted during evaluations of
CUPAs. There are currently two variations of the Compendium.
The first version of the Compendium is organized by program element (e.g. HMMP or UST), with subcategories for each performance standard (e.g. inspections, permitting).
The second version of the Compendium is organized by performance standard (e.g. inspections, permitting) regardless of program element. Both versions of the compendium are numbered identically, and include italicized language that seeks to provide guidance for the user in finding like or similar standards or requirements.
Certified Unified Program,http://www.calepa.ca.gov/CUPA/
General Contact, cupa@calepa.ca.gov