Enforcement and Compliance Curricula

The National Enforcement Training Institute is responsible for providing training to environmental enforcement professionals in all levels of government. In an effort to better meet this responsibility, we have developed curricula for five major categories of environmental enforcement professionals - attorneys, technical experts, inspectors, civil investigators and criminal investigators. Representatives from each of the five disciplines provided input to NETI to prepare the curricula, beginning with a 1992 curriculum development conference. The KSAs developed by the attendees of this conference formed the basis of draft curricula. This draft was updated in 1999 with comments from federal, regional, and state environmental enforcement professionals.

These curricula provide suggested skills and training for federal, state, local and tribal employees. Each curriculum describes each discipline generally, identifies other position requirements, if any, and lists the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) necessary to achieve competency in that discipline. The curricula also list the NETI training courses available to help professionals attain the necessary KSAs. The curricula were developed as a tool for NETI to use in assessing training needs. We also believe they will be useful to environmental professionals who are in the process of developing their own or their employees' career development plans.

The list of courses has been significantly updated in 2007. Several new courses have been added to align with KSAs and an addendum lists specialized courses. This updating has, among other things, taken into account OECA’s and the enforcement and compliance program’s broadening use of the full range of compliance and enforcement tools. Note that the Compliance Assistance and Sector Programs Division in OECA’s Office of Compliance is currently working on a curriculum for compliance assistance. NETI expects to coordinate links to that curriculum when it is available.

Recognizing that the curricula are due for a more complete review and update, NETI will undertake this effort in FY 2008. A similar process involving representatives of the enforcement and compliance workforce is anticipated.

Inspector Curriculum

Attorney Curriculum

Technical Expert Curriculum

Criminal Investigator Curriculum

Civil Investigators Curriculum