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Volunteer Monitors |
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Roles: |
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* Attends the
proper training and passes the certification test |
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* Purchases and
maintains approved sampling equipment |
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* Monitors
adopted site(s) three to four times a year |
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Quality Assurance Measures: |
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* Must attend at
least one training session given by VA SOS staff or a regional trainer |
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* The volunteer
then has up to 18 months to practice the method and identification
before becoming certified |
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* The volunteer
cannot be certified during their initial training session. It is
preferable for the volunteer to have at least one month in between
training and certification to allow time to practice the method and
identification |
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* If the
volunteer continues to pass further quality assurance measures, (s)he
will remain a certified volunteer |
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* If the
volunteer misses sampling for 18 months, or 6 subsequent sampling
events, (s)he will lose his or her certification status and must go
through the certification process again |
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* All certified
monitors must undergo a quality assurance audit once every two years.
This involves a field visit by a quality assurance auditor. At the
time the auditor reviews the volunteers’ field methods and equipment,
the volunteers will also preserve their entire sample. The samples
will be sent to the VA SOS Coordinator or designee who will
re-identify these samples to check the volunteers’ identification
skills |
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Quality Assurance Officer |
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Roles: |
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* Periodically
goes into the field with volunteers to review their equipment and
procedures |
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* Sends results
of these observations to VA SOS Coordinator or designee in a timely
fashion |
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* Helps
volunteers preserve their samples for submittal to VA SOS Coordinator
or designee for identification checks |
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Quality Assurance Measures: |
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* Volunteers
wishing to become quality assurance auditors must have been a
certified volunteer for at least 6 months and have completed at least
two monitoring events. During these two monitoring events, the
volunteer must have demonstrated their ability to follow the method by
completely and accurately filling out the data forms for all
monitoring events and have submitted the data to VA SOS. |
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Additional
training administered by the VA SOS staff is required. |
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* The Quality
Assurance Officer complete at least two audits every two years to
remain an auditor |
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Regional Coordinator |
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Roles: |
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* Does initial
review and updates of local data and sends it to VA SOS Coordinator or
designee in a timely fashion |
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* Makes sure
volunteers in his or her area are progressing to certification and
doing their sampling in a timely manner |
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Quality Assurance Measures: |
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* As this is a
local organization position, no additional training is required to be
a regional coordinator |
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Regional Trainer |
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Roles: |
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* Locally trains
and certifies volunteers |
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* Maintains
equipment needed to train volunteers |
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Quality Assurance Measures: |
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* Must have been
a certified volunteer for at least 6 months and have completed at
least two monitoring events. During these two monitoring events, the
volunteer must have demonstrated his or her ability to follow the
method by completely and accurately filling out the data forms for all
monitoring events and have submitted the data to VA SOS |
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* The potential
trainer must also have observed at least two training sessions
implemented by VA SOS staff or regional trainers. The initial
training session a volunteer attended to become a monitor may count as
one of these sessions |
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* Additional
training administered by the VA SOS staff is required before training
other volunteers |
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* The potential
regional trainer must complete the macroinvertebrate identification
portion of the certification process again, but must receive a 100% in
order to become a trainer |
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* VA SOS staff
must observe the regional trainer’s first training session, either in
person or via video tape, for review and comment on the trainers
performance |
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* The regional
trainer must complete at least one training session and certify at
least one volunteer per year in order to remain a trainer |
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* In addition,
the trainer must undergo an observation by VA SOS staff in person or
by video once every two years |
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VA SOS Program Office |
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Roles: |
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* Provides
training and follow-up testing to volunteers |
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* Trains
additional regional trainers and quality assurance auditors |
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* Acts as
quality assurance auditor when necessary |
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* Develops and
maintains partnerships with groups and agencies across the state |
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* Assists in
site selection |
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* Assist
volunteers who have failed quality assurance procedures to correct
problems |
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* Database
manager – Reviews all incoming data, assesses for inclusion in
database, makes all updates to database, makes the data available
through reports and on the VA SOS website (www.vasos.org) |
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* Maintains
databases of trained, certified, regional trainers, and quality
assurance auditors |
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* Identifies,
analyzes, and stores incoming quality assurance samples |
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* Identifies
incoming unknown specimens for volunteers |
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* Develops and
maintains reference and testing collections |
