Volunteer Monitors

Roles

• Attends the proper training and either passes the certification test or teams up with another monitor who has passed the certification test
• Purchases and maintains approved sampling equipment
• Monitors adopted site(s) two times a year (spring and fall)

Quality Assurance Measures:

• Must attend at least one training session given by VA SOS staff or a regional trainer
• The volunteer then has up to 18 months to practice the method and identification before becoming certified
• The volunteer cannot be certified during their initial training session.
• The certification test includes a brief written test on VA SOS protocols, an identification test of preserved specimens, and a field practicum where the monitor collects macroinvertebrates, identifies them, and completes the data form under the supervision and observance of a trainer
• After passing the initial certification test, the volunteer remains certified as long as they continue to collect and submit data regularly.
• If the volunteer misses sampling for two years, (s)he will lose his or her certification status and must go through the certification process again
• We recommend that certified monitors undergo periodic quality assurance audits at the discretion of the regional trainer, regional coordinator, or overall VA SOS coordinator. Audits include a review by a trainer or quality assurance officer of the volunteers’ field methods, equipment, and macroinvertebrate identification skills. Volunteers also have the option of preserving their entire sample and sending the sample to the VA SOS Coordinator or designee who will re-identify these samples to check the volunteers’ identification skills

Regional Trainers

Roles:

• Locally trains and certifies volunteers
• Maintains equipment needed to train volunteers

Quality Assurance Measures:

• 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
• 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
• Additional training administered by the VA SOS staff is required before training other volunteers
• 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
• 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
• The regional trainer must complete at least one training session and certify at least one volunteer per year in order to remain a trainer
• In addition, we recommend that trainers undergo an observation by VA SOS staff in person or by video once every two years

Quality Assurance Officer

Roles:

• Periodically goes into the field with volunteers to review their equipment and procedures
• Sends results of these observations to VA SOS Coordinator or designee in a timely fashion
• Helps volunteers preserve their samples for submittal to VA SOS Coordinator or designee for identification checks

Quality Assurance Measures:

• 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.
• Additional training administered by the VA SOS staff is required.
• The Quality Assurance Officer completes at least two audits every two years to remain an auditor

Regional Coordinator

Roles:

• Does initial review and updates of local data and sends it to VA SOS Coordinator or designee in a timely fashion
• Makes sure volunteers in his or her area are progressing to certification and doing their sampling in a timely manner

Quality Assurance Measures:

• As this is a local organization position, no additional training is required to be a regional coordinator

VA SOS Program Office

Roles:

• Provides training and follow-up certification testing to volunteers
• Trains regional trainers and quality assurance auditors
• Acts as quality assurance auditor when necessary
• Develops and maintains partnerships with groups and agencies across the state
• Assists in site selection
• Assist volunteers who have failed quality assurance procedures to correct problems
• 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
• Maintains databases of trained, certified, regional trainers, and quality assurance auditors
• Identifies, analyzes, and stores incoming quality assurance samples
• Identifies incoming unknown specimens for volunteers
• Develops and maintains reference and testing collections