Agenda

The 2009 EPA Quality Management Conference takes place May 12-14, 2009 at the Westin Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. The conference kicks off Tuesday afternoon with the opening plenary session followed by an afternoon of concurrent session tracks. Wednesday and Thursday both begin with invited speakers at a morning plenary session followed by a variety of Quality Management topics presented in concurrent session tracks*. Training workshops will be held Wednesday and Thursday afternoon -- see the agenda below for details. The agenda will be updated as additional details are available.

Click on the presentation name in the agenda, below, to view the abstract or download (PDF 176 KB, 33 pp.) all of the abstracts.

8:00 AM- 12:00 PM

Stakeholder Meetings

Lunch on your own

1:00 - 2:30 PM

Opening Plenary
Welcome: Reggie Cheatham
Keynote:  Dr. Stan Boddie, National Defense University, “Transformational Leadership”

2:30 - 3:00 PM

Networking Break

Concurrent Sessions 3:00 - 5:00 PM

Quality Policies in Action

Implementing Modeling Guidelines

Paths to Improving Field and Laboratory Measurements

3:00 - 3:30 PM

EPA Office Product Quality – Mapping Products/Services [ID-27]
K. Hull, L. Cedeno-Zambrano

Development, Evaluation and Application of Environmental Models [ID-61]
N. Gaber

Leading Change:  Elevating Environmental Field Sampling and Measurement Activities to a Higher Level of Quality [ID-36]
K. Yarbrough

A Quality Assurance Program Plan for the Risk Management Program [ID-32]
D. Taylor

Results of an Organizational Self-Assessment of Model Development and Application Practices [ID-60]
L. Johnson

USEPA Region 6 Mobile Laboratory – A Field Analytical Vehicle [ID-63]
R. Flores, F. Edward O’Neill, N. Gannon

Greening Quality Assurance:  How To Use QA to Reduce Our Ecological Footprint [ID-23]
E. McNaughton

Framework for Providing Quality Assurance Guidance for Computer-Based Software Models used in Research Projects and Regulatory Support Activities [ID-35]
E. Hall

Environmental Response Laboratory Network, Operational Framework [ID-40]
T. Smith, S. Kolb

Panel Discussion on Quality Assurance for Models

Environmental Response Laboratory Network, Data Management Strategies [ID-45]
T. Smith, S. Kolb  

5:00- 6:00 PM

Networking Reception

8:00 - 8:45 AM

Morning Plenary - Dr. Richard Bruce Winders, Alamo Historian and Curator

Break

Measuring Performance

9:00 - 9:30 AM

Improving Performance Data Though a Life-Cycle Approach to Information Quality (60 minutes) [ID-57]
J. Greenblott, J. Lieberman, P. Mundy, J. Warren

Data Quality Assessment What Is It? Why Use It? And What’s in It for Me [ID-5]
J. Lundell, B. Oates, D. LaCroix

Start with the End in Mind: Key Ingredients for Effectively Working with Volunteer Collected Data (60 minutes)[ID-62]
D. Donkersloot

Break

ORD's Scientific Data Management (SDM) Strategy:  First Steps [ID-17]
L. Petterson

QA Principles and Practices in the Everglades REMAP Project [ID-21]
C. Appleby

Improving the Quality of Environmental Data Exchanges Using Shared Services (90 minutes) [ID-58]
P. Garvey , J. Harman

The Development and Implementation of a Virtually Paperless Lab - Advantages and Disadvantages for a Core Facility [ID-26] - Cancelled

A Business case for Implementing Uniform Federal Policy for Quality Assurance Project Plans (UFP QAPPs) – The Region 2 Experience [ID-53]
K. Kubik

Improving Customer Service Through Electronic Data Management & Paperless Data Delivery - The Region 2 Experience [ID-54]
L. Mauel

Air Force’s Environmental Restoration Processes Optimization (ERP-O) Program [ID-46]
J. Socash

Lunch on your own

Time

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Concurrent Training & Workshops

1:30 - 5:00 PM (3:00 - 3:30 PM Break)

Training/Workshop-Danielle Donkersloot, NJDEP, NJ Watershed Watch Network & Jason R. Pinchback, River Systems Institute, Texas Stream Team

“Technical Information Management Skills from Field Collection to Data Management”

Participants will learn how EPA methods are being taught to volunteer organizations to help provide the quality data that EPA, states, tribes and local associations need. Areas to be covered include:  introduction volunteer monitoring efforts, sampling methods, study design, quality assurance, and visual assessment training techniques, as well as data base issues and the flow of volunteer data into WQX.

Intended Audience:  EPA, states and tribes who provide and assess the quality of environmental data for EPA program uses.

Training/Workshop - Jake Jacobs, Winds of Change

“Polarity Management”

Real-time strategic change-focus in on managing change so that everyone benefits

- looks at independent opposites for synergy

- looks at underlying tensions and how to manage them; identifies and manages expectations.

Intended Audience:  QA Managers and project managers; Federal, State, Local and private sector

Training/Workshop - Gary Johnson and Connie Thoma, USEPA; Kevin Hull, Neptune & Company; EPA Panel

“Developing and Applying Quality to Organizations & the Next Generation QMP”

Demonstrate what quality means in the context of international standards and EPA policy through the development of quality management systems and their documentation in the next generation quality management plans; explore innovations in documenting those systems through the use of electronic QMPs; learn from EPA panelists about successful eQMP applications.

Intended Audience:  New QA managers from EPA, States, Other Feds, and anyone who needs an understanding of Quality Management at EPA.

Training/Workshop-
Barry Nussbaum and John Warren, USEPA

“Numbers!  Speak to Me!  Turning Data into Information”

Training Materials (PDF 927 KB; 53 pp.)

By completing this course, participants will be able to meaningfully summarize their own data graphically, be aware of how to avoid distortions in presentation, and make inferences about the likely statistical distribution of their data.

Attendees may want to bring a calculator to use for in-class exercises.

Intended Audience:  Non-technical analysts, project managers; State, Local and private sector.

5:30 - 6:30 PM

EPA Statistics Users Group/SAS Users Group/R Users Group Meeting

8:00 - 9:00 AM

Morning Plenary
Danette McGilvray: “Information - A Bridge Across the Organization”

Break

USEPA Region 5 Perspectives on Managing Extramural Agreements [ID-3]
K. Bolger

Modeling Cryptosporidium Recovery [ID-10]
M. Messner

A New Vision for Data Integrity  (90 minutes) [ID-20]
C. Appleby

Oversight of Grants QA – Some Gaps Need Filling [ID-9]
M. Kantz

Reporting Limit Verification Sample [ID-25]
B. DiRienzo

Quality- A Contract Runs through It  [ID-49]
M. Kelly

Elevated Blood Lead Levels:  Statistical Analysis meets Social Phenomena  [ID-15]
R. Levin, B. Nussbaum

Break

A Brief Discussion of Three Important Quality Management Concepts [ID-39]
J. Caprio

Visualization Tools Changes the Whole Game on Locational Quality [ID-38]
P.  Garvey

Programmatic Synergy in Obtaining Cost Effective Data of Known and Documented Quality (90 minutes) [ID-52]
L. Blume, M. Johnson, R. Avery, K. Kubik

Adapting a Quality Management System to Meet Changing Requirements [ID-41]
Z. Willenberg

Geostatistical Modeling as a Quality Management Tool to Address Uncertainty in Decision-making for Large Scale Sediment Assessment and Remediation Projects [ID-51]
J. Schofield

Role of an NHEERL QA Manager in Achieving Quality Performance Objectives − Changes from 1999 to 2008 [ID-30] - Cancelled

Stratified Sampling Design & Field XRF to Reduce the 95% UCL for Residential Soil Lead [ID-22]
D. Crumbling

Lunch on your own

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Concurrent Training & Workshops

1:30 - 5:00 PM (3:00 - 3:30 PM Break)

Training/Workshop - Danette McGilvray, Granite Falls Consulting, Inc.

“Ten Steps to Quality Data and Trusted Information”
The process for implementing the concepts of the Information Quality Framework.  Reviews methodology, techniques, and tools. The ten steps include a discussion on business impact techniques that are used to determine the effects of data quality on the business.  They include qualitative and quantitative measures and methods for prioritizing.

Intended Audience:  Quality analysts, statisticians, technical staff, data users; State, Local and private sector.

Training/Workshop- Betsy Grim, Louis Blume, USEPA

“Integrating and Documenting Quality in Project Management”
Participants will be able to apply quality principles at the project level.  Case studies will focus on current issues in policy and documentation, e.g., the secondary use of data, TMDL development, etc.

Intended Audience:  New QA managers from EPA, States, other Feds, and anyone who needs an understanding of Quality Management at EPA.

Training/Workshop- John Warren and Barry Nussbaum, USEPA

“What do I do with Non-Detects?”

Training Materials (PDF 1050 KB; 41 pp.)

Participants will be able to use good techniques for the analysis of data sets containing non-detects, be able to understand the inherent biases in each, and have an understanding on how to use Visual Sample Plan to analyze data.

Attendees may want to bring a calculator to use for in-class exercises.

Intended Audience:  Quality analysts, statisticians, technical staff, data users; State, Local and private sector.

6:00 - 7:00

This year we are planning a private tour of the Alamo. It will be on Thursday evening from 6:00 to 7:00 pm and will cost $10.00. If you think you would like to join us, please sign up when you register for the conference. For more information on the Alamo go to: http://www.thealamo.org/.