Roles and Responsibilities 

Rev April 10, 2020

Project Manager

The PM is responsible for development, administration, coordination of the Hawaii Wai Ola Hui and Citizen Science project. PM oversees communication with partner organizations. Specific responsibilities for the PM are:

• Assist with program start-up, and ongoing communications with community groups, water quality non-profits, schools and universities, and the County of Hawaii Department of Environmental Management, State DOH and federal EPA.

• Coordinate monitoring team training with the training leader, QA Officer, team leaders and community organizations.

• Manage permitting for site access, where necessary 

• Coordinate efforts to maintain a safe working environment for volunteers.

• Liaise with other monitoring groups and agencies. Represent program at workshops and conferences.

• Lead changes in monitoring design as necessary (e.g., parameters, procedures, locations).

• Coordinate additions of new groups and new sites to the program, and maintain records of document training class completion.

• Initiate regular outreach efforts to inform the community about the program and findings.

• Call regular meetings of the Steering Committee.

• Assist the Steering Committee with grant proposal preparation and other fundraising efforts.

• Train the Monitoring Regional Coordinators to train other volunteers locally.

• Support the Regional Coordinator, QA officer, and Communications Manager, as described below.

• Prepare SOPs with the QA Officer and the Regional Coordinators.

• Lead the development of a database to support public data sharing and communication with volunteers, broader stakeholders, and global community. 

Regional Coordinator

The regional coordinator is responsible for executing the sampling plan, including coordinating volunteers, coordinating samples, coordinating lab, scheduling and leading training sessions, data entry for region, and ensuring that QA procedures are followed. 

• Coordinate local laboratory facilities, equipment and supply purchases, payments for analytical services and sample shipping, maintain supply inventory, and reorder supplies as necessary.

• Coordinate volunteers and team leads to conduct sampling at the appropriate place and time

• Coordinate sample delivery to the laboratory for analysis

• Oversee calibration of all equipment and keep records of calibration.

• Provide ongoing program oversight to ensure accurate data collection.

• Maintain program membership and contact lists

• Communicate changes in monitoring design to Quality Assurance officer, as necessary (parameters, procedures, locations).

• Provide and monitor team training in field and laboratory procedures and data entry – with updates as needed. 

• Ensure that all waivers are signed and safety measures are in place, understood  and practiced. 

• Maintain data records for near real time analysis to determine when there are  problems with equipment, or a water quality problem that needs immediate attention.

• Fill in for team leaders as required. 

• Ensure that original datasheets are filled out accurately and entered in the regional database, and delivered to the QA Officer on schedule.

• Ensure that samples for laboratory analysis are collected, processed, stored and shipped in accordance with the QAPP and associated SOPs.

• Schedule training days and coordinate facilities and attendees with the PM.

• Support the Project Manager and QA officer in trainings by participating in the production of training modules; designing field and laboratory demonstrations; scheduling training days coordinating facilities; present classroom, field and  laboratory material to trainees; training Monitoring Team Leaders; and preparing  SOPs with the QA officer and MTLs. 

Training Leader Communications Manager

The Communications Manager is responsible for producing training materials, development of engagement material, maintenance of  website, and virtual training modules, update of virtual data-sharing. Specific responsibilities for the Communications Manager are:

• Produce training modules consisting of class material and instructor’s guide.

• Design field and laboratory demonstrations.

• Present classroom, field and laboratory material to trainees, including demonstrations.

• Develop strategic plan for cross communication and collaboration between partners

• Web update material forms, data and other communication components.

Technical subcommittee

• Analyze the data and post updated figures and maps on the website, with the help of the Steering Committee.

• Assist in providing technical information for grant reports

• Collaborate to create an annual report card or program summary of the data

Monitoring Team Leaders

The Monitoring Team Leaders (MTLs) are responsible for the volunteer monitoring teams and ensuring data is collected in a timely manner and recorded accurately. Specific responsibilities for the Monitoring Team Leaders are:

• Schedule monitoring dates and times with team members.

• Maintain records of volunteer availability to ensure teams have enough volunteers for each sampling session.

• Ensure that field conditions are safe for team members, and that all volunteers are familiar with first aid kits and procedures.

• Calibrate all equipment according to the schedule laid out in the QAPP.  Provide calibration data to the Regional Coordinator.

• Maintain, calibrate and properly store field and laboratory equipment. Conduct pre- and post- checks on field instruments prior to and after the day’s sampling.

• Ensure that all field measurements are made in accordance with the QAPP and associated SOPs.

• Ensure that original datasheets are filled out accurately and delivered to the Regional Coordinator on schedule. Maintain copies of all datasheets.

• Enter field and laboratory data into program database, or if entered by volunteers, check to make sure data was entered correctly.

• Store and deliver applicable seawater samples for laboratory analysis after collection by Team Members.

• Process sediment samples collected by the volunteer teams in the regional laboratory and provide results to the Regional Coordinator.

• Train new members of the monitoring team using Training Leader training documents and maintain training records.

• Maintain training documentation of team members.

• Ensure that original datasheets are filled out accurately and delivered to the Regional Coordinator on schedule

All staff members associated with data generation (sample collection, field measurements, lab analysis, data analysis, data reporting, etc.) also review the QAPP. The QAPP reflects the procedures that are actually in use or should be in use by all staff members. Review of the QAPP by staff members helps to ensure that the procedures used are consistent with what is specified in the QAPP. Review of the QAPP must be performed at least once per year. Any inconsistencies identified by any staff member are promptly resolved by the QA officer and PM.

Monitoring Team Members

The Monitoring Team Members carry out water-quality monitoring tasks and some laboratory tasks, all under the supervision of the Monitoring Team Leaders. Specific responsibilities of the Team Members are:

• Make field measurements in accordance with the QAPP and associated SOPs.

• Collect, store, and process samples in accordance with the QAPP and associated SOPs.

• Carry out analyses of Enterococcus, suspended sediment and other parameters in accordance with the corresponding SOPs.

• Record monitoring information and sample custody information on data sheets and chain-of-custody (COC) forms accurately and completely.

• Complete annual training under the supervision of the Training Leader, and biannual check ups with the Monitoring Team Leader.

Quality Assurance Officer

The QA Officer is responsible for ensuring that the project is carried out according to the QAPP. Specific QA Officer responsibilities are:

• Conduct data review, validation and verification, including reviewing data prior to submission to HI-DOH to ensure that all information is accurate and conforms to the QAPP.

• Ensure that all field information is correctly documented.

• Maintain and oversee records (raw data sheets, laboratory reports, chain-of-custody forms, QC checks and calibrations, SOPs, QAPP, laboratory QA/QC plans, training records for monitoring team members).

• Assist in monitoring team training in field and laboratory procedures and data entry.

• Review the QAPP and SOPs twice per year. Identify required procedural changes. Update QAPP as necessary in coordination with DOH.

• Collaborate with both the DOH and the analytical laboratories on changes in protocol or QA/QC steps.

• Prepare SOPs (with training leaders and monitoring team leaders).

• Ensure that everyone on the distribution list has updated copies of the controlled documents (QAPP, SOPs, laboratory QA/QC plans, etc.).

• Review the field and lab data that has been entered into the database by the Data Manager to help minimize transcription/translation errors.

• Review and verify data entries provided by the Regional Manager and / or Monitoring Team Leaders, and release the data to the website and Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH).

The QA officer must remain independent of all generation activities, including sample collection, field measurements and laboratory analyses.

Data Manager

The Data Manager is responsible for the data generated by the program, and is a single point of contact for data entry and storage.  Initially, the duties assigned to the Data Manager are performed by the Monitoring Team Leaders. Each site has a database managed by a single person to enter data.  Specific responsibilities for the Data Manager are:

• Enter field and laboratory data into program database.

• Return field and laboratory data sheets to the Program Manager for permanent archive.

• Maintain a backup the electronic database in the cloud that is updated at least weekly.

• Modify the database as required if additional data fields become necessary.