Lead Writer for developing a national manual and exam for pesticide applicator certification on selected fumigation uses (e.g., structural, commodity, rodent burrows)
The Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative (PERC) invites applications for a Lead Writer to serve on a national project charged with creating a manual and exam item bank for commercial pesticide applicator certification in selected non-soil fumigation categories, for release in 2020.
The Project: The primary goal of this project is to create a manual and exam item bank of questions/answers for commercial pesticide applicator certification/licensing for specific uses of non-soil fumigation pesticide products. Examples of non-soil uses are structural pest control, rodent burrow pest control and commodity fumigation pest control. The process will include a job analysis, collaborative development of learning objectives, manual-development, exam-development, and evaluation/testing. The manual and exam item bank will be developed only in English.
The Team: One Lead Writer will serve as the primary writer and editor for the contents of the manual sections and exams. Under the direction of the Project Coordinator, the Lead Writer shall review and adopt contributions from four drafting teams (of up to four people each) and create cohesive manual sections and exams.
- One Project Coordinator will assist PERC Administrators to recruit a team of Subject Matter Expert (SME) volunteers, identify learning objectives based on a jobs analysis, develop/adapt training content, and develop/evaluate exam items (questions/answers). The Project Coordinator (paid) will supervise one Lead Writer (paid). No travel is anticipated, and teams will convene via phone or other forms of remote meeting technology.
- Volunteer experts from industry, government, and academia. A long list of interested parties from several states have already stepped up to participate.
The level of effort for the Lead Writer and Project Coordinator will depend on the number of SMEs recruited, the learning objectives, and the team’s availability (hours/week) and skill level. PERC predicts the peak effort for the scoping phase between November 2018- January 2020 and could include up to about 5-20 hours per week. It is expected that all outputs will be completed by summer 2020, although PERC may need the Lead Write and Project Coordinator to be available a bit longer to respond to user feedback.
Lead Writer Job Description
Job responsibilities may include some or all of the following:
- Under the direction of the Project Coordinator, participate in job analyses and the identification of learning objectives.
- Assist with collection of national best practices and resources relevant to the scope of this project.
- Participate in all content-generating sub-groups.
- Lead content-development in a way that is culturally-sensitive, technically accurate, and optimized for learner-success, with a cohesive voice/tone throughout.
- Draft all questions/answers for the exam item bank.
- When appropriate, incorporate feedback from the PERC Advisory Board.
- In consultation with the Project Coordinator, incorporate feedback from the drafting teams.
- Maintain ongoing consultation with Project Coordinator and PERC administrators and EPA to ensure regulatory accuracy.
Lead Writer Qualifications
Required Experience:
- Participating on a writing project team with others for desired results (on time, quality standards, etc.).
- Writing a manual and exam bank for commercial pesticide applicator certification exams.
- Writing pesticide examinations and/or education related to writing exam questions in a clear and culturally competent way.
Recommended Experience:
- Using/administering coordination tools such as shared calendars, scheduling polls, conference calls, and screen-sharing technologies.
Eligibility: State and tribal regulators, academic/private/non-profit educators, and talented technical writers are encouraged to apply. Funding is available to compensate the Lead Writer for their time, pending the applicant’s eligibility to accept payment under the rules governing this cooperative agreement.
Application Procedure & Selection: Complete the web-based form available here. Be prepared to describe your qualifications, availability, compensation requirements and your interest in the project.
Application receipt deadline: Monday, October 22, 2018
Earliest start date: ~ November 12, 2018
PERC administrators from the University of California of Davis Extension and Oregon State University will make the final selections using a score-sheet based on listed qualifications. Applicants will be notified by July 10. For questions, please contact Hannah Moore, Suzanne Forsyth, or Kaci Buhl
About PERC: PERC is led by University of California of Davis Extension and Oregon State University, and is funded by a 5-year cooperative agreement (#X8-83616301) from the U.S. EPA. PERC aims to support the development of resources/materials about the safe use of pesticides by applicators and handlers in agricultural, commercial, and residential settings. Materials could include brochures, factsheets, posters, videos, manuals, and mobile tools, while addressing the needs of low-literacy and multilingual audiences. These materials will help prevent pesticide exposure incidents for pesticide applicators, handlers, workers, and their families. The PERC supports the U.S. EPA's Strategic Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and preventing pollution.
Regulatory Guidance
Browse brief guides about protections for workers and handlers, the AEZ, posting, PPE, exemptions, training, respirators, and more, in English and Spanish.