Project Team Members/Subject Matter Experts

National Worker Protection Standard Train-the-Trainer Program

The Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative (PERC) led by University of California of Davis Extension and Oregon State University invites letters of interest (applications) to serve on a national project team to inform and create materials/resources for an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved Worker Protection Standard (WPS) Train-the-Trainer Program.

About PERC:

The PERC is funded by a 5-year cooperative agreement (#X8-83616301) from the U.S. EPA which will support the development of resources and materials on the safe use of pesticides by applicators and handlers in agricultural, commercial, and residential settings. With the recently announced revisions to the U.S. EPA Worker Protection Standard, it is necessary to update pesticide safety materials with the latest standards. This cooperative agreement will help meet a greater need for collaboration and resources because of revisions to the Worker Protection Standard and Certification and Training regulations. 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 and handlers, workers, and their families. The PERC supports the U.S. EPA’s Strategic Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and preventing pollution.

Description of the Project, Team(s), and Timeline:

Based on preliminary needs assessments of stakeholders conducted December 2015 to present, PERC has identified the need for an EPA-approved WPS Train-The-Trainer Program (TTT) which includes recent revisions to the federal WPS. The primary goal of this project is to revise the 2011 “National Worker Safety Trainer Handbook - Pesticide Safety for Agricultural Workers” in addition to developing other supporting resources and delivery methods.

As many as four (4) team members / subject matter experts (SMEs) are needed to help execute this project. SMEs will advise on the components of the TTT program, delivery methods, and other considerations. In order to ensure consistency of materials, SMEs will collaborate and contribute across all areas and provide ongoing review. SMEs are needed to help create, edit, and review.

It is anticipated that once the larger project team is formed and there is alignment of goals and timeline that a single SME lead will focus on each of the following areas:

1. Manual (available in both printed formats and accessible on the web for viewing/printing)
2. Online modules
3. Curriculum for hands-on training (e.g., presentations, illustrations, case studies, role-playing exercises, discussion guides to facilitate learning by relating to personal experiences, educational games, evaluation tools such as quizzes and demonstration setups, etc.)

The level of effort for each SME is predicated on the number of SMEs recruited and their skill level. PERC predicts peak effort between May and August and could vary as much as 5-20 hours per week. It is expected that the items listed above (1-3) shall be completed by December 2016, yet some of the SMEs may need to be retained through March 2017 to accommodate any additional reviews/edits.

Project Job Descriptions:

Job descriptions will be specific to the interest level of each SME and may include some or all of the following:

• Collect national best practices and resources relevant to the scope of this project.
• Serve as lead or contributing author of the manual, appendices, script and PowerPoint slides utilizing the best practices and to include feedback from the target audience, agricultural trainers.
• Organize material and complete writing assignment according to set standards regarding order, clarity, conciseness, style, and terminology.
• Select or advise on photographs, drawings, sketches, diagrams, and/or charts to illustrate material.
• Review drafted materials across the project and recommend revisions or changes in format and content.
• When appropriate, elicit feedback on materials from the PERC Advisory Board.
• Maintain ongoing consultation via PERC administrators with EPA to ensure regulatory accuracy and achieve EPA approval of final products.

Desired Qualifications:

The project will benefit from individuals with a broad range of experience and qualifications with the WPS. Refer to list below and please include in your 1-page letter of interest which of the following areas apply(ies) to your qualifications:

1. Experience developing printed or online instruction materials and/or providing instruction about the WPS in writing or in person.
2. Experience collaboratively developing nationally-applicable instruction materials about the WPS that promote pesticide risk reduction.
3. Speak and/or write Spanish fluently, and is capable of reviewing instructional materials in Spanish for clarity, completeness, and accuracy.
4. Experience working in a federal or state-level regulatory capacity providing compliance assistance and instruction with WPS and other pesticide-related regulations.
5. Experience working in a University capacity providing pesticide safety instruction materials/programming to meet local needs.
6. Experience working in a public or private sector organization (other than those described above) conducting instruction with WPS and other pesticide-related regulations.
7. Knowledge of pesticide handling activities and regulatory requirements.
8. Knowledge of pesticide regulatory requirements in field worker safety.
9. Knowledge of instruction techniques and principles of teaching, or professional experience in providing instruction to adults using a variety of methods such as discussion, small group work, games, and role play.

Competition/Conflict of Interest:

It is understood that project team members represent organizations that perform pesticide safety education activities, which may overlap with some PERC goals and/or publications. Project team members will commit to seeking win-win approaches that do not put the PERC in direct competition with any other entity.

Eligibility:

Federal, state and tribal regulators, academic, non-profit, private educators, and representatives from professional associations are encouraged to apply. A limited amount of funding is available for compensation for a project member’s time, pending the applicant’s eligibility to accept payment under the rules governing this cooperative agreement, and/or offer in-kind services through participation.

Application Procedure & Selection:

A one-page letter of interest including 1) the applicant’s desired area of involvement, 2) a description of the applicant’s qualifications [education, related professional experience (e.g., developing curriculum and providing instruction, knowledge of teaching techniques and principles of instruction), special skills, and areas of expertise], 3) list of applicable qualifications, and 4) the applicant’s compensation requirements must be submitted by Friday, May 13, 2016. Using a system for evaluating applications, PERC administrators from the University of California of Davis Extension and Oregon State University will make the final selections and will notify all applicants of their decision by Friday, May 20, 2016.

Application receipt deadline:

Friday, May 13, 2016.

Earliest funding start date:

~ June 1, 2016

Please send a PDF or Microsoft Word version of the 1-page letter to Suzanne Forsyth at spforsyth[at]ucdavis.edu. For questions, please contact Suzanne Forsyth (spforsyth[at]ucdavis.edu) or Kaci Buhl (buhlk[at]ace.orst.edu).