be sacrificed just to reduce project costs. Since data of poor quality 

 cannot be used in management decisions, the use of inferior 

 equipment or methods may cause the project to be unsuccessful 

 in fulfilling its objectives. 



In order to collect credible data, citizen monitoring programs must 

 follow established quality control/quality assurance procedures. 

 When possible, some sites monitored by citizen volunteers should 

 be located near sites sampled by state agencies. Data collected by 

 the volunteers can then be compared with results obtained at the 

 nearby state sampling locations. The Chesapeake Bay Citizens 

 Monitoring Program validated some data sets in this way and found 

 little difference between data collected by the citizens and by the 

 state. This analysis demonstrated that trained volunteers can col- 

 lect quality-controlled and assured data. (An evaluation of quality 

 assurance and quality control measures for citizen monitoring 

 programs undertaken by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay 

 describes the important elements in a quality assurance and quality 

 control program. Copies of Quality Assurance Project Plan for the 

 Citizens Monitoring Project are available from the Alliance.) 



Sampling equipment used in citizen monitoring programs should 

 be validated annually and maintenance records kept in the project 

 files. To ensure quality assurance/quality control, all volunteers 

 should receive training followed by biannual quality control ses- 

 sions to verify that sampling procedures are consistent among 

 volunteers. If volunteers do not attend at least one quality control 

 session a year, the program coordinator should perform a site visit 

 to validate their sampling techniques. 



Data should be examined upon collection to identify questionable 

 values, and the responsible volunteer should be consulted to 

 determine possible causes of variation. If questionable data con- 

 tinue to be collected, the program coordinator should perform a site 

 visit. If a volunteer cannot meet the quality standards established 

 for the collection of data, the data collected by that volunteer should 

 be kept separate from the remaining project data. The use of simple 

 sampling methods should decrease the occurrence of poor quality 

 data. A quality assurance project plan should be developed that 

 establishes the steps to be taken to protect the quality and integrity 

 of the data. Information concerning the development of a quality 

 assurance project plan for environmental monitoring in estuaries 

 may be obtained from the Office of Marine and Estuarine Protection 

 (OMEP). 



Careful consideration should be given to the recruitment of volun- 

 teers. Participation should not be limited to the scientific com- 

 munity. Willing and able volunteers can be found among the retired 

 community, environmental clubs, teachers, and other interested 

 citizen groups. The citizen monitoring program manager or coor- 

 dinator should be prepared to make a substantial investment of time 

 in providing assistance to the volunteers. 



After recruiting volunteers, it is essential to maintain their motivation 

 and provide positive feedback to them. A survey of successful 



Providing Credible 

 Information 



Selecting and Keeping 

 Volunteers 



F3 



