Quality Assurance Fundamentals

Course overview

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Quality Assurance Fundamentals is an introduction to basic quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) concepts (E.g. bias and precision, with QC checks including control charts of flow rate), terminology, and a review of the elements of quality assurance project plans (QAPPs) for environmental monitoring projects. Completion of this course signifies practical understanding of the QA elements of QAPP Level 4 projects, such as indoor air quality or wildlife surveys, or other basic community assessments. QAPP level 4 is the less stringent tier. This course is equivalent to 1.2 CEUs and requires approximately 12 hours of total learning time. CEUs are earned by completing the following course modules:

• Introduction to QA/QC
• QAPPs and Data Quality Objectives (DQOs)
• Introduction to Precision and Bias

QA Fundamentals was developed by the Tribal Air Monitoring Support Center of the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals. This unique, tribally focused, and applied instruction was initiated as a webinar series and has been supplemented with activities, discussions, and tests to provide a training resource and completion certificate. It is intended for tribal environmental professionals as an introduction to quality assurance.

After completing this online course, participants will be able to:

• Explain what a staff person needs to know about QA for a project and why it is important.
• Explain the terminology that is used in QAPPs.
• Describe QA in common sense terms.
• Locate helpful resources, materials, and people to develop quality systems.
• Identify basic principles of data management.
• List the required elements for a category 4 QAPP (as categorized by US EPA).
• Begin writing a QAPP.

Instructors: Chris Lee, Christopher.Lee@nau.edu, 702-784-8264; Josephine Kamkoff, Josephine.Kamkoff@nau.edu; Mike King, Michael.King@nau.edu. 

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Course Content