The manager in a
source (NPS) project is
in a unique position of understanding the
work of a successful monitoring program and or-
ganizing and managing the resources required to
Conclusions
meet the objective. While the manager must ask
questions, he must also help keep the team
working together for the long-term good of the
project.
This monitoring guide provides a simple framework to assist the manager in
developing a program for NPS monitoring. The work begins with defining
management objectives and documenting the water quality problem. Rarely does
a monitoring program yield meaningful results without clear direction from
carefully developed objectives and a thorough investigation of the water quality
problem.
Sometimes the steps of the monitoring program cannot be taken in order. For
instance, data collection may have begun even before monitoring objectives and
monitoring design have been defined. Here the feedback loop can be implemented
to refine the direction of the monitoring program. The manager should call a
meeting of the project staff and the monitoring agency to discuss monitoring
objectives and design. Even if the agency is well known for its ability to conduct
surveys, the manager needs documentation on monitoring objectives and moni-
toring design to assure validity and to allow for modification.
The feedback loop may also be applied to other issues of oversight. The manager
may be the only person involved in the monitoring program who has a big-picture
perspective of the overall monitoring program. The biologist may be primarily
concerned with taxonomy and the water chemistry lab director may have concerns
related to instrument operation. The manager may be the only person who can
regularly review project monitoring activities. Thus, the manager plays a key role
in sustaining a coordinated monitoring program that is effective for its intended
purpose.
In addition to establishing the framework for monitoring, this guide was also
meant to be used by the manager for general reference.The guide provides enough
detail so a new manager can use the guide as a training tool to improve his or her
knowledge for communication with the scientist or statistician. The guide should
be consulted periodically throughout the implementation of the monitoring
program to check for deficiencies or the need for reallocation of effort.
8.1
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