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R6 QA Training for Non-EPA R6 Employee

Welcome to the Region 6 QA training

Please view the following taped video sessions for this training and then proceed to the quiz.  You may need to adjust your speaker sound or follow along using the provided subtitles. Take as long as you want reviewing these video sessions. If you take a break, simply forward to where you left off!

Training Resources Below:

  1. Agency Resources Training

Description: This course provides QA personnel with several Agency Quality Program resources.

  1. R6 Resources Training

Description: This course provides QA personnel with several Regional Quality Program resources.

  1. Select one:

Description: This is an informational course for EPA personnel who would like an overview of the Agency’s Quality Program.

  1. Quality Management Training, EPA and Office of Water Quality System Overview

Description: This course provides an Office of Water programmatic overview of the Agency’s Quality Program.

  1. Quality Management Training, QA in Contracting

Description: This course outlines contracting within the Agency’s Quality Program.

  1. QA Training How to Prepare and Review QAPPs

Description: This course outlines how to create and review Quality Assurance Project Plans for Primary or Existing Data Projects within the Agency’s Quality Program.

  1. R6 QMP Update

Description: This course provides Region 6 QA personnel with an update on R6’s recently approved 2020 Regional QMP.

  1. QA at the Houston Lab Presentation

Description: This course gives Region 6 QA personnel an overview of the R6 Lab Quality Program.

  1. Uniform Federal Policy for Quality Assurance Project Plans - Training Materials

Description: The links on the UFP training page point to videos (MPG and WMV format) and transcripts for the Uniform Federal Policy QAPP Workshop. The first video provides a short introduction to some data-quality issues encountered in the field, and the remaining videos depict how to incorporate the UFP QAPP into project planning especially for superfund projects. These videos are excellent for anyone new to QA.

Quiz Instructions:

Please take the below quiz after reviewing the “Where can I go for more information” links and all the video sessions. You’ll need to complete this quiz in one sitting (without taking breaks) by obtaining a score of 90% or above prior to moving forward and obtaining your certificate!

1. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 (R6) Houston Lab Quality Assurance (QA) Manual is currently:

2. Assistance with EPA Analytical Methods within Region 6 is the responsibility of:

3. The Quality Assurance Coordinator for EPA Region 6 Laboratory Services and Applied Science (LSAS) Division is:

4. The name of the 2 sections in the LSAS Division are:

5. The Quality Assurance Manager (QAM)for EPA Region 6 is:

6. The EPA Region 6 Laboratory is currently located in:

7. The EPA Region 6 Laboratory is currently accredited under:

8. The Region 6 Sample Control Coordinator is:

9. The mission of the Region 6 Houston Laboratory is:

10. EPA Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) requirements can be found in:

11. Why does the QMP matter?

12. The following are the required Elements of the QMP except:

13. What is the Revision No. of the 2020 Region 6 QMP?

14. The Region 6 organizational structure added a QA Group to the Laboratory Services and Applied Science Division in Region 6. The QA Group consists of the following except:

15. These elements were not updated in the 2020 QMP.

16. True or False? The 2020 Region 6 QMP has a decentralized QA System that relies on the Programmatic Divisions and Offices.

17. Please select all of the following that are true regarding the Region 6 QMPs’ Section 4 Procurement of Items and Services.

18. The following are true for QA Project Plans (QAPPs) in the 2020 Region 6 QMP except:

19. Please select the Regional Quality Assurance Manager’s responsibilities in Region 6 per the 2020 Region 6 QMP.

20. True or False? QA plans exist to ensure environmental data are of known and acceptable quality.

21. Region 6 Division specific activities were added for the following sections in the 2020 Region 6 QMP except:

22. Please identify the following EPA only required activities.

23. The following individuals are involved in the improvements of the Region 6 QMP and QA System.

24. True or False. Up-to-date EPA Regional QMPs are important and sometimes require a full submittal sooner than the expiration or 5 years.

25. Please identify the following changes or updates anticipated for the Region 6 QMP in the future.

26. According to the EPA Overview FedTalent video, who has oversight responsibility for EPA’s Quality System and provides requirements for quality management systems for all environmental information and technology programs performed by or on behalf of the Agency?

27. According to the EPA Overview FedTalent video, who has responsibility for ensuring the quality of your work/project at EPA?

28. According to the EPA Overview FedTalent video, which activities does EPA’s Quality System support?

29. True or False? A full QMP submittal package is not required every year. The grantee must review the QMP at least annually to confirm the effectiveness of the approved quality management practices. If there are essentially minor updates as identified in the agency's QMP, then only a letter stating those changes (if any) and signed signature sheets are needed. This can be submitted electronically to comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act. A revised QMP may be submitted at any time, but it is required under certain conditions as identified in EPA Order CIO 2105-P-01-0. This includes an expiration on the fifth year of the full submittal QMP approval or a major reorganization.

30. True or False? According to the EPA Overview Office of Water videos, EPA is the only Federal Agency that specifies QA in Contracting?

31. True or False? According to the EPA Overview Office of Water videos, EPA QA Requirements only apply to sampling and analysis activities?

32. True or False? According to the EPA Overview Office of Water videos, Quality Management Plans describe Project level QA and QC strategies?

33. True or False? According to the EPA Overview Office of Water videos, contractors are required to submit A QMP before the contract award for any contract that exceeds $650,000 of contracts in which at least 15% of the activities are subject to EPA's Quality System.

34. True or False? According to the EPA Overview Office of Water videos, is it acceptable text to include ACME Contractor has submitted a QAPP that describes Surveillance assessments and PE samples that will be used periodically evaluate performance? ACME then adds the following statement at this time no technical System assessments or of field activities are scheduled to occur however an ad hoc technical System assessment of field activities may be scheduled at any time during Project operations. So, is this acceptable text to include?

35. According to the EPA Overview Office of Water videos, the Quality Assurance Manager within the Office of Water (OW), who is __________, works at the AA ship level. The OW Quality Assurance Manager is the focal point of implementing OW's Quality System and develops Office wide policies and procedures. The Agency’s National Program Offices (NPOs) have similar Quality Systems.

36. According to the Uniform Federal Policy (UFP) videos and provided links, the Uniform Federal Policy is a joint initiative to resolve data quality inconsistencies and/or deficiencies between which of the following agencies?

37. According to the first Uniform Federal Policy (UFP) video, the following are issues brought up by the trainee except

38. According to the UFP videos, the following participated in the scoping meetings except:

39. According to the UFP videos, the scoping meeting helped the participants reach a consensus on the following:

40. According to the UFP videos, who documented the sample design with the most samples or the least samples on the chalk board?

41. In the UFP video, a result of scoping meeting was that the QAPP was updated to include:

42. True or False? According to the UFP videos, QC samples not meeting the criteria most likely will not affect the confidence in the data.

43. According to the provided training material the Frequent Questions about EPA's Quality System webpage provides a wealth of information about which of the following:

44. According to the Implementation of Quality Assurance Requirements for Organizations Receiving EPA Financial Assistance webpage, EPA has the following requirements and guidance documents available to assist applicants and recipients in complying with the QA portion of funding requirements. Pick the below response that is not part of EPA’s requirements and guidance documents.

45. True or False? According to EPA’s Citizen Science for Environmental Protection webpage, the Agency has provided quality assurance guidance documents for citizen scientists that include a handbook, templates and examples.

46. Pick the item that is incorrect according to the POLICY TO ASSURE THE COMPETENCY OF ORGANIZATIONS GENERATING ENVIRONMENTAL MEASUREMENT DATA UNDER AGENCY-FUNDED ASSISTANCE AGREEMENTS webpage.

47. According to the EPA R6 QA training, Region 6 has done the following to assist with the Paperwork Reduction Act thus aiding in reducing the Region’s carbon footprint. Which of the below was not mentioned during the training?

48. The Agency-wide Quality System Documents webpage houses the EPA Guidance on Quality Assurance Project Plans (QA/G-5) (EPA/600/R-98/018, 2002) which has a CHECKLIST USEFUL IN QA PROJECT PLAN REVIEW found in

49. According to the R6 QA Training, Checklists are required in R6. Is this statement True or False?

50. How many modules are in the online Quality Assurance Project Plan Development Tool?

51. True or false, Module 2 of the online Quality Assurance Project Plan Development Tool provides a QA Project Plan Template. This template provides a formatted outline to serve as a basis for documenting your QA Project Plan. Each section of the template includes a brief description of the information to include (which supplements the more detailed information provided in Module 1). The template also includes example tables, figures and/or appendices providing optional ways to present project information. The template is provided as a guide and is not a requirement to follow exactly. (Note: You may copy and save the template to your computer.)

52. True or false? According to the R6 QA training, grantees should contact their QAM with questions about QMPs or contact their POs with any questions about QAPPs?

53. Which General Guidance document on the Agency-wide Quality System Documents webpage deals with the development and documentation of Standard Operating Procedures?

54. Which General Guidance document on the Agency-wide Quality System Documents webpage deals with the developing Quality Assurance Project Plans for geospatial data projects?

55. True or False? EPA Requirements for Quality Management Plans (QA/R-2) and EPA Requirements for QA Project Plans (QA/R-5) are specifications for non-EPA organizations invoked through individual agreements or the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents may be used by EPA organizations as well.

56. According to the Frequent Questions about EPA's Quality System webpage, what are the benefits of EPA's Quality System? Successful implementation of the EPA Quality System leads to:

57. According to the Frequent Questions about EPA's Quality System webpage, what activities does the EPA Quality System cover? The EPA Quality System covers the collection, evaluation and use of environmental data by and for the Agency, and the design, construction and operation of environmental technology by the Agency. This includes environmental programs such as the:

58. According to the Frequent Questions about EPA's Quality System webpage, the following are the roles and responsibilities of an EPA Quality Assurance Manager and quality management support personnel. Note EPA Quality Assurance Managers are tasked with reporting on quality issues to their senior management, providing independent oversight, and assuring the implementation of the organization's quality system. The Order also defines the responsibilities of the Quality Assurance Manager and other quality management personnel to include:

59. According to the approved R6 QMP, which Division doesn’t have a Forum Member representative listed however is still very involved in the process?

60. In support of the Paperwork Reduction Act here are several ways our Region 6 QA program has worked to reduce our Regional carbon footprint. Which of the following is not something the Region is currently doing to assist with reducing our carbon footprint?

61. The EPA Order 5360.1 A2 is now known as:

62. True or False? The R6 Quality staff can be contacted in several ways. One way is to scroll down to the bottom of a QA webpage and simply click on the Contact Us link in order to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.

63. Agency policy has required participation in an Agency-wide Quality System by all EPA organizations (office, region, national center or laboratory) supporting environmental programs and by non-EPA organizations performing work in behalf of EPA through extramural agreements since which of the following year?

Results