Management of the Scheme




The QUASIMEME Laboratory Performance Studies has the following structure and membership:




The Advisory Board

The Advisory Board



The QUASIMEME Laboratory Performance (LP) studies has an Advisory Board to advise the Project Office and the Scientific Assessment Group on matters relating to external quality assessment in support of marine environmental measurements.

QUASIMEME Advisory Board consists of representatives from organizations to which QUASIMEME participants submit environmental monitoring data:

·    A representative from the Oslo and Paris Commission (OSPAR) to maintain communication with OSPAR, particularly in relation to the QA requirements of the Joint Assessment and Monitoring Programme (JAMP).

·    A representative to maintain communication with the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), particularly in relation to the QA requirements of the Baltic Monitoring Programme (BMP) and the Coastal Monitoring Programme (CMP).

·    A representative to maintain communication with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), particularly with the Environmental Secretariat.

·    A representative to maintain communication with the Mediterranean Pollution Programme (MEDPOL).

·    A representative of the QUASIMEME Scientific Assessment Group (if not represented by any other member of the Advisory Board).

·    Representatives of national monitoring programmes. Two representatives from national monitoring programmes will be invited based on the national levels of participation in QUASIMEME. Representatives of other national monitoring programmes may request to attend.

·    The QUASIMEME Project Manager.

·    A representative to maintain communication with the European Environmental Agency.

·    A representative to maintain communication with the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP).


The QUASIMEME Project Office provides secretarial support for the Advisory Board.
The organizations represented will be responsible for nominating their member of the QUASIMEME Advisory Board.  The current members of the Advisory Board are listed here.

The Advisory Board meets annually to:

·    Advise on matters relating to the Quality Assurance and Quality Control requirements for the national and international marine monitoring programmes and to provide links with these programmes.

·    Provide information and advice on the list of determinants required for the national and international monitoring programmes, the matrices and the concentration ranges. Where lists of studies in the current LP studies are being revised, the Board shall indicate the relative priority of the studies to be undertaken.

·    Advise on the level of performance required for specific monitoring programmes in terms of precision and bias for each determinant - matrix combination.

·    Receive and comment on the Progress Report of the QUASIMEME LP studies.

·    Apoint the chairman of the Advisory Board and review the membership of the Advisory Board.

·    Review and revise the terms of reference of the Advisory Board, as necessary.




The Advisory Board

The Scientific Asessment Group


 

The QUASIMEME Scientific Assessment Group (SAG) gives advice on the implementation of the programme to the QUASIMEME Project Office including data assessments and reports on the results of the Laboratory Performance (LP) studies.

The QUASIMEME Project Manager appoints the members of the SAG, which consist of experts in the field of QA and of the assessment of LP studies. The members have experience in the design and operation of LP studies and / or environmental measurements in matrices related to the marine environment. The QUASIMEME Project Manager is the chairman of the SAG.

Membership of the SAG is confirmed annually. The membership of the SAG will be sufficient in number and breadth of experience to adequately cover the areas included in the QUASIMEME LP studies. Therefore, the size of this group may change in accordance with the needs of the LP studies. The SAG may recommend specialists to the QUASIMEME Project Manager to be invited to contribute to specific QUASIMEME activities as required.

The current membership of the SAG can be found here.

The SAG meets at least annually to advise and assist the QUASIMEME Project Office on:

1.  The design of the QUASIMEME LP studies and provision of test materials and protocols.

2.  The assessment of the LP studies and study reports.

3.  The preparation of documentation, both printed and electronic.

4.  The preparation of a progress report to the QUASIMEME Advisory Board which will include:

o   An executive summary of the LP studies for the current year.

o   Recommendations of changes in structure or content of the LP studies.

o   A proposed work programme for future LP studies.

o   After presentation to the Advisory Board, a progress report will be published.

 

The SAG will review and make recommendations to the QUASIMEME Project Office on the composition and breadth of expertise which is required to maintain the objective assessment of the programme and the results of the participants' studies.


The QUASIMEME Project Office


The QUASIMEME Project Office is responsible for the administration, communication and financial management of the project. The accounts are kept in accordance with the practices of Alterra for contractual work, in force at the time.

An annual financial statement is prepared by the QUASIMEME Project Office for submission to the Advisory Board, as part of the annual report.

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