STATE & TRIBE CERTIFICATION DATABASE SUCCESSFUL IN ONGOING PROGRAM ASSESSMENT

News Date December 11, 2007

       Through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Pesticide Programs (EPA/OPP), the NASDA Research Foundation (NASDARF) is working collaboratively with Washington State University (WSU) to further develop and refine the online pesticide applicator certification plan warehousing and reporting system.  In their capacity as the Certification Plan and Reporting Database (CPARD) developers, WSU responsibilities include providing technical expertise, assuring daily system management and operations, educating users about system use, and promoting open state and tribal access to the information.  The CPARD system provides states and tribes with an opportunity to securely store and easily manage their federally-approved pesticide applicator certification plans, and facilitates program management and information sharing. 
       By using the CPARD system, states and tribes can also fulfill mandatory federal reporting obligations online.  With increasing stresses on state and tribal pesticide programs and their budgets, the development of such a useful and mutually beneficial harmonizing resource represents significant time and cost-savings for all those involved.  The CPARD system signals the advent of a new generation of data management infrastructure being cooperatively developed to provide certification program managers with a quantitative means for measuring their program performance, as well as a data mining resource to learn from other certification programs.    
       The CPARD system came online in 2005, and states and tribes used the database for 2005 and 2006 reporting.  From 2005 to 2007 numerous improvements and technical adjustments were made with system refinements continuing into 2008.  Realizing the significant cost and administrative benefits, all states and several tribes with EPA-approved certification plans are currently utilizing the CPARD system.  The system has become an excellent tool in the ongoing stakeholder assessment of the national pesticide applicator certification program.  The CPARD information can be harvested and synthesized to create individual state or tribal program profiles, as well as a clear picture of the national certification program landscape.  These program profiles assist the NASDARF, EPA/OPP, and other program stakeholders with identifying current and potential areas of concern and developing appropriate training, education, and outreach programs targeted at mitigating any problem.  
       The NASDARF is now working with EPA/OPP and WSU to expand the CPARD system to include water quality information.  The water quality databank will also provide users an opportunity to identify any water quality issues as they relate to pesticides, and develop appropriate responses in the form of pesticide applicator education.  The NASDARF looks forward to all certifying entities continuing their use of the system in the coming years.  (Contact: Dick Herrett)