1. National Visitor Use Monitoring
Forest Coordinator Training Managing the Program – During the Fieldwork Year
National Visitor Use Monitoring
Forest Service

2. Managing the Forest NVUM Program
Chapters 1-3 and many of the Appendices of the NVUM Guidebook are essential reading for Coordinators.
Review fieldwork schedule
Coordinate transfer of supplies from other forests/RO
Ensure Forest Support
Make workforce decision
Train the workforce
Prepare various documents
Obtain permission from resort owners, special use permit holders and others to survey at the designated sites and inform them of proxy information needed
Gather all tools, equipment, and forms and distribute as needed
Complete survey site inspection to identify safe interview locations and appropriate site set-up
Submit forms and quarterly reports in a timely manner
Quality assurance and control of data collection
Wrap-up the survey year

3. Throughout the Survey Year
Submit forms and reports
Quality assurance & control of data collection
Wrap–up the survey year
Send them to Susan Schexnayder with University of Tennessee – David Bowler has retired.

4. 10. Submit Forms/Reports
There are due dates for submitting forms and reports
It’s the coordinator’s duty to keep up-to-date on all form submittals

5. Due Dates Item Due Due Date
Daily Summary Forms (make a copy for backup before you mail) & completed interview forms
EVERY 2 weeks
Proxy Reports
Every Quarter: Jan. 31, April 30, July 31, Oct. 31
Recreation Special Events / Organization Camp Use Reports

6. 10. Submit Forms/Reports, cont.
Set up procedure for interviewers to submit forms to coordinator.
Interviewer should review forms before submitting.
Coordinator will need to review forms.
More detail in the next unit: Preventing Mistakes

7. 10. Submit Forms/Reports, cont..
Copy (at least the daily summary forms)
Can copy all forms, but very time intensive
Can scan forms and have electronic versions
Consider sending certified mail
May be helpful to have an established day (i.e. pay day) to complete above

8. Quarterly Reports Send reminder 2 to 3 weeks before due date.
Proxy data collected from special use permit holders.
Report what the proxy data asks for – don’t calculate anything.
Regional Coordinator’s should be doing this
Enter proxy numbers into inventory design application.
Coordinator will need edit access for survey year.

9. Entering Proxy Data

10. Requesting Edit Access

11. Proxy Info, cont.

12. Don’t Forget… Recreation Special Events & Organization Camps
Collect info from districts, SUDS, or permit administrator
Forest managed proxy sites
Collect the info from districts
Enter directly into Inventory Design Application

13. Special Events & Org Camps Report
Send reports to Don English
Electronically (scans) via .

14. 11. Quality Assurance & Control
Begins before the first interview….
… and continues throughout the entire NVUM year.

15. 11. Quality Assurance & Control, cont.
Coordinators are responsible for conducting at a minimum:
6 friendly mentoring inspections.
2 Secret Shopper inspections.
Document these inspections on forms in Appendix K
to Don
Note: Good to do inspections early in the year and/or early in the interviewer’s season of work

16. QA Mentoring Perform 6 Mentoring Days throughout the season.
Management tool for training purposes.
Help to ensure that interviewers understand protocols.
Assist the interviewer, answer questions and provide advice.
Identify potential problem areas and provide constructive criticism.

17. QA Secret Shopper
Perform 2 Secret Shopper inspections throughout the season.
Used to evaluate your interviewers.
Helps you know if your interviewers are doing the job correctly.

18. 11. Quality Assurance & Control, cont..
All Interviewers must be thoroughly trained.
Interviewers should perform the checks on back of Daily Summary Form.
Forest Coordinator should review all forms before sending them to Data Processing.
Site name, number and date are recorded accurately
Bubbles filled in
Traffic counts recorded

19. 11. Quality Assurance & Control, cont…
Don’t ignore Quality Control – it leads to accurate data collection
Inspections can detect and correct any problems before they are included in the data.

20. 12. Wrap-up the Survey Year
Finish up proxy collection
Submit all forms
Check for missing data
Coordinate transfer of equipment
Per regional process

21. Questions…

22. Next… Preventing Mistakes Background Overview Resources Costs
Technical Terms and Proxy Codes
Fieldwork & Backup Schedule
Preparing for Fieldwork
Managing the Fieldwork
Preventing Mistakes