Description: The National Shellfish Sanitation Program and the cooperative efforts the support the Program.

Terminal Competency:

Promote the significance of the laboratory within the NSSP.

Enabling Competencies:

1. Break down the role of the ISSC in the NSSP.

2. Facilitate the use of NSSP checklists.

3. Collaborate with partners involved in the NSSP.

4. Collaborate on method changes.

5. Characterize the three status levels of laboratory conformance.

To see a set of behavioral anchors, which provide further detail about the enabling competencies and can be used for assessment against the enabling competencies, contact IFPTI.

Description: The processes in place to ensure that a laboratory has a system to generate legally defensible data.

Terminal Competency:

Maintain the quality system within an NSSP laboratory.

Enabling Competencies:

1. Perform instrument calibration and verification according to NSSP requirements.

2. Prepare for the NSSP laboratory evaluation process.

3. Apply the process for method validation and method verification/implementation within the NSSP.

To see a set of behavioral anchors, which provide further detail about the enabling competencies and can be used for assessment against the enabling competencies, contact IFPTI.

Description: Various pieces of equipment and instrumentation commonly used in shellfish laboratories.

Terminal Competency:

Manage equipment/instrument use in support of the NSSP.

Enabling Competencies:

1. Verify a volume check for a micro-pipettor.

2. Identify a method for immersion of a TMD.

3. Determine the correction factor on a calibrated temperature monitoring device (TMD).

To see a set of behavioral anchors, which provide further detail about the enabling competencies and can be used for assessment against the enabling competencies,contact IFPTI.

Description: Chemical analysis of marine biotoxins/toxic substances under the NSSP.

Terminal Competency:

Demonstrate chemical analyses of marine biotoxins/toxic substances under the NSSP.

Enabling Competencies:

1. Shuck shellfish for biotoxin analysis.

2. Discuss marine biotoxins associated with shellfish.

3. Interpret the NSSP Guide to identify appropriate methodology for analyte and shellfish species.

4. Generate a calibration curve to quantify a chemical analyte in shellfish.

5. Prepare for hazards during marine biotoxin/toxic substance analysis.

6. Mitigate matrix effects in chemical analysis.

7. Select the correct chemical standards for each chemical analysis.

To see a set of behavioral anchors, which provide further detail about the enabling competencies and can be used for assessment against the enabling competencies,contact IFPTI.

Description: Microbiological analysis under the NSSP.

Terminal Competency:

Demonstrate microbiological analyses of marine substances under the NSSP.

Enabling Competencies:

1. Shuck shellfish for microbiological analysis.

2. Implement productivity controls and process controls.

3. Characterize the use of indicator organisms.

4. Discuss approved methods for bacteriological analysis.

5. Explain the application of real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

6. Prepare for hazards during microbiological analysis.

To see a set of behavioral anchors, which provide further detail about the enabling competencies and can be used for assessment against the enabling competencies, contact IFPTI.

Description: Requirements for the lifespan of a sample to ensure data integrity.

Terminal Competency:

Employ data integrity requirements for the lifespan of a sample.

Enabling Competencies:

1. Prioritize samples using NSSP-defined hold times.

2. Teach sample rejection criteria.

3. Create exception statements as needed.

4. Explain the impact of NSSP action limits.

To see a set of behavioral anchors, which provide further detail about the enabling competencies and can be used for assessment against the enabling competencies, contact IFPTI.