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

Terminal Competency:

Summarize the significance of the laboratory within the NSSP.

Enabling Competencies:

1. Describe the role of the ISSC in the NSSP.

2. Locate the NSSP checklists in the Guide for the Control of Molluscan Shellfish.

3. Explain the importance of the NSSP checklist.

4. List the cooperative partners involved in the NSSP.

5. Determine whether a method is approved under the NSSP.

6. Explain how the checklist is used to determine laboratory status.

7. Differentiate between 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:

Explain the importance of a quality system within an NSSP laboratory.

Enabling Competencies:

1. Describe the difference between instrument calibration and verification.

2. Outline the NSSP laboratory evaluation process.

3. Describe the difference between 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:

Explain how equipment/instrument use supports good laboratory practices.

Enabling Competencies:

1. Demonstrate a volume check for a micropipettor.

2. Distinguish between a properly immersed TMD and an improperly immersed TMD.

3. Discuss the importance of documenting the correction factor on a calibrated temperature monitoring device.

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:

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

Enabling Competencies:

1. Describe the shucking procedure to prepare shellfish for biotoxin analysis.

2. List marine biotoxins associated with shellfish.

3. Demonstrate use of the NSSP Guide to identify appropriate methodology for analyte and shellfish species.

4. Demonstrate the use of a calibration curve to quantify a chemical analyte in shellfish.

5. List potential hazards during marine biotoxin/toxic substance analysis.

6. Discuss potential matrix effects in chemical analysis.

7. Discuss why chemical standards are important for running chemical analyses.

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:

Discuss the use of microbiological analyses under the NSSP.

Enabling Competencies:

1. Describe the shucking procedure to prepare shellfish for microbiological analysis.

2. Differentiate between productivity controls and process controls.

3. Describe the utility of indicator organisms.

4. Discuss bacteriological enumeration by MPN (most probable number).

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

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:

Discuss data integrity requirements for the lifespan of a sample.

Enabling Competencies:

1. Explain NSSP-defined hold times for water and shellfish samples.

2. Explain NSSP rejection criteria.

3. Discuss situations where an exception statement is needed.

4. Describe how NSSP action limits influence reporting protocols.

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.