Workshop & Meeting Manual › MARAMAManual.pdf · Herndon, Virginia. Susan Wierman, MARAMA...

January 28, 2003

MARAMA

Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association

Workshop & Meeting Manual

Edition

2

M I D - A T L A N T I C R E G I O N A L A I R M A N A G E M E N T A S S O C I A T I O N

Workshop & Meeting Manual

Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association

711 West 40th Street � Suite 312 Baltimore, MD 21211-2109

Phone 410.467.0170 � Fax 410.467.1737

Edition 2, January 28, 2003

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Table of ContentsP R E F A C E

Purpose of this Manual 1 Importance of Training and Workshops 1 Acknowledgements 2

1 . O V E R V I E W

MARAMA Membership 4 MARAMA Committees/Training Areas 5 Types of MARAMA Events 6

Level 1: MARAMA Meetings & Workshops 6 Level 2: Committee Meetings 6 Level 3: MARAMA Contracted Courses 6 Executive Board Events 6 Level 4: Training Reimbursements 7 Course Development Contracts 7

MARAMA Staff Roles 7 Other Organization Roles 7

Training Providers 7

California Air Resources Board (CARB) 8

Rutgers Air Compliance Center 8

Air Pollution Training Institute (APTI) 8 Regional Consortia 9 Role of US Environmental Protection Agency 9

Types of Funding 10 Outside Participants 10

2 . M E E T I N G C O O R D I N A T I O N

& L O N G T E R M P L A N N I N G

Technical Program Development 11 Identification of Topics and Speakers 11

Maintaining Speaker Lists 12

Maintaining Topic Lists 12

Generating Needs Assessment Surveys 13 Budget Development 13 Course Development 14

Annual Workshop Schedule 16 Identifying the Meeting Location 17 Development of Annual Workshop Schedule 17

Checklists & Multi-Workshop Schedules 18 Generating Meeting Checklists 18 Maintaining the Multi-Workshop Schedule 18 Updating the Multi-Workshop Schedule 19

Weekly Meetings 20 Job Aids for MARAMA Staff Roles 20

3 . A G E N D A D E V E L O P M E N T

Soliciting Input on Agenda Topics 21 Establishing the Meeting Framework 22 Drafting the Agenda 22

4 . S I T E S E L E C T I O N & F I E L D

V I S I T T R A N S P O R T A T I O N

Site Selection 25 Clarifying the Budget 26 Conducting the Site Survey 26

Using a Hotel Location Service 27

Conducting the Site Survey In-House 27 Tax Exempt Status 28 Identifying Audiovisual and Menu Options 28 Finalizing Site Selection 29 The Facility Contract/Submitting the Deposit 30 Credit Application and Master Account 30

Securing Field Visit Transportation 30 Obtaining Transportation Options 30 Finalizing Field Trips/Transportation Provider 31

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

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5 . R E G I S T R A T I O N &

R E G I S T R A T I O N R E P O R T S

Entering Registrations 33 Generating Registration Reports 34

Tracking Registrations 35

6 . M A R A M A M E E T I N G S &

W O R K S H O P S / C O M M I T T E E

M E E T I N G S

Pre-Event Activities 37 Generating the Meeting Checklist and Assigning

Roles 38 Establishing the Meeting Framework 39 Agenda Development 40 Site Selection and Field Visit Transportation 40 Setting the Meeting Budget and Fee 41 Setting Up the Conference in the Contacts

Database 41 Generating Meeting Labels 42 Generating Announcements and Attendee

Communication 42

Save the Date Notice 42

Receipt of Registration Confirmation 43

Registration Memo (Memo 1) and Form 43

Registration Reminder (Memo 1a) 45

Registration Confirmation (Memo 2) 45

Information for the MARAMA Web Site 46 Generating Speaker Correspondence 47

Confirmation Letter/AV Request Form 47

Speaker Reminder Memo (SpeakerMemo1a) 47

Registration Confirmation (Memo 2) 48 Entering and Tracking Registrations 48

Entering Registrations 48

Generating Registration Reports 48

Tracking Registrations 49 Making Arrangements for MARAMA Staff 49 Requesting Local On-Site Support 49 Working with the Hotel 50

Finalizing Food and Beverage Arrangements 50

Finalizing Audiovisual Arrangements 50

Hotel Confirmation Memo 50

Reconfirming Facility Arrangements 51

Final Count/Guarantee 51 Preparing Displays/Exhibits 51 Handouts and Other Meeting Materials 52

Generating Evaluation Forms & Surveys 52

Collecting Meeting Materials 52

Handouts – Electronic (saving) 53

Handouts – Electronic (printing) 53

Other Printers 54 Ordering Supplies 54 Copying Materials 55 Collating Materials 55 Arranging for Temporary Help 56 Handouts – Electronic 57 Generating Nametags 57 Assembling the Meeting Master Binder 58 Packing Supplies and Equipment 58 Arranging for Staff Transportation 59

On-Site Logistics 59 Arrival at the Hotel 59 The Day of the Meeting 60 During the Meeting 60 Meeting Close 61

Post-Event Activities 61 Depositing Payments 61 Updating Actual Attendance Information and

Corrections 61 Completing the MARAMA Staff Evaluation 62 Completing the Attendee Evaluation Summary 62

Evaluation Summary Report 62

Quotable Quotes 62 Generating the Memo to Directors 62 Posting Meeting Materials 63 Preparing Thank You Letters 63

Speaker Thank You Letters 63


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Other Thank You Letters 63 Reviewing Invoices/Expenses 64

Sign Checks 64 Preparing the Cost Summary 64 Organizing Files 64

Electronic and Hard Copy Files 64

7 . M A R A M A C O N T R A C T E D

C O U R S E S

Pre-Event Activities 65 Establishing the Meeting Framework 66 Generating the Meeting Checklist and Assigning

Roles 66 Contracts with Instructors or Providers 68 Site Selection and Field Visit Transportation 68 Setting the Meeting Budget and Fee 68 Setting Up the Course in the Contacts Database

69 Generating Meeting Labels 69 Agenda Development 70 Generating Announcements and Attendee

Communication 70

Save the Date Notice 70

Registration Memo (Memo 1) and Form 71

Receipt of Registration Confirmation 72

Registration Reminder (Memo 1a) 72

Registration Confirmation (Memo 2) 73

Information for the MARAMA Web Site 74 Generating Speaker Correspondence 74

Confirmation Email/AV Request 74

Instructor Reminder Email 75

Registration Confirmation (Memo 2) 75 Entering and Tracking Registrations 75

Entering Registrations 75

Generating Registration Reports 75

Tracking Registrations 76 Making Arrangements for MARAMA Staff 76 Requesting a Local On-Site Liaison 77

Finalizing Field Trips/Securing Transportation 77 Working with the Hotel 77

Finalizing Food and Beverage Arrangements 77

Finalizing Audiovisual Arrangements 77

Hotel Confirmation Memo 78

Reconfirming Facility Arrangements 78

Final Count/Guarantee 78 Handouts and Other Meeting Materials 79 Generating Nametags 79 Assembling the Meeting Master Binder 80 Packing Supplies and Equipment 80 Arranging for Staff Transportation 81

On-Site Logistics 81 Arrival at the Hotel 82 The Day of the Meeting 82 During the Course 82 Meeting Close 83

Post-Event Activities 83 Updating Actual Attendance Information 83 Completing the MARAMA Staff Evaluation 84 Completing the Attendee Evaluation Summary 84

Evaluation Summary Report 84

Quotable Quotes 84

Quarterly Meeting Summary Memo 85 Posting Meeting Materials 85 Preparing Thank You Letters 85

Instructor Thank You Letters 85

Other Thank You Letters 85 Reviewing Invoices/Expenses 85

Sign Checks 85 Preparing the Cost Summary 85 Mailing Certificates of Completion 86 Organizing Files 86

Electronic and Hard Copy Files 86

8 . E X E C U T I V E B O A R D

E V E N T S

Executive Board Meeting and Calls 87 Selecting Meeting Dates and Sites 87


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Generating the Meeting Checklist 88 Developing the Agendas 89 Generating Attendee and Speaker

Correspondence 89 Tracking Registrants 90 Developing Meeting Materials 90 Copying and Collating Meeting Materials 91 Preparing Board Officers 91 Compiling Meeting Minutes 91

9 . M A R A M A T R A I N I N G

R E I M B U R S E M E N T S

Identifying Existing Meetings/Workshop of

Benefit to MARAMA Members 93 Scheduling a Training Reimbursement Event 94

Pre-Event Activities 94 Generating the Meeting Checklist (Training

Reimbursements) 94 Generating the Reimbursement Announcement

Memo 95 Tracking Registrants 95 Generating the Reimbursement Memo/Form 96

Post-Meeting Activities 96 Processing Reimbursements 96 Updating Reports with Actuals 97 Completing Files/Archive if Necessary 97

1 0 . R E P O R T I N G

Quarterly Meeting Summary Memo 99 Funding Grant Status Reports 99 Executive Director’s Quarterly Report 99 Annual Report 100

1 1 . R E C O R D K E E P I N G

Electronic Files 101 Maintaining Electronic Templates and Checklists101 Maintaining Electronic Meeting Files 102

Hard Copy Meeting Files 102 Working Files 102 Master Files 103

MARAMA Web Site Files 104 Archiving 104

Contacts Database 104 Electronic Files 105 Retention of Hard Copy Files 105

A P P E N D I X

A. Quick Reference Guide B. Job Aids C. Meeting Management Guidebook D. Sample Documents and Forms E. Vendor & Training Provider Contact

Information

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Preface he Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association conducts meetings and workshops in order to improve the technical knowledge and skills of the staff of Mid-Atlantic air pollution control agencies.

Purpose of this Manual This Meeting and Workshop Manual contains procedures developed to ensure that MARAMA meetings and workshops provide a high quality training experience for MARAMA members. By documenting these procedures, MARAMA intends to guide those who organize and conduct future MARAMA workshops. Before reading this manual, it is suggested that new employees read the Meeting Management Guidebook (Appendix C.) which provides a basic framework for workshop and meeting support. The procedures documented here are not fixed, and it’s important to seize opportunities to use better procedures if a particular situation demands it. As improvements in processes and technology are made, the procedures will be updated and adjusted.

MARAMA staff is committed to continued improvement so that MARAMA meetings and workshops provide the best possible experience for our members with the resources available to us. Suggestions and comments are welcome and should be sent to the MARAMA Executive Director.

Importance of Training and Workshops MARAMA meetings, workshops, and sponsored training are important to our members. MARAMA is a non-profit association of state and local air pollution control agencies in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. MARAMA was organized in February 1990 by an agreement of the Governors of the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia; the Mayors of the District of Columbia and Philadelphia; and the Commissioners of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. West Virginia joined MARAMA in 1999. The Directors and staff of the air pollution control agencies from those jurisdictions are MARAMA members.

Organizing meetings and workshops and sponsoring training supports MARAMA’s mission, to strengthen the skills and capabilities of members and help them work together to prevent air pollution. Training activities in support of this mission include providing support for members to attend important training sponsored by other organizations as well as conducting meetings and workshops. MARAMA training and workshops support regional air pollution control.

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Acknowledgements Susan Wierman, MARAMA Executive Director, and Jessica Southwick, MARAMA Executive Assistant began development of this manual in 1996-1997, with development of checklists for workshop preparation.

In order to further document the procedures and obtain outside advice, MARAMA hired a consultant to prepare the first draft of “standard operating procedures” for MARAMA workshops. The draft was prepared in December 1997 by EnviroMation & Associates, Inc. of Herndon, Virginia. Susan Wierman, MARAMA Executive Director, reviewed the draft manual and extensively rewrote much of the final manual which MARAMA published in October 1998.

Since October 1998, Alice Lutrey, MARAMA Training Coordinator, has revised and updated the procedures for MARAMA meetings and workshops. The need for a new procedures manual became evident to capture these changes and to reevaluate processes as the number of meetings and workshops supported by MARAMA has increased over time.

In May 2002, MARAMA hired Systani, Inc. of Potomac Falls, Virginia to assess current procedures and provide recommendations for improvements. Alice Lutrey and Susan Wierman of MARAMA worked with Joy Motheral of Systani, Inc to prepare this updated MARAMA Workshops and Meeting Manual to include revised and updated templates and worksheets, along with Job Aids and a Meeting Management Guidebook. The current version was delivered January 28, 2003.

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Overview The Overview explains the organization of MARAMA’s Workshop and Meetings Procedures manual and provides the background information for the types of meetings and workshops supported, funding sources, roles of MARAMA staff and roles of others.

ach chapter of this Manual describes elements of the schedule, roles, and activities involved in planning and conducting a meeting or workshop. The chapters in this document are:

§ Chapter 1: Overview § Chapter 2: Meeting Coordination & Long Term Planning,

§ Chapter 3: Agenda Development, § Chapter 4: Site Selection & Field Visit Transportation,

§ Chapter 5: Registration & Registration Reports,

§ Chapter 6: MARAMA Meeting & Workshops/Committee Meetings, § Chapter 7: MARAMA Contracted Courses,

§ Chapter 8: Executive Board Events, § Chapter 9: MARAMA Training Reimbursements,

§ Chapter 10: Reporting, and

§ Chapter 11: Record Keeping.

In addition to this procedures manual, there are several other “tools” necessary to carry out the activities related to MARAMA meeting and workshops. Icons are used throughout to indicate when additional tools are available and to indicate the schedule for conducting the activity. The description of each icon follows:

§ Schedule corresponds to the time frame in which the activity should be completed and corresponds to the Meeting Checklist.

§ Checklists or Worksheets indicates that a checklist or worksheet is used to complete the task.

Chapter

1

E

I C O N K E Y

¹ Schedule

! Checklists or Worksheets

2 Template

4 Report/Tracking Document

: Database

& More Info in Guidebook

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§ Template indicates that a Word document, Excel spreadsheet or Word Merge Template is used and then customized [or merged] with event-specific information.

§ Report/Tracking Document refers to a standardized Access report or an Excel spreadsheet or Word document that contains information that MARAMA routinely reports on.

§ Database refers to the MARAMA Contacts Database. Data entry or searching of the data is required for the specified task.

§ More Info in Guidebook indicates that there are sections of Appendix C: Meeting Management Guidebook that has additional helpful information for completing the specified task.

This Manual includes five appendices:

§ Appendix A: Quick Reference Guide contains a Quick Reference Guide to the checklists, worksheets, templates, reports and tracking documents used to carry out the procedures described in this manual. This guide lists the name of the document and the file name and location.

§ Appendix B: Job Aids contains Job Aids that correspond to the Meeting Checklists for five roles: Management Review, Technical Lead, Logistics Lead and Logistics Assistant, and the Training Coordinator. Roles (except for the Training Coordinator) are assigned for each meeting.

§ Appendix C: Meeting Management Guidebook This document provides additional details for several aspects of meeting and workshop management. This information does not necessarily have to be referenced every time a task is completed, but the information provides additional guidelines and suggestions for the specified task in the procedures manual.

§ Appendix D: Sample Documents and Forms Samples of checklists, worksheets, documents, and reports listed in the Quick Reference Guide are included here.

§ Appendix E: MARAMA Vendor & Training Provider Contact Information This is a list of vendors, such as copy services, and contract information for training providers and other outside organizations that MARAMA uses for meetings and workshops.

MARAMA Membership The air management agencies that make up MARAMA membership are:

§ Allegheny County Health Department, Air Quality Program, Pittsburgh, PA

§ Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Air and Waste Management, Air Quality Management Section, Dover, DE

§ District of Columbia Department of Health, Environmental Health Administration, Bureau of Environmental Quality, Air Quality Division, Washington, DC

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§ Maryland Department of the Environment, Air and Radiation Management Administration, Baltimore, MD

§ New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton, NJ § Office of Air Quality Management

§ Air Quality Permitting,

§ Air Compliance and Enforcement

§ North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Air Quality, Raleigh, NC

§ Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Air Quality, Harrisburg, PA

§ Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Air Management Services, Philadelphia, PA

§ Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Program Coordination, Richmond, VA

§ West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Air Quality, Charleston, WV

All employees of each of these agencies are MARAMA members. The MARAMA Executive Board is made up of the Directors from each agency’s Air Quality Program and the MARAMA Executive Director. The MARAMA Executive Director is the Secretary of the Board and a non-voting board member.

MARAMA Committees/Training Areas MARAMA has committee and training areas that cover a broad range of topics. MARAMA tries to provide training opportunities in each of these areas usually on a yearly to bi-annual basis. The MARAMA Training Committee meets annually to help formulate the MARAMA Workshop and Training Schedule. Training areas and Committees include:

§ Monitoring & Data Analysis

§ Enforcement & Compliance Assistance § Mobile Sources

§ Modeling § Permits

§ Planning

§ Regional Haze § Regional Technical Center

§ Toxics

§ Training

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MARAMA EventsMARAMA- committee meetingstraining courses or Executive Board meetingsbecause they involve agenda development outside speakers, last for more than one day, and

-visual equipment, sleeping rooms, and food service.

MARAMA categorizes workshop and meetings activities based on the level of effort necessary to hem as shown below

Level 1: MARAMA Meetings & Workshops MARAMA determines they have the expertise or can arrange for the experts as presenters to conduct a meeting or workshop. MARAMA is the lead for developing the agenda and meeting materials. The meeting or workshop is usually more than one day. The event requires a facility to be secured and full registration process. Speakers are confirmed. Meeting materials are more extensive and typically require binders. One or more MARAMA staff members attend the meeting.

Level 2: Committee Meetings In contrast to workshops, committee meetings usually require much less effort to prepare the technical content and arrange for facilities. Committee meetings usually involve 15-25 people, last approximately one day, and are focused on a specific topic the participants wish to discuss. The participants assist in developing the program and provide handouts. Communication with the participants via e-mail simplifies arrangements. A conference call may help confirm the agenda topics and roles of participants.

Level 3: MARAMA Contracted Courses MARAMA determines there is an existing course available for the particular topic from a training provider (e.g., the US EPA, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), or the Rutgers Air Compliance Center). MARAMA may also have grant conditions that direct resources toward a particular type of course. MARAMA contracts with a training provider or instructor, and the instructor handles the agenda and provides handouts. MARAMA is responsible for registration and logistics arrangements.

Executive Board Events In general, arranging for Executive Board meetings also requires many of the same activities as for workshops, but on a smaller scale. Board meetings require a significantly greater commitment of the Executive Director and her Assistant’s time to develop the meeting agenda and handouts. Further, it is MARAMA’s policy to mail handouts to Board members no less than one week before a Board meeting, whereas handouts for workshops are distributed at the workshop. This shifts the schedule for Board meetings and should be considered in planning meeting dates. For these reasons, approximately one month before a planned Board meeting the Executive Director should arrange to spend a significant percent of his/her time for the next two weeks preparing for the Board meetings.

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Level 4: MARAMA Training Reimbursements MARAMA identifies meetings offered by other organizations that would benefit MARAMA members and reimburses members that attend those meetings and workshops for an approved amount.

Course Development Contracts If MARAMA determines that training is needed in topic areas for which there are no existing courses and that repetition of the course would be appropriate either within or outside MARAMA, MARAMA may contract out for the course to be developed. This course is then made available for others to use.

MARAMA Staff Roles MARAMA staff members include:

§ Executive Director

§ Training Coordinator § Senior Administrative Assistant

§ Administrative Assistant § Web Master

§ Technical Experts

All MARAMA staff play a role in supporting workshops and meetings. Meeting tasks are generally assigned to “roles.” Roles are then assigned to specific staff persons for each meeting or workshop. A person can play more than one role. The roles are:

§ Technical Lead

§ Logistics Lead § Logistics Assistant

§ Management Review

For all meetings and workshops, the Training Coordinator also plays a role in the overall coordination of meetings and oversight of staff assigned to meeting roles.

Other Organization Roles MARAMA works with other organizations that have expertise in training areas of relevance to MARAMA members. Contact information for some of these organizations can be found in the MARAMA Directory or Appendix E: MARAMA Vendor & Training Provider Contact Information.

Training Providers Training providers MARAMA uses often are listed here. These providers can offer courses at a reduced rate because they receive EPA grants and they use EPA-approved training materials.

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California Air Resources Board (CARB) The California Air Resources Board (CARB) Stationary Source Division offers comprehensive training and education to further the professional development of environmental specialists. CARB courses provide current, practical, usable and cost-effective information for both new and experienced environmental professionals.

The CARB programs offer a standardized core curriculum, including both entry-level training and continuing education. These courses cover air pollution history, the procedures required to properly evaluate emissions, the analysis of industrial processes, theory and application of emission controls, and waste stream reduction. The focus is on maintaining compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

Wherever possible, each course includes a field visit to drive home skills, knowledge, and practical applications learned in the course. The training is designed to provide students with skills that can be immediately applied to their work in the field. In addition, the curriculum can be customized and tailored to the specific needs of a group at any appropriate meeting location, thus greatly reducing client travel costs.

The CARB Program receives supplemental funding from the US-EPA to offer some of their courses off-site. MARAMA pays for the instructor costs, but the course materials are available at no cost. A CARB instructor will travel to the location identified by MARAMA. Typically it is necessary to schedule CARB courses at least one year in advance.

Rutgers Air Compliance Center The Rutgers Air Compliance Center (RACC) is located in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in New Brunswick, New Jersey. RACC provides technical training for state, local, and federal air pollution inspectors and compliance personnel. Four levels of progressively more technical training courses that are designed to provide the minimum training necessary to comply with EPA Order 3500.1 are offered. MARAMA usually has a set number of EPA-subsidized training days available from the Rutgers Air Compliance Center each year. This training can take place off-site at a MARAMA specified location. In addition to the EPA-subsidized days, Rutgers offers training to MARAMA at cost.

Air Pollution Training Institute (APTI) The Air Pollution Training Institute (APTI) is managed by the US EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS), Education and Outreach Group (EOG) and offers a variety of training opportunities for air pollution professionals. The delivery methods have been chosen to provide the maximum coverage at minimum cost. There are four types of courses available: classroom, telecourse, self-instructional courses, and Web-based. APTI also supports State, Local and Tribal programs through special course and workshop offerings and through the development of internal training programs.

The APTI curriculum may be divided into eight categories of courses: general and administrative, ambient monitoring, engineering, meteorology and modeling, compliance, air toxics, inventory, and permitting. More than 175 courses and workshops are supported by APTI.

Telecourses are offered through satellite downlink sites which include several MARAMA member agencies. Classroom courses are usually offered by APTI providers such as the University of

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Cincinnati and Rutgers. The EOG web site has the course catalog and links to the various provider schedules.

Regional Consortia There are regional organizations similar to MARAMA throughout the US that provide support to state and local agencies for air management. MARAMA works with the other consortia from time to time on issues that may be applicable to more than one region, and these regional groups can also be a potential resource for training materials or they may have space for MARAMA members to attend training courses.

The other regional consortia are:

§ Central States Air Resources Agencies (CENSARA) http://www.censara.org

§ Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium (LADCO) http://www.ladco.org

§ METRO-4/ Southeastern States Air Resources Agencies (SESARM) http://www.metro4-sesarm.org

§ Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) http://www.nescaum.org

§ Western States Air Resources Council (WESTAR) http://www.westar.org

Role of US Environmental Protection Agency MARAMA workshops are products of an active partnership between the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and MARAMA members. EPA plays an invaluable role in providing speakers and handouts for MARAMA workshops.

EPA Region III, whose offices are in Philadelphia, acts as the lead region with respect to MARAMA activities. MARAMA agencies are also located in Region II (New Jersey) and Region IV (North Carolina).

In some cases, EPA staff from the Region III take the lead in organizing the technical agenda for a workshop. In this case the workshop would be an EPA workshop, but MARAMA could assist members by setting up a room block and supporting some travel costs. MARAMA may also poll state and local agency staff concerning training needs related to a particular subject (e.g., dispersion modeling or permits). MARAMA may obtain some speakers and collaborate with EPA in developing the agenda.

In other cases, which would be MARAMA workshops, EPA staff is primarily important as speakers and sources of handouts, while MARAMA takes the lead in organizing and conducting the workshop. The participation of experts from EPA’s technical offices or headquarters has been especially important. Expert insights into EPA policies, and interaction between EPA experts and state and local agency staff promotes better understanding on both sides. Interaction between the Regional Office staff and state and local agencies has also been particularly helpful, by clarifying expectations and explaining procedures for implementing new rules.

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EPA’s role also involves management grants to support MARAMA. MARAMA funds from federal grants are intended to support state and local agencies, and MARAMA cannot pay for travel support or meals for federal employees.

Types of Funding MARAMA could not carry out any of its activities related to training and skill development without funding. MARAMA funding comes from several sources:

§ EPA: MARAMA is primarily funded by request of the member agencies through EPA grants. These grants utilize funds set aside by Congress and the President to help fund state and local air pollution control agencies. At times, MARAMA also receives special EPA grants of other federal funds.

§ Mid-Atlantic-Northeast Visibility Union (MANE-VU): MARAMA collaboration with NESCAUM and the Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) provide staff support for MANE-VU. The OTC receives an EPA grant to support this work and then OTC funds MARAMA. MARAMA serves as the MANE-VU training coordinator.

§ Other: When MARAMA co-sponsors a meeting with outside organizations, a portion of the costs of the workshop may be paid by the other organization.

§ Fees: MARAMA grants are for the benefit of state and local agencies. Employers of federal agencies who attend are charged fees. Fees are generally waived for MARAMA members and for outside speakers who are not federal employees.

When workshops or meetings are identified, it is important to note the type of funding to better facilitate reporting to funding agencies.

Outside Participants MARAMA’s funding is provided for the benefit of state and local agencies. Furthermore, in order to retain its tax-exempt status as a non-profit association, MARAMA must restrict the services it provides to non-members. Furthermore,

Therefore, those not employed by state or local air pollution control agencies are only admitted to MARAMA meetings and workshops by invitation. For example, outside experts may be invited to be speakers. Employees of sister agencies, such as departments of transportation, may be invited if they are working with the air pollution control agency on a program or project.

MARAMA collaborates with other organizations to sponsor events that benefit MARAMA members. In this case, attendance would be broader than just MARAMA.

Fees are charged to outside participants to cover costs. However fees are generally waived for speakers who are not federal employees. Due to Federal grant guidelines, federal employees (e.g. EPA staff) generally may not attend MARAMA events unless they are contributing to the workshop, such as a presenter or resource person.

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Meeting Coordination & Long Term Planning This chapter reviews the process of technical program development, budget development and course development. It also discusses the tools used by MARAMA for coordination and communication when implementing meetings and workshops.

t takes careful planning and important coordination to ensure the success of MARAMA meetings and workshops. The available budget determines the level of support and number of meetings and workshops that can be offered. Long term planning is needed to determine what types and levels of training MARAMA member agencies need.

Technical Program Development Identification of Topics and Speakers MARAMA continually updates topics and potential speakers. Staff gather input for training topics in a variety of ways:

§ MARAMA Committees Several MARAMA Committees meet regularly (usually no more than annually and no less than bi-annually) and are a valuable resource for topics and potential speakers.

§ Attend Outside Meetings The Executive Director and other staff represent MARAMA at regional and national meetings. These meetings provide ideas on technical topics and speakers of interest to MARAMA members.

§ EPA Region III The Executive Director and the Training Coordinator meet annually with EPA Region III to review training plans and priorities. This meeting and routine coordination with Region III staff helps avoid duplication of topics that EPA may plan to cover in its training program.

§ Needs Assessment Surveys MARAMA periodically distributes a Needs Assessment survey which compliments the STAPPA/ALAPCO survey. The Training Coordinator prepares a Needs Assessment Survey prior to the annual MARAMA Training Committee meeting. The survey has general topic information and course-specific details. In addition, information for the MARAMA region from the most

Chapter

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recent STAPPA/ALAPCO (State and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators/Association of Local Air Pollution Control Officials) survey is used to identify topics.

§ Ad Hoc Member Input Member input is important and may come from Board members or other agency staff. Important sources of member comments are the workshop evaluations completed at each MARAMA workshop. MARAMA course development/improvement projects are usually undertaken in response to member requests.

§ Feedback from Evaluations Feedback from workshop and meeting evaluations is helpful in determining new topics areas of interest, assessing speaker presentations, and identifying strengths and weaknesses of existing courses and instructors.

The Training Coordinator and Executive Director develop grant requests that incorporate the results of the needs assessment. Timing and procedures for these requests varies, and the Executive Director and Training Coordinator must be proactive and stay in close touch with EPA’s Region III and the OAQPS Training Office to ensure that opportunities are identified and utilized.

Maintaining Speaker Lists MARAMA identifies many speakers through soliciting recommendations from others, such as committee members or EPA experts, through reviewing reports and articles, and through reviewing agendas for other meetings.

1. ¹ Ongoing As potential speakers are identified, their names, areas of expertise, who referred them, and contact information, are entered in the MARAMA Topic & Speaker List document (..Elmo/tracking reports/speakertopiclist.xls). The Executive Director and technical

experts are responsible for maintaining this list and referring to it when planning agendas.

2. ¹ 1 Week After If contacted to speak, the speaker information is updated at the close of the meeting by the Logistics Assistant to indicate the meeting, meeting dates, and topic they presented on. Comments can also include to feedback from evaluation forms, good or bad.

Maintaining Topic Lists The Training Coordinator documents the need assessment and compiles a list of topics that should be addressed in the coming year. This information is

presented to the MARAMA Executive Board via a memorandum through the Executive Director. The needs assessment and preliminary list of topics is also provided to EPA Region III.

1. As topics are identified, the date, topic, timing for training, preferred delivery method, and any action to take should be entered into the MARAMA Topic & Speaker List document (..Elmo/tracking reports/speakertopiclist.xls). The Training Coordinator, Executive

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¹ Annually

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Director and technical experts can assess this shared file to maintain this list and refer to it when working on the Annual Workshop Schedule.

2 . ¹ Quarterly The list of topics should be reviewed quarterly by the Training Coordinator and topics updated with an outcome (i.e., resulted in workshop or meeting, not enough information available, revisit in a specified time frame).

Generating Needs Assessment Surveys The MARAMA Training Coordinator periodically conducts a training needs assessment to determine training requirements and help set

priorities. In January, the Training Coordinator and Executive Director determine whether a training survey is needed that year. If STAPPA/ALAPCO plans to do a survey, MARAMA would skip that year). If a MARAMA training survey is done, it should be distributed to the Training Committee by April 1. Previous surveys are located in the path ..Elmo/needs assessment.

In addition to the survey, the overall training assessment considers past experience, perennially scheduled workshops, member input, and current or emerging requirements or issues that place demands on member agencies.

The MARAMA Training Needs Assessment Survey is prepared by the Training Coordinator and reviewed by the Executive Director. It is distributed and results summarized before the MARAMA Annual Training Coordinators meeting. Topics and training areas are updated in the MARAMA Topic & Speaker List.

Budget Development The overall training budget for all grants is developed annually for the fiscal year which begins October 1. A list of potential courses, workshops,

meetings and other events is initiated by April 1 and updated at least quarterly. The Training Coordinator estimates a budget amount for each event based on the cost of past offerings of the same or similar events. The contractor costs are identified separately. All the items on the initial list are tentative and subject to change as more updated needs assessments are completed.

The individual budget for a workshop, course, or meeting begins with the identified amount from the grant proposal. If there is course, the cost of the contractor must be added into the overall budget for the event. This information is saved in an excel worksheet for all events for each grant

(..Elmo/workshops/workshopschedules /FYXXWorkshopMeetingCosts.xls). It is updated with the actual costs after the training by the Training Coordinator.

If an event is identified during the grant year, the same principles for identifying the budget during the proposal period apply. The new event is added to the Workshop Meeting Costs spreadsheet. It is important for the Training Coordinator to constantly update this worksheet as things change, to make sure all staff have the most up to date information.

If the event being added is to support an agency staff member to attend an outside meeting, the budget should include enough to cover for the maximum number of attendees allowed. After

¹ Annually

¹ Annually

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the cut off date of request for support, the budget should be adjusted to reflect the number of attendees actually requesting support.

Note

When updating the Workshop Meeting Costs spreadsheet, it is important to verify that the amount of money budgeted from each grant is correct.

Course Development If MARAMA determines that training is needed in a topic area for which there is no up-to-date course and MARAMA does not have in-house expertise, MARAMA may hire a training contractor to develop the course.

1. Identify need A course development need may be identified through various methods. The most common is through the STAPPA/ALAPCO Needs Assessment and/or the MARAMA needs assessment. Needs are also identified through MARAMA committee meetings, the Executive Board Meetings and recommendations/requests made on evaluations forms from training events. The Executive Director or Training Coordinator may seek advice from the Executive Board or members of a MARAMA Committee to explore and understand what is needed and what is available.

2. Obtain funds If a need for a new course is identified, the Executive Director seeks funds to support course development and requests approval of the Executive Board to apply for those funds. The Training Coordinator prepares a grant work plan to include the course development project and after she obtains Executive Board approval the Executive Director submits the request to EPA.

3. Set up a Planning Committee The Executive Director or Training Coordinator seeks volunteers for a Course Planning Committee. The Course Planning Committee is a group of state/local agency staff members who have a technical expertise in the particular topic identified. The Committee generally consists of approximately five participants. The Executive Director assigns a MARAMA staff lead to facilitate committee calls and/or meetings.

4. Planning Committee Conference Calls The Course Planning Committee meets via conference call(s) to prepare and review descriptions of the desired training course. The Committee will determine if a contractor is required and what the contractor will be required to do.

5. Generate and Issue an RFP If a contractor is needed, the MARAMA staff lead coordinates preparation of a Request for Proposal (RFP) based on the Course Planning Committee recommendations. MARAMA has a contractor database that is continually updated. After approval by the Executive Director the RFP is posted on the MARAMA website on the Request for Proposals page. An email is sent to the list of contractors in the database as well as to any other contractors identified by the Course Planning Committee. The email notifies the contractors of the RFP

¹ 6 months to 2 years


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availability and directs them to the website. Generally the contractors are given three to four weeks to bid on the RFP. (Specific information on RFP Development can be found in the file cabinet in the Contract file under MARAMA Procurement & Contract Management. There are sample RFPs available as well.)

6. Review and Select a Proposal The MARAMA staff lead circulates copies of the proposals received in response to the RFP to the Course Planning Committee for review. After a conference call, the Committee members return evaluation forms and the MARAMA staff lead complies and tabulates the responses. The staff lead writes a memo documenting the selection and files it along with the RFP in the contracts file. The selection process generally takes two to four weeks to complete.

7. Sign Contract The MARAMA staff lead prepares a contract covering course development and an initial course offering. The contract should follow the format of previous contracts. The MARAMA Project Manager is identified. The staff lead obtains approval of the Executive Director and then the contractor. The Executive Director and Contractor sign two copies of the contract. A signed copy is provided to the contractor and the other is placed in the MARAMA contract file.

8. Set up a Kick-off Meeting Upon notification of award, a meeting is set up with the contractor, the MARAMA Project Manager, Course Planning Committee and invited end users of the course. The goal of the meeting is to prepare an outline of what the course will be and identify possible materials that will be used.

9. Follow Contract Deadlines The MARAMA Project Manager is responsible to ensure that the deliverables are completed in a timely manner. The Project Manager reviews the contract frequently to make sure that all the deadlines are being met. If there is a request for an extension, the requestor should provide a justification. If both parties (the Executive Director and the contractor) agree to the extension a contract addendum is written and executed. The Project Manager updates the Executive Director at least quarterly on the status of the project and at once if any problems are identified (also providing suggested resolution of the problems).

10. Conduct Pilot Course The pilot course is held according to the contract. For this course a special evaluation form should be used to critique the end product. The audience should include those who were on the Course Planning Committee as well as the end users. Staff members from state/local agencies outside of MARAMA, representatives from EPA, and others are invited as appropriate.

11. Summary and Evaluation The Project Manager prepares a summary of the pilot course and course evaluations. The summary memo should be brief and sent through the Executive Director to the Executive Board, the Training Committee and the Course Planning Committee.

12. Course Revision The contractor revises the course according to evaluation responses.


1616

13. Course available for national use When the finalized course is available for delivery, MARAMA notifies the STAPPA/ALAPCO Joint Training Committee and others through committee calls and meetings.

Annual Workshop Schedule MARAMA develops an Annual Workshop Schedule for several reasons, including to:

§ Help obtain resources from MARAMA agencies and EPA

§ Allocate available funds and staff resources to high-priority training needs

§ Inform MARAMA members so that they can make plans to attend

§ Obtain commitments from outside instructors

§ Prevent over-commitment of MARAMA staff time so that high quality is maintained

Ideas and comments on the Schedule from MARAMA members and EPA are welcome at any time. Directors are encouraged to circulate copies to their staff. A copy of the schedule is posted on MARAMA’s web site.

In developing the schedule, there are several factors to consider:

§ Type of Event Workshops conducted entirely by outside trainers (Level 3 MARAMA Contracted Courses) must be scheduled well in advance, whereas committee meetings (Level 2) and conference calls may be added to the schedule with as little as six weeks notice for meetings or a week for conference calls.

§ Time for Approval It is important to announce meetings at least six to eight weeks in advance, because members require advance notice to obtain approval for overnight travel. In addition, time must be allowed for copying meeting material, arranging for facilities, etc. Scheduling a meeting less than six weeks in the future must only be done after careful consideration of the logistics and with full cooperation of the participants.

§ Other Activities, Workloads and Holidays Consideration of religious holidays, opportunities to link with other activities, seasonal variation in members’ work loads, and availability of experts as speakers have a significant influence on the schedule.

§ Intervals between Meetings With a small staff, scheduling more than one Level 1 MARAMA workshop or meeting per month may create overwork and require hiring additional temporary staff. Contracted meetings or courses (Level 3) or events only requiring reimbursement of expenses (Level 4) should be interspersed with Executive Board meetings or other workshops requiring the Executive Director and/or MARAMA staff to spend significant time obtaining speakers or developing materials.


1717

§ Attendance Size Alternating workshops by size of attendance so that large workshops are interspersed with smaller meetings helps to smooth out the administrative workload.

Identifying the Meeting Location The Executive Director or Training Coordinator chooses the general location (state or city) for the meeting primarily based on expected attendance and availability of speakers. In some cases (e.g., monitoring), a traditional meeting month and location may be repeated. In other cases, the meeting may have been requested particularly by a specific agency or a committee may request a particular location. Executive Board meetings are held twice a year in conjunction with STAPPA/ALAPCO meetings in order to minimize travel burdens on the Directors. For some contracted courses, if a field visit is required, the location needs to be near the type of industry/facility specified by the Training Provider.

Development of the Annual Workshop Schedule 1. By early February, MARAMA submits a general plan for the next fiscal year to EPA

OAQPS. The general plan estimates how many training courses MARAMA will sponsor and provides a preliminary budget for the training grant. The Training Coordinator and Executive Director develop the general plan and circulate it to the Training Committee. The Executive Director also circulates it to the MARAMA Directors.

2. By the middle of the proceeding fiscal year, the Training Coordinator conducts the MARAMA needs assessment and develops an initial list of courses scheduled in advance.

3. By the end of June, a list of potential workshops is developed. The Training Coordinator works with the Executive Director and technical staff to identify priority training needs and budget allocations.

4. The Training Coordinator develops the list and estimated budgets for each event in the Annual Workshop Schedule spreadsheet and renames the file with the current fiscal year (..Elmo/ workshops/workshopschedules/FYXXWorkshopMeetingsCosts.xls).

5. By mid-July, after review and approval by the Executive Director, the draft schedule is submitted to EPA region III as part of the training grant application for the next fiscal year.

6. By the end of September a detailed schedule is completed for the remainder of the calendar year, with as much detail as possible for the rest of the year. The Training Coordinator sends the training course schedule to EPA OAQPS to post on the integrated training calendar.

7. The Annual Workshop Schedule is reviewed and revised quarterly, or more often as needed. The Executive Director is responsible for ensuring that the schedule is developed in a timely manner and that it meets the important training needs of MARAMA member agencies. The Executive Director presents the Annual

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Workshop Schedule to the MARAMA Executive Board at their quarterly meetings for review and comment.

8. The Annual Workshop Schedule is posted on MARAMA’s web site on a quarterly basis; more often if necessary. It is also distributed to EPA, MARAMA Directors, and shared with the EPA-STAPPA-ALAPCO Joint Training Committee. Courses are posted on the EPA consolidated website.

Meeting Checklists and Multi-Workshop Schedules Event management begins about 12 weeks before the date of the event. As a result, activities relating to several events must be planned concurrently.

The Meeting Checklists and the Multi-Workshop General Schedule help to ensure that preparations for each meeting or workshop are completed on time without requiring unplanned overtime or extra temporary help.

Generating Meeting Checklists The Training Coordinator generates a Meeting Checklist for each meeting which lays out the primary activities, staff assigned, and schedule for task

completion for the meeting or workshop. There is a different Meeting Checklist for each type of MARAMA event to include:

§ Levels 1 & 2 Meetings & Workshops/Committee Meetings

§ Level 3 Contracted Meetings and Courses

§ Executive Board Events

§ Level 4 Training Reimbursement

See Appendix D. Figures 1-4 for sample checklists. Activities in bold are likely to be included in the Multi-Workshop General Schedule. The meeting checklist is more detailed than the Multi-Workshop General Schedule and is especially useful to ensure appropriate delegation and timely completion of preparations. The checklist is modified for each event as appropriate. Notes regarding changes and the expected timing of specific tasks are made during the kickoff meeting and subsequent weekly meetings or calls.

Details on generating the Meeting Checklist are provided in the appropriate chapter for each type of MARAMA event. Each person helping with the workshop has access to an electronic copy of the checklist under the meeting folder on the network (..Elmo/workshops/meetingname/). Each checklist is named with the meeting date and name (i.e. Jan-2002CARB200Checklist.xls).

Maintaining the Multi-Workshop General Schedule The Training Coordinator develops a Multi-Workshop General Schedule to utilize staff resources effectively, prevent over commitments, and serve as a

reminder of things to do. The general schedule extends about four months into the future and

¹ 12-14 Weeks

¹ Monthly


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covers the major events scheduled within that time. Appendix D: Figure 38 shows the format of a general schedule. If events are scheduled one after another too closely, there may be weeks with an impossibly large work load for a small staff. Therefore, the Training Coordinator must consider the general schedule for several meetings at once and plan ahead to avoid over-commitments. If necessary, the Training Coordinator obtains the Executive Director’s approval to hire temporary staff to expedite the completion of necessary tasks.

Updating the Multi-Workshop General Schedule

The Training Coordinator maintains the Multi-Workshop General Schedule. Updates should be done at least once every two weeks, but not less than once a month. Updates that are made include: 1) deleting past meetings, 2) deleting past weeks 3) adding new meetings and 4) adding new weeks for tasks. When a new meeting is identified and the Meeting Checklist has been completed, a meeting can be added to the Multi-Workshop General Schedule.

1. The Training Coordinator opens the file (..Elmo/workshops/workshop schedules/multi-workshopgeneralschedule.doc).

2. The current week is identified in the document table and all of the rows above the current week are highlighted (except for the heading row). If any items have not been completed, they are noted on a separate sheet of paper.

3. The highlighted rows are deleted from the table. It is important that this step happens before any new meetings are added.

4. Any tasks not completed in the previous weeks should be added to the current week.

5. The heading row should be reviewed to determine any columns with meetings that now have all tasks complete. If so, the entire column for the meeting can be deleted. For each column deleted, a new meeting column should be inserted into the table to the right of the existing columns.

6. To add new meetings, the Training Coordinator determines the type of meeting (workshop or board meting) and then the Training Coordinator will use the template to copy the checklist for tasks for the workshop or meeting. The Training Coordinator opens the template file

(..Elmo/workshops/templates/multi-workshoptemplate.doc).

7. In the template document, the column for either Executive Board Meetings or Workshops should be highlighted (18 rows in all). This is copied (Ctrl C command). The copied text is then pasted in the Multi-Workshop General Schedule document to the right of the last column in the table. New rows will be automatically added at the end of the table when the data is pasted to accommodate all tasks. As necessary, the text of the tasks in each column can be highlighted and cut (Ctrl X command) and pasted (Ctrl V command) lower or higher in the meeting column until the meeting or workshop falls in the appropriate week (checking the dates in the first column on the left with the meeting dates).

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8. For new rows added at the end of the table, the dates for each week are entered in the first column. template file can be closed (no changes were made) and the Multi-Workshop General Schedule should be saved.

Weekly Meetings The Executive Director and Training Coordinator are responsible for overall event management. Frequent communication regarding schedules, priorities and problems should involve all who are working on the meeting or workshop.

Management review responsibilities also include providing encouragement to stay on schedule. This can be accomplished indirectly in most cases simply by requesting status updates at weekly staff meetings.

During the weekly staff meeting, staff assess progress, identify the cause of any delays, and plan corrective actions. The Multi-Workshop General Schedule and the Meeting Checklists for specific meetings can be used to assess progress. As necessary, the schedules are adjusted to ensure task not completed as planned are assigned a revised due date.

Job Aids for MARAMA Staff Roles The Job Aids related to meeting planning outline clear responsibilities for four identified roles in support of workshops and meetings. The Job Aids are not associated with a specific staff person/job title as one person might be assigned more than one role for a meeting. The Job Aids are intended as a way to organize responsibilities and tasks in the procedures manual based on experience, skill levels and areas of expertise as a specific role.

§ Technical Lead The Technical Lead is responsible for agenda development, identification of speakers, determining the content for meeting books, preparation of meeting summary paragraph, and review of speaker thank you letters. The Technical Lead asks the Training Coordinator to include meetings on the Annual Workshop Schedule.

§ Logistics Lead The Logistics Lead updates the Meeting Checklist and Multi-Workshop Schedule, oversees site selection, conducts contract negotiations, prepares the registration form and meeting memos (if customized), prepares budget and cost summaries, reviews the agenda with the Technical Lead, makes hotel arrangements, and reviews invoices.

§ Logistics Assistant The Logistic Assistant sends out emails/letters, registers attendees, prepares name badges, oversees the preparation of meeting notebooks, prepares attendance and evaluation summaries and generates speaker thank you letters.

§ Management Review The Executive Director signs contracts, and approves final agendas, meeting reports and evaluation summaries. Management review and approval of the training/workshop schedule is provided at least quarterly.

¹ Weekly Start to End

A G E N D A D E V E L O P M E N T

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Agenda Development A well-planned program is a critical component in a successful meeting or workshop. Agenda Development is a task in the Event Management Pre-Event Activities, but it is highlighted here in this chapter to provide additional guidelines and details.

eveloping the agenda helps clarify and meet specific training needs. MARAMA workshops generally explain new regulatory requirements, orient new staff to ongoing programs, provide opportunities for agencies to learn form each other, and/or allow agencies to work on resolving common problems.

For a workshop involving multiple speakers, work on the agenda begins at least 10 weeks before the workshop. If a survey of potential participants regarding topics or speakers is expected, it is especially important to start early.

The Technical Lead coordinates development of the workshop agenda with an ad-hoc Agenda Committee whose members have pertinent knowledge of the Workshop’s subject matter. Committee members generally include the MARAMA Executive Director, Technical Lead, MARAMA Committee Chairman, and an EPA Region III expert advisor. The committee chair or the Technical Lead drafts the workshop agenda and the Technical Lead solicits and coordinates comments.

Soliciting Input on Agenda Topics The Technical Lead gathers input for the agenda in one of several ways, depending on the nature of the event.

§ MARAMA Members Especially for small meetings, or if there is no MARAMA Committee, the Technical Lead calls a number of MARAMA members and/or Directors to solicit input and ideas.

§ EPA The Executive Director or Technical Lead may discuss the event with national or regional experts from EPA (from Region III, OAQPS, or OTAQ, etc.) to share ideas about agenda topics and speakers to assess what topics can be addressed and who is available to speak at the workshop.

§ Committee Chair If a MARAMA Committee exists, the chair of that committee is contacted by the Technical Lead and/or by the EPA lead to further share ideas.

Chapter

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§ Survey Members In some cases, the Committee Chair or the Technical Lead develops a survey, which the Technical Lead or Committee Chair circulates to each MARAMA agency, asking for ideas or comments on potential agenda topics. Surveys can be completed quickly and informally if a small number of people are polled by phone, e-mail, or at another meeting (e.g., during a break at an Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) committee meeting). Circulating written surveys takes more time and is not usually done. The Dispersion Modeling Committee and Permits Committees have used surveys productively.

§ Previous Evaluation Summary Reports If previous meetings were held on the same or a related topic, the evaluation summary report is pulled and reviewed by the Technical Lead for recommendations or guidance in planning the agenda.

Establishing the Meeting Framework When polling agencies about agenda topics, the Technical Lead also solicits information about the expected attendance at the event, so that a large enough facility can be arranged for the event.

1. To help clarify the objectives and goals for the meeting or workshop and to help determine the meeting’s general requirements (which is necessary to communicate to the Logistics Lead),

the Technical Lead completes the Meeting Framework Worksheet shown in Appendix D. Figure 5. (..Elmo/checklists/Framework.doc).

2. The Meeting Management Guidebook can be referenced if necessary to provide guidance on the desired room set-up and other factors to consider for setting up the meeting (see pages 28-33).

3. The Logistics Lead reviews the Meeting Framework Worksheet and gets any additional clarifications necessary. This information can then be used to determine the facility requirements for the event.

Drafting the Agenda The Technical Lead is primarily responsible for drafting the agenda. The Executive Director and Logistics Lead reviews the preliminary draft, final draft, and final agenda.

1. ¹ As soon as possible The Technical Lead begins to gather ideas concerning potential agenda topics or speakers as soon as a workshop topic appears on the Annual Workshop Schedule or the MARAMA Topics List of potential workshops using the methods described above.

2. ¹ Weeks 12-14 As a result of initial contacts, if necessary, an ad hoc committee is formed to help develop the agenda, obtain speakers, or assist with handouts or logistics. A Kick-Off Meeting or call is held by the Technical Lead with the person

¹ Weeks 12-14

& Determining the Meeting’s General Requirements pages 2-3

& Meeting Room Set-Ups pages 28-33

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assisting with the agenda. The Logistics Lead for the event should also be included in the Kick-Off meeting. For major workshops, the ad hoc committee may confer via weekly conference calls.

For some workshops, MARAMA hires outside experts as instructors. The instructor develops the program, prepares handouts, and presents the workshop. In cooperation with the ad hoc agenda committee, the MARAMA Executive Director issues an RPF or prepares a sole source justification, evaluates proposals, finalizes the selection, and then signs a contract with the proposed workshop instructor(s). The instructors are recognized experts in the workshop’s subject matter. (See Course Development procedures on pages 14-16).

More commonly, MARAMA workshops include several speakers who make individual presentations. Members of the ad hoc committee and the Technical Lead begin the iterative follow up process of acquiring the workshop speaker(s). Initially, verbal confirmation is acquired from the proposed workshop speakers for specific agenda topics. The Meeting Management Guidebook provides additional details on working with speakers and presenters

in Presentations and Speeches (page 34).

3. ¹ Week 10 The Technical Lead distributes a Preliminary Draft Agenda to the ad hoc agenda committee members for their review and comments. The Technical Lead also coordinates agenda development with the Logistics Lead to ensure that breaks, room sizes and other logistical arrangements are appropriately

scheduled. The agenda includes the following:

§ Meeting Name

§ Meeting Location

§ Meeting Dates § Session Times, Topics and Objectives by day

§ Speaker/Presenter Names

4. ¹ Week 8 The Technical Lead integrates comments into a Final Draft Agenda and solicits final recommendations for workshop instructors or speakers. The MARAMA web master posts the draft workshop agenda on the MARAMA workshop web page.

5. The Technical Lead develops and maintains a list of instructors and speakers and tracks initial contacts, transmittal of confirmation requests, receipt of commitment letters, requirements for audio/visual equipment, and receipt of bibliographic information. This list is kept on the Training

Coordinator’s computer in the folder for the meeting. The speaker list can be tracked using the draft agenda or in an Excel spreadsheet. The session name or number, date and time, speaker name, topic and status (note regarding contact with and responses from the speaker) are tracked.

& See Presentations & Speeches page 34

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6. As speakers are invited, the Technical Lead notifies the Logistics Lead and provides a list of names and contact information.

7. ¹ Weeks 5-9 The Logistics Assistant develops and mails Speaker Confirmation Letters to expected speakers. The request for written confirmation includes the presentation time and topic, the deadline date for submitting workshop handouts, a form requesting audio/visual equipment requirements and the meeting registration form. Detailed instructions on Speaker Correspondence can be found in Chapter 6. MARAMA Meetings and Workshops/Committee Meetings.

8. ¹ Week 4 Upon receipt of all instructors’ or speakers’ confirmations, the Technical Lead prepares the Final Agenda. The MARAMA web master posts the final workshop agenda on the MARAMA workshop web page.

Note

Additional details on confirmation of speakers, sample speaker letters and collecting presentations materials are provided in Chapter 6. MARAMA Meetings & Workshops/Committee Meetings.

S I T E S E L E C T I O N & F I E L D V I S I T T R A N S P O R T A T I O N

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Site Selection & Field Visit Transportation Details on selecting the site for the meeting or workshop are in this Chapter. When determining a location for the event, availability of transportation may be an issue if a field visit is necessary. Details on selecting a transportation provider are also included here.

hoosing an appropriate location for a meeting or workshop helps ensure a good attendance and facilitates financial dealings involved with the event. If a field visit is necessary for the meeting, finding a reliable transportation provider is important to take attendees to and from the meeting site to the field visit location.

Site Selection Depending on the location (region or city) and time of year, it is important to initiate facility arrangements as early as possible, usually about 12 weeks before the event. Facility contracts should be signed at least 10 weeks before most events. A minimum of six weeks notice (with a goal of eight weeks) should be given to participants, and facility arrangements must be concluded before registration materials are sent.

The Logistics Lead is primarily responsible for facility arrangements. The Executive Director must approve and sign all contracts and the Logistics Lead must closely coordinate with the Technical Lead to ensure facility arrangements are consistent with agenda development. This is especially critical as far as the size of meeting rooms needed, the number of sleeping rooms to block, and the timing of meals and breaks.

Note

For some Meetings or Workshops, the site may already be determined, such as meetings that take place during an existing STAPPA/ALAPCO meeting. In this instance, site selection might not be required; however, arrangements may still be needed for meeting space and meals or breaks.

Chapter

4

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For some meetings and for Level 3 Contracted Meetings and Courses, the site location may be dictated by the availability of appropriate facilities for the field trips that are required, such as for CARB 200 Level courses.

Clarifying the Budget It is critical to have a clear understanding of the event budget. Competitive bids should be obtained and efforts made to negotiate the best value. MARAMA’s past history and budgets should be used to help ensure that the budget is comprehensive and accurate in identifying costs. The Logistics Lead drafts the meeting budget and reviews it with the Training Coordinator.

Conducting the Site Survey Once location has been identified, MARAMA can begin surveying potential sites to hold the meeting or workshop. This site survey process can be done by a hotel location service or in-house by the Logistics Lead.

1. Unless a specific facility is needed for a particular workshop, the Logistics Lead requests that the location service conducts a survey of appropriate facilities in the

general area of the workshop’s desired location. If the location is an area previously used by MARAMA, the site selection information can be pulled from an existing file and the same facility contacted for updated information. The Training Coordinator maintains information on hotels or facilities where site

survey data has been collected and/or where past meetings have been held. (..Elmo/Hotel Information/MARAMA hotels YY.doc).

2. The Logistics Lead uses the Meeting Framework Worksheet to determine meeting requirements. This form is completed by the Technical Lead or by the Training Provider. With the meeting requirements laid out, the Logistics Lead completes the Facilities Specification Memo by copying it from the template (..Elmo/workshops/template/specmemo.doc) and saving it in the meeting folder. The Logistics Lead updates the Facilities Specification Memo with the following information:

§ All general site requirements

§ Dates preferred for the meeting § Number and type of guest rooms required

§ Number, size, estimated times needed, type of function and room set-up for meeting rooms.

§ Audiovisual needs § Dates and type of food and beverage events

§ Exhibits and any other special events or activities

§ Complimentary requirements and any other special requests

& See Clarifying the Budget pages 3-7

& See Controlling Costs pages 22-24

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Conducting the Site Survey Using a Hotel Location Service For larger meetings, or when there are many meetings going on at the same time, MARAMA sometimes uses a “free” hotel location service which locates several options for facilities and provides cost estimates. Because this service is funded by a commission paid by hotels, using this service will indirectly increase some hotel costs. This should be taken into consideration when planning the budget. Appendix E. Vendor & Training Provider Contact Information contains the contact information for service providers.

1. The Logistics Lead provides the Facilities Specification Memo to a Hotel Location Service which sends out a request for proposal to potential hotels or sites in the location(s) identified using the requirements provided. The Hotel Location Service obtains bids from a minimum of three facilities whenever possible. The Hotel Location Service receives the written bids and prepares a summary for MARAMA. This summary is faxed to MARAMA.

2. The Logistics Lead reviews the summary provided by the Hotel Location Service. If there are any questions regarding the bids, the Logistic Lead contacts the Hotel Location Service (not the hotel). The Hotel Location Service will answer any questions. They can also provide additional facility information as needed, and set up site inspections when required.

3. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the worksheet for the new meeting or workshop and enters each facility’s costs (top three choices) into the Hotel Cost Comparison Worksheet (..Elmo/checklists/HotelCostComparison.xls). This will allow for easy comparison of the overall costs of the prospective

facilities.

4. The Logistic Lead and the Hotel Location Service work together to negotiate/approve room and meal costs; provide an estimate of the number of rooms to be blocked off for workshop attendees; select meeting room(s) and meeting room layouts; and select food/beverage items for the selected scheduled dates of the workshop.

Conducting the Site Survey In-House 1. Once a location is identified (region or city) facilities can be found through web sites, Meeting Planning magazines, facility materials sent to MARAMA, and by surveying MARAMA members who live in the area identified.

2. The Logistics Lead sends the Facilities Specification Memo to potential hotels or facilities in the location(s) identified along with a request for proposals. The Logistics Lead obtains written bids from a minimum of three facilities whenever possible.

3. The Logistics Lead negotiates room and meal costs; provides an estimate of the number of rooms to be blocked off for workshop attendees; selects meeting room(s) and meeting room layouts; selects food/beverage items; and makes the reservations for the selected

!!

¹ Weeks 12-14

& Site Selection pages 12-18

& Meeting Space Guidelines page 33

& Negotiating & Meeting History page 21


2828

scheduled dates of the workshop.

4. The Logistics Lead reviews the written bids and contacts the hotel contact with any questions. If needed, an on-site inspection can be conducted during this stage to assist in identifying the appropriate facility.

5. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the worksheet for the new meeting or workshop and enters each facility’s costs into the Hotel Cost Comparison Worksheet (..Elmo/checklists/HotelCostComparison.xls). This will allow for easy comparison of the overall costs of the prospective facilities.

Tax Exempt Status 1. When using a site in Maryland, the Logistics Lead informs any vendors or sites that

MARAMA is a Maryland tax-exempt organization. As a rule of thumb, when faxing or mailing back the direct bill application, a copy of the tax-exempt certificate is included. A copy of the tax-exempt certificate can be obtained from the Senior Administrative Assistant or Training Coordinator.

2. When the Logistics Lead is reviewing invoices for services provided or bought in Maryland, it is important to verify that tax has not been included in the total. If tax has been included, the Logistics Lead immediately informs the company and follows whatever procedures (usually submitting a copy of the tax-exempt certificate) the company has in place to adjust the invoice.

Identifying Audiovisual and Menu Options During the initial discussions with the hotels or facilities, the available audiovisual and menu options and prices should be identified. The Logistics Lead requests to have availability and price sheets faxed to MARAMA. Typically the decision on the exact menu options and A/V equipment needed does not have to be finalized until 2-4 weeks before the event. However, the amount of food to be purchased should be clarified during the negotiation of meeting room costs, since room costs may be waived if one or more meals will be served. Some hotels may offer complimentary food or beverage items to hotel guests with specific room rentals.

For audiovisual equipment rental, it is important to keep in mind that the hotel prices are usually significantly higher than finding another vendor to provide the services. The Logistics Lead should request information about

services available, prices, and when the equipment needs to be reserved.

For food and beverage functions, the Logistics Lead should request sample menu options, suggestions for unique menus or breaks and obtain prices. For Level 1 or 2 events, MARAMA typically offers a continental breakfast and morning refreshments and afternoon breaks. Sometimes lunch may be provided. Depending on the meeting, attendees are usually on their own for dinner. The nature of MARAMA’s grants prohibits paying for alcoholic beverages. The Logistics Lead should be clear on the hotel’s guarantee policy. Typically a hotel will require a guarantee count for food functions at least 72 hours in advance.

!!

& Controlling Costs pages 22-24

& Audiovisuals pages 35-38

& Food & Beverage Functions pages 39-45

¹ Week 11


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1. The Logistics Lead prints a copy and completes or updates the Contacts and AV Needs Worksheet (..Elmo/checklists/contacts_AV.doc) and staples it to the front inside cover of the meeting folder that is kept with the Logistics Lead and then in the master file. For meetings that have a field trip, this worksheet will already be

printed. This worksheet contains information on key contacts for the selected hotel and basic AV and food and beverage needs.

Finalizing Site Selection Criteria used for the selection process include, but are not limited to, the following:

§ Quality and nature of facilities § Costs (meeting room, guest rooms, food)

§ Location (travel costs, transit availability)

§ Responsiveness of facility staff

1. The Logistics Lead reviews the cost information in the Hotel Cost Comparison Worksheet and any hotel history (if applicable) and identifies the best option(s).

2. If possible, a site visit is conducted at the selected facility before signing the contract. This is especially important if MARAMA has not used the facility before or the facility has undergone changes since the last meeting. In some instances, MARAMA may request a representative from a state or local agency where the event will be held to visit the facility. If desired, the optional Site Visit Checklist can be used (see Meeting Management Guidebook, pages 15-16).

3. The Logistics Lead submits a brief memo recommending a site and explains the recommendation concerning cost, location, quality, and responsiveness, as well as any other pertinent information. The memo is addressed to the Executive Director from or through the Training Coordinator. The Training Coordinator must sign off on all facility recommendations before they are submitted to the Executive Director.

4. Once a site has been selected, a written contract is requested from the facility to reserve the meeting space.

§ If a Hotel Location Service is used, the Logistics Lead notifies the Hotel Location Service of the results and they contact the hotel for a contract and notify the other hotels of the decision. The contract will be sent directly to MARAMA for signature. Any questions or concerns regarding the contracts are directed to the Hotel Location service.

§ If site selection was done in-house, the Logistics Lead requests a contract from the hotel, preferably by fax to enable a quick review. Any questions or concerns regarding the contract are directed to the site. The Logistics Lead notifies each site of MARAMA’s decision.

!!

¹ Weeks 10-11

& Site Visit pages 13-14, 15-16

& Reserving the Meeting Space page 14


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5. This contract is reviewed carefully by the Logistics Lead to ensure that all items are accounted for and prices are the same as quoted. The cancellation policy should be clearly understood. The Training Coordinator initials approval and transmits the contract to the Executive Director for signature, noting any issues or concerns.

Signing the Facility Contract and Submitting the Deposit The MARAMA Executive Director reviews and signs the facility contract and the Logistics Assistant requests payment of the applicable deposit from

accounting, notifying the Senior Administrative Assistant of the date the deposit is due. A copy of the contract is provided to the Senior Administrative Assistant as backup. The amount due is highlighted.

Meeting rooms, sleeping rooms, food services, and A/V equipment should be included in the contract so that there are no surprises later regarding costs. Usually, a second contract or banquet event orders are required to provide specifics for the meals and breaks.

Submitting the Credit Application and Setting Up a Master Account 1. The Logistics Assistant completes a credit application to

request that the facility direct bill MARAMA for the workshop costs rather than requiring immediate payment at the end of the workshop. The information for the application can be obtained from previous credit applications and/or from accounting.

2. The Executive Director must sign the application and the Logistics Assistant faxes the original to the facility and makes a copy to put in the chronological file. The original is put in the Master files.

3. If billing cannot be arranged, the on-site coordinator will charge the bill on his/her company credit card and/or makes arrangements in advance to take along a MARAMA check for all or part of the cost if it exceeds the credit limit.

Securing Field Visit Transportation Obtaining Transportation Options

For meetings that may have a field visit, options for transporting the meeting attendees to and from the field visit site should be identified. This will most

likely be charter bus or van services in the area.

1. The Logistics Lead locates charter bus or van services in the potential meeting locations. The hotel may be able to provide names and phone number or the local yellow pages can be searched online.

2. The Logistics Lead prints the Contacts and AV Needs Worksheet (..Elmo/workshops/checklists/Contacts_AV.doc or Contacts_AV3.doc) and updates it with the contact information, names, services offered and prices of the potential vendors that can be used.

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Finalizing Field Trips and Securing the Transportation Provider For Level 3 meetings that require a field visit and for other meetings that may have a field visit, the Logistics Lead verifies the field trip arrangements

with the state or local agency liaison. Information should have been gathered during the site selection process around week 12-14.

Using the estimated number of participants, the Logistics Lead secures the transportation provider. Any written commitment must be signed by the

Executive Director. The Logistics Lead also updates the Contacts and AV Needs Worksheet with the finalized contact information and fees for the transportation provider.

¹ Week 5

¹ Week 4

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Registration & Registration Reports This chapter provides details the registration process which is the same for all MARAMA meeting types. Details on how and when to generate registration reports such as attendee lists are also included here.

egistration activities help MARAMA accurately predict the number of people who will attend the workshop or meeting so that appropriate space, handouts, and food are provided and costs kept within budgets. They also help prepare information useful to participants to help them network with each other. The MARAMA Contacts database is

used to enter and track registrations. The database contains the following information for each person who will be attending:

§ Name § Title § Organization (the state or city of the agency) § Agency (the Department or Division of the agency) § Address § Phone Number § Fax Number § E-mail Address § Dates Attending Meeting § Dates of Room Reservation § Comments (include Special Dietary Requirements, speaker details, etc.) § Other Notes § Speaker

Entering Registrations 1. The Registration Form is generated and sent to potential participants. It can also be found on the MARAMA web site.

2. Forms are completed and returned to MARAMA via email, fax, or mail. Registration forms are put in the In Box on the Administrative Assistant’s desk as they are received.

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3. On a daily basis (1-8 weeks) registrations are entered into the Contacts Database (K:/contacts.mdb). The Logistics Assistant maintains the workshop Contacts Database. The database is regularly updated with the addition or modification of each registrant’s information.

§ Select K:/contacts.mdb to open the database file.

§ Click on the Search Contacts button to filter for or select the contact’s record. The search can be done a number of fields, but the last name

is probably the easiest way to search for the participant’s information. If a record does not already exist for the person, then a new record needs to be set up. Another option is to select the View/Edit Contacts button from the Main Menu and use the Last Name search feature there.

§ When the person’s record is displayed, review the contact information to ensure it is up to date and then select the name of the conference they are registering for from the “Remaining Conference” list.

§ The Conference Attended window is displayed. Indicate the dates the person will attend the conference and the hotel nights. If applicable, check if they will be a speaker. Note any dietary needs or other comments concerning their attendance in the comments box. Also identify MARAMA coverage by writing the state and city abbreviations in the comments box (i.e., “MARAMA coverage-VA). This helps identify multiple requests for support.

§ Save changes and exit the Contacts Database or search for another new contact.

Generating Registration Reports The Contacts Database has several reports that are used to help track registrations, generate attendee lists and confirm counts/agencies represented. The three reports used by MARAMA are:

§ Conference Participation List – Regular: This report is used as the attendee roster and contains complete contact information. This list shows participants’ address, phone, fax, and e-mail information (see Appendix D. Figure 42.). This list is an important tool to help registrants get in touch with each other after the workshop. It is included in the meeting handouts and a final version is printed for the Master Files. The Logistics Assistant generates the Conference Participation List – Regular for the meeting notebooks 1 week before the meeting. Copies are made to include in the meeting handouts. At the conclusion of the meeting the Contacts Database is updated with any corrections made by attendees (and no-shows) and a final list is generated to include in the Master Files.

§ Conference Participation Table: This report provides a quick count and review at a glance of the agencies and individuals registered. It does not include complete contact information. This report shows the dates participants will be attending and nights they will be staying at the hotel (see Appendix D. Figure 44.). MARAMA staff uses this list to plan sufficient seating, food, and handouts. If no one from an agency has registered, then a reminder memo or call will be made. This list is also used to

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select appropriate representatives from each agency whose rooms will be billed to MARAMA. The Logistics Assistant runs the Conference Participation Table weekly starting at week 5 through 1 week before the meeting. A copy of the list is provided to the Training Coordinator. This list is used to identify agencies not participating, to confirm/check numbers with estimates provided to the hotel and to give the final guarantees for food and rooms.

§ Conference Participation List – With Comments and Dates: This report is used internally by MARAMA to compare registrants with the hotel rooming lists and provide comments for any special needs (such as dietary, handicapped, etc) (see Appendix D. Figure 43.). The Logistics Lead generates the Conference Participation List – With Comments and Dates at week 4 and week 1 to complete the MARAMA rooming list and to ensure that any special arrangements requested (i.e. for food) are taken care of.

1. To generate Conference Participation reports, the Contacts Database is opened (K:/contacts.mdb)

§ Click on the View/Edit Conferences button.

§ The Conferences window is displayed. Filter for the appropriate conference. [This can be done by right clicking the mouse on the

Conference Name field and entering in a word or name to Filter For]. You can also use the record indicators in the lower left portion of the window to scroll through the records to select the appropriate one.

§ When the appropriate conference record is displayed, select the Conference Reports button. The Reports window will be displayed. Select the appropriate report as listed above. The report will be displayed in Print Preview mode and can then be printed by selecting the Print icon on the menu or selecting “File”, then Print.

§ Exit the Contacts Database or search for another conference.

Tracking Registrations The Logistics Lead monitors the registration count. If pre-registration exceeds the pre-designated count limits, the Training Coordinator (in consultation with the Executive Director) will recommend closing registration or expanding the size of the workshop if additional facility/hotel meeting room space is available, and the instructor is willing and resources permit. If registration is below expected levels, it may be necessary to solicit additional registrations or cancel the class. Guarantees for food service are also adjusted based on registration counts.

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MARAMA Meetings & Workshops/Committee Meetings Details for tasks and roles as outlined in the Meeting Checklists for MARAMA Meetings & Workshops (Level 1) and Committee Meetings (Level 2) are provided in this chapter. Information is organized by Pre-Event Activities, On-Site Activities and Post-Event Activities.

ARAMA meetings and workshops are categorized based on the level of support they require and the tasks that need to be done. The two types of meetings that the details in this chapter apply to are:

§ Level 1 MARAMA Meetings and Workshops

§ Level 2 Committee Meetings

Level 1 and 2 meetings have similar tasks. The main difference between “Level 1 MARAMA Meetings & Workshops” and “Level 2 Committee Meetings” is the level of effort (total hours) required to carry out the event management tasks. Typically there are fewer attendees for a Level 2 meeting and the format is less formal. Meeting materials may be a few handouts in a folder, instead of a complete binder with speaker presentations.

Pre-Event Activities As soon as the event has been identified and the overall budget has been set up, pre-event activities can begin. Typically this is 12-14 weeks prior to the start of the event. Information that is needed to begin planning for the event

includes the meeting topic, target audience, and possible dates and locations.

1. The Training Coordinator updates the Annual Workshop Schedule with the event and works with the Executive Director to establish a general budget for the meeting or workshop and determines how many people from each agency will be supported to attend.

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2 If there were any previous meetings held on the same or a related topic, the prior evaluation summary report(s) is reviewed by the Technical Lead and the Logistics Lead for recommendations or guidance in planning the meeting.

3. The Training Coordinator sets up a hard copy file folder and includes a Document Tracking Sheet inside. This can be a lined page to track all correspondence related to the meeting and includes the date, a description of the correspondence (fax, letter, email, etc) and the person(s) involved.

Generating the Meeting Checklist and Assigning Roles The Training Coordinator initiates pre-event activities by generating the Meeting Checklist and then (in consultation with the Executive Director

and other staff) identifies staff for the roles of Management Review, Technical Lead, Logistics Lead and Logistics Assistant. The roles assigned to an individual may change from meeting to meeting, and for some meetings, one person may be assigned to more than one role. It is important to be familiar with more than one role, where possible, so that tasks can still be completed if a person is on vacation or out of the office unexpectedly. As necessary, back-up personnel should be assigned to the roles.

The Meeting Checklist is an Excel spreadsheet that contains the following information:

§ Meeting Title

§ Meeting Start and End Dates

§ The Monday prior to the meeting start date (if not on a Monday)

§ Type of Meeting (Level 1 or 2)

§ Type of Funding

§ Staff Persons Assigned to Roles

§ Expected Attendees

§ Targeted Group(s)

§ Tasks to be completed and time frames

The checklists are organized into three main sections, with tasks listed on a weekly basis from 12-14 weeks prior to the event until 4 weeks after the event. The three main sections are Pre-Event Activities, On-Site Activities and Post-Event Activities.

1. The Training Coordinator or Logistics Lead creates a new folder under the directory ..Elmo/workshops with the event date and name/abbreviation (i.e. 2002-Jan-CARB200). The blank subfolders can be copied from the New Meeting Folder Setup directory into the new meeting folder.

2. The Logistics Lead copies the MARAMA Meetings & Workshops/Committee Meetings Meeting Checklist and saves it to the meeting folder with the meeting name in front of the checklist filename (i.e.

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CARB200Checklist.xls) from (..Elmo/checklists/Level1_2Checklist.xls).

3. The Logistics Lead inserts the detailed information in the fields highlighted in blue text. The Task Completion Dates and Lead Assigned To fields will be automatically updated with actual dates and names of individuals when the information is entered. As necessary, the checklist is adjusted for the following:

§ Delete any tasks that are not required for the specified event

§ Indicate any holidays and adjustments to the dates to work around holidays, travel or staff vacations.

§ If necessary, alter the staff assignments for specific tasks if the lead will be out of the office on the task due dates and the dates cannot be adjusted.

4. The Logistics Lead saves changes to the meeting checklist. The Logistics Lead updates the Multi-Workshop General Checklist with the new workshop’s major tasks/dates. The checklist can be used to verify the dates are set appropriately. (See Chapter 3, Agenda Development for details on updating this checklist).

5. The Training Coordinator notifies the workshop team that an electronic copy of the checklist for the event is available. Notes regarding changes and the expected timing of specific tasks are made during the Kick-Off Meeting. As desired, staff can print all or part of the checklists for their own use/tracking.

Establishing the Meeting Framework The Technical Lead is primarily responsible for establishing the meeting framework. It is important that everyone has a clear understanding of what is to be accomplished with the event. The objective parameters and expectations for the meeting should be determined before planning any details. The Meeting Framework Worksheet is used to identify the answers to questions that help the logistics team understand the general meeting requirements.

1. The Technical Lead completes a preliminary Meeting Framework Worksheet (..Elmo/Checklists/ Framework.doc). Adjustments may be needed as the agenda develops.

2. The Meeting Management Guidebook can be referenced if necessary to provide guidance on the desired room set-up and other factors to consider for setting up the meeting (see pages 28-33).


¹ Weeks 12-14


& Meeting Room Set-Ups pages 28-33 !!


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Agenda Development Details on agenda development are provided in Chapter 3, Agenda Development. The steps in the processes are highlighted here.

¹ Week 12-14 Kick-Off Meeting or Call The Technical Lead schedules a Kick-Off meeting or call to include the Logistics Lead and persons who will be assisting with agenda development. Sometimes an ad hoc committee may be formed to help in planning the agenda. Ideas about the agenda topics are organized. The Meeting Checklist is a useful organizing tool to use at the meeting. At the kickoff meeting/call, responsibilities are assigned and clarified, and activities are added to, or deleted from, the checklist as appropriate for the particular event. The Technical Lead is responsible to take notes and gather information related to the agenda development and topics.

¹ Week 10 Preliminary Draft The Technical Lead completes the first preliminary draft of the agenda 10 weeks before the meeting or workshop. The Logistics Lead helps review the agenda to ensure breaks and meals are properly planned for. The preliminary draft agenda is posted on the MARAMA web site.

¹ Week 8 Final Draft The final draft of the agenda is completed by the Technical Lead 2 months before the meeting and an updated version posted on the MARAMA web site. This draft version is sent with the Registration Memo to potential participants.

¹ Week 4 Final Agenda The final agenda is completed by the Technical Lead 4 weeks before the meeting start. The agenda is posted on the MARAMA web site. It is sent to speakers 4 weeks before the meeting and to the other participants 2 weeks prior to the meeting. If only minor changes have been made, a link is provided in the email. If major changes have been made, the agenda is attached.

Site Selection and Field Visit Transportation Detailed procedures for site selection are provided in Chapter 4. Site Selection & Field Visit Transportation. This is done 10 to 14 weeks prior to the meeting or

workshop. A survey of potential sites is done either in-house by the Logistics Lead or using Hotel Location Service. After comparing information using the Hotel Cost Comparison Worksheet, the Logistics Lead makes a recommendation in a memo to the Executive Director. The Training Coordinator must approve the memo prior to submittal. Once the final site is approved, the Logistics Lead requests a written contract.

In the initial contact with the hotel or facility selected, the Logistics Lead identifies audiovisual and menu options.

The Logistics Lead determines if MARAMA would be tax exempt (if the site is in Maryland). If applicable, the tax exempt form is provided with the credit application.

If a field visit is required for the meeting or workshop, the Logistics Lead identifies potential transportation providers and available services during the initial site selection process. Transportation options are finalized about four weeks before the meeting start.

By 10 weeks before the meeting, a signed contract should be in place with the selected facility.

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Setting the Meeting Budget and Fee Fees may be charged to outside participants, especially non-state/local attendees. However fees may be waived for speakers who are not federal employees.

1. Once a site has been selected, the Training Coordinator makes a copy of the template for the Budget and Actual Costs Worksheet (..Elmo/checklists/budget_actuals.xls) and updates the first worksheet in the spreadsheet with the selected hotel prices and any known meeting

expenses. This information is used to set the workshop fee. The budget information entered includes: the estimated number of attendees, meeting room costs, per person costs for breaks/meals, estimated A/V equipment costs, room rates, speaker costs, handouts and supplies costs and any revenue from registration fees.

2. The workshop fee is set based on the total cost for the meals. MARAMA cannot pay for Federal employee meals, but light breaks can be covered. To calculate the fee, the cost of all meals plus tax and gratuity is totaled and then rounded to the nearest $5.

For example:

Meal Costs

Lunch 1 $10.00

Lunch 2 $10.00

Total Meals $20.00

Gratuity (18%) $3.60

Subtotal $23.60

Tax (5%) $1.18

Total Meal Costs $24.68*

*rounded to $25.00 for fee

3. The Training Coordinator updates the meeting budget in the Annual Workshop Schedule (..Elmo/tracking reports/FYXXWorkshopMeetingCosts.xls).

Setting Up the Conference in the Contacts Database MARAMA maintains a Contacts Database that contains records for members and also keeps track of conferences that contacts have attended.

The conference information needs to be set up so that registrations can be entered and tracked.

1. The Logistics Lead opens the Contacts Database (K:/contacts.mdb) and selects View/Edit Conferences. When the Conference window is opened, he/she either scrolls through the records to the end or clicks on the >* in the lower left corner of

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the window to go to a blank record.

2. The Logistics Lead enters the conference name, dates, location and either selects a hotel or enters a new hotel. The database will not allow the same conference name to be used for more than one record so each conference must have a unique name.

3. The Logistics Lead updates the MS Word file with the contact information plus the names and dates of the meeting (..Elmo/hotelinformation/MARAMA Hotels ##.doc) maintained by the Training Coordinator where additional hotel/facility information is maintained.

Generating Meeting Labels Labels that contain the meeting name, date, location, funding type and meeting level can be useful to put on generic checklists (so that the

information does not need to be re-written) and also on invoices and other documents that are provided by hotels, etc. This helps to ensure that the documents can be easily and properly identified, particularly those invoices that need to be provided to EPA.

The Logistics Assistant generates the meeting labels.

1. The template file (..Elmo/workshops/templates/MeetingLabels.doc) is copied and saved with the meeting name under the meeting material’s folder.

2. The new file is opened in MS Word.

3. Select “Tools” from the menu bar, then “Letters and Mailings,” then “Envelopes and Labels.” A pop-up window will appear. The label text can be edited/replaced with the actual meeting information. Click on the button “New Document.” The sheet of labels will be updated with the meeting information. Save the file.

4. Avery 5162 label sheets (14 per page, size is 1.33” height x 4” wide) should be inserted into the printer and Print selected from the File menu. Close the file when printing is completed.

Generating Announcements and Attendee Communication Early announcements of workshops are needed in order for MARAMA members to obtain out-of-state travel approvals. Announcements also encourage early registration to ensure accurate estimates of attendance.

Information begins to be posted on the MARAMA web site as soon as the workshop or meeting date is chosen. Hotel information must be posted on the web no later than (and preferably earlier than) six weeks before the event. The preliminary agenda is also posted at that time.

Save the Date Notice A workshop announcement is distributed via fax and/or e-mail about ten weeks before major workshops. It can be sent out as soon as the

workshop or event topic is added to the schedule. If the hotel arrangements have not been finalized or the exact dates are not yet determined, the announcement can indicate “To Be

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Determined.” This announcement may include a preliminary list of topics but does not include a registration form. The purpose of the announcement is to facilitate travel approvals, prevent schedule conflicts, and promote attendance.

The announcement calls attention to the MARAMA web site as a source of further information, and it provides a MARAMA e-mail address to request a registration form or address questions. (See Appendix D. Figure 13 for an example.)

1. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the template (..Elmo/workshops/templates/SavetheDate.doc) and saves it under the meeting correspondence folder. The specific information for the meeting is inserted into the document.

2. The Save the Date Notice is provided to the Training Coordinator for review.

3. The Logistics Assistant sends the announcement via email to:

§ MARAMA Directors

§ Members of the appropriate MARAMA Committee. Including both the Training Committee and one or more technical committees.

§ EPA regional or headquarters staff working in related areas

§ Expected speakers

§ The Executive Director, the Technical Lead and the Training Coordinator

§ MARAMA members who attended similar workshops in the past

4. The Logistics Lead notifies the MARAMA web master that the Save the Date file is ready for posting.

5. The Logistics Lead sends an email to EPA OAQPS with the course name and dates, MARAMA email contact and information required for inclusion on their consolidated calendar (if needed, the dates are listed as TBD).

Receipt of Registration Confirmation Upon receipt of the registration form from the MARAMA members, the Logistics Assistant sends an email to confirm that MARAMA has received

the registration form and has the correct information.

Registration Memo (Memo 1) and Form A signed contract with a facility is required before the registration form is sent and the fee, if any must be determined. The conference information

should already be set up in the Contacts Database.

The Logistics Lead generates the Registration Memo and Registration Form. It must be reviewed by the Training Coordinator and may need to be approved by the Executive Director before it is sent out. Memos for workshops and meetings (Level 1) are always reviewed by the Executive Director. Memos for committee meetings (Level 2) are reviewed by the Training Coordinator. The registration memo/email includes the following information:

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§ Name of workshop, date, and location

§ Due date for registration with hotel and reminder that registration should be made now and cancelled if necessary

§ Due date for registration with MARAMA

§ Costs for parking, hotel room, and registration fee (if any)

§ Number of hotel rooms per agency for which MARAMA will cover costs

§ Attach draft copy of the agenda (validate recent version with Technical Lead)

G E N E R A T I N G T H E R E G I S T R A T I O N M E M O A N D F O R M

1. The Logistics Assistant requests facility/hotel information and travel directions and other pertinent locale information that will be of use and interest to workshop attendees. This information is typed and reviewed

by the Logistics Lead. Once finalized, it is provided to the web master for posting on the MARAMA web site. Additional information requested from the hotel is brochures/materials on area attractions which can be included in the meeting packets or distributed upon request.

2. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the Registration Memo template (..Elmo/workshops/templates/Memo1.doc) and saves it under the meeting correspondence folder. The specific information for the meeting is inserted into the document or email.

3. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the appropriate Registration Form (with fee or without fee) template (..Elmo/workshops/templates/Registration.doc or Registration_Fee.doc) and saves it under the meeting correspondence folder. The specific information for the meeting is inserted into the document or email.

4. The Registration Memo and Registration Form is provided to the Training Coordinator or the Executive Director for review.

5. The Logistics Lead sends the approved announcement with the attached Registration Form by fax to the MARAMA Directors and via email to:

§ Members of the appropriate MARAMA Committee(s) § EPA regional or headquarters staff working in related areas

§ Expected speakers § EPA

§ The Executive Director, the Technical Lead and the Training Coordinator

§ Persons who requested Registration information

6. The Logistics Lead notifies the MARAMA web master that the Registration Form is ready for posting.

7. The Logistics Lead consults with the Technical Lead on whether or not to post the events on the consolidated calendar. If it is to be posted, the Logistics Lead sends an

¹ Week 9

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email to EPA OAQPS with the updated meeting information for their consolidated calendar.

Registration Reminder (Memo 1a) About one month prior to the meeting, the Logistics Lead provides a list of registered participants to the Technical Coordinator (and others as requested)

along with a list of those registered at the hotel. These lists are reviewed to determine if MARAMA agencies are participating to the fullest extent. If not, a Registration Reminder memo may be sent to those agencies that contain:

§ An updated estimate of the workshop attendance

§ A list of attendees with reservations

§ Reminder of registration and reservation deadlines

§ Number of persons from agency who can attend

In some cases, the Logistics Lead or Technical Lead may use telephone reminders instead of a reminder memo or email.

1. The Logistics Assistant generates the Conference Participants Table from the Contacts Database for the specified meeting or workshop.

§ The K:/contacts.mdb database file is opened and the button for View/Edit Conferences is clicked.

§ Select the appropriate workshop. Then under Conference Reports, click on Conference Participation Table. Specify the report to display the list alphabetically by agency and print the report.

2. The Logistics Assistant also contacts the hotel prior to sending out the reminder memo to request that the Hotel Block Reservation List be faxed to MARAMA. The Hotel Block Reservation List and the Conference Participation Table are provided to the Technical Lead and the Logistics Lead for review. By looking at the table, it can be determined which MARAMA agencies have not registered for the event or which agencies do not have the maximum number of participants registered.

3. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the Registration Reminder memo template (..Elmo/workshops/templates/Memo1a.doc) and saves it under the meeting correspondence folder. The specific information for the meeting is inserted into the document or email.

4. The Logistics Lead sends the reminder memo via email or fax to targeted agencies, based on those members not registered. It is also sent to registered attendees to ensure hotel reservations are made. The Technical Lead provides support as needed.

Registration Confirmation (Memo 2) Two weeks before the workshop, a Registration Confirmation (Memo 2) is sent from the Logistics Lead to all those who have registered for the workshop,

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including speakers. A copy of this memo is also sent to the MARAMA Directors so that they can ensure their agency is adequately represented. This memo:

§ Confirms registration

§ Provides information on how to get directions to the workshop facility

§ Provides any additional information, such as security procedures, pre-workshop work to be completed, and special equipment required (such as a calculator).

§ Identifies those whose sleeping rooms will be billed to MARAMA

§ Provides an updated agenda

1. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the Registration Confirmation memo template (..Elmo/workshops/templates/Memo2.doc) and saves it under the meeting correspondence folder. The specific information for the meeting is inserted into the document. The memo should be reviewed to ensure accuracy.

2. The Logistics Assistant sends the confirmation memo via email or fax to MARAMA Directors (copying their assistants) and all registered participants and speakers. A copy is also provided to the Training Coordinator. This list can be obtained from the Contacts Database.


§ Select the Search Contacts button.

§ On the Find Contacts window, click on the button on the bottom for Search by Conferences Attended.

§ On the Conference Attendees window, select the conference name and a list of registered attendees will be displayed to include contact information and email addresses.

§ This list (or specified fields) can be exported to Excel by selecting the Export to Excel button. Another screen will be displayed asking to check the fields to be exported. An output table containing the selected data will be displayed. This can be used to generate a mail-merge document and/or pasted into Word/Outlook to get the email addresses.

Information for the MARAMA Web Site The Logistics Lead and the Training Coordinator are responsible to coordinate

event information and updates for the MARAMA web site. The following information is provided to the MARAMA web master as it becomes available:

§ Event Announcement (Save the Date) notice

§ Scheduled Event Details: information about the workshop is updated as soon as the hotel contract is signed (about 10 weeks before the event) and includes workshop fee, hotel cost, parking cost, and hotel telephone.

§ Draft and Final Agenda

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§ Directions to Hotel/Facility

§ Registration Form: A link is provided to an on-line registration form that can be completed online and submitted to MARAMA.

§ Meeting Materials (as needed)

Generating Speaker Correspondence The Technical Lead needs to work closely with the Logistics Lead to provide accurate speaker information and to track speaker responses.

Once a speaker has been identified and given a verbal confirmation of their willingness to participate, a confirmation letter is sent that includes a draft agenda and a registration form. Usually a reminder memo is sent to speakers to ensure that any handouts are provided by the due date and to provide updated agenda and participant information. Typically, there are three classifications for speakers:

§ Federal Presenters/speakers are from a federal agency, usually the US EPA.

§ Internal Presenters/speakers are from MARAMA or MARAMA member agencies.

§ External Presenters/speakers are from outside non-federal government organizations.

Confirmation Letter/AV Request Form 4. The Technical Lead provides a list of speakers and contact

information to the Logistics Lead.

5. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the appropriate Speaker Confirmation memo template(s) (..Elmo/workshops/templates/SpeakerMemo_Fed.doc or SpeakerMemo_Int.doc or SpeakerMemo_Ext.doc) and saves it/them

under the meeting correspondence folder. The specific information for the meeting is inserted into the document. The memo should be reviewed to ensure accuracy.

6. The Logistics Lead sends the confirmation memo via email or fax to invited speakers. The Document Tracking Sheet that is inside the meeting file folder is updated by the Logistics Lead with the date, name(s) and type of document (i.e., Speaker Confirmation Memo).

Speaker Reminder Memo (SpeakerMemo1a) The optional second memo to speakers is to remind speakers about the due

date for presentation information, ensure they have registered with the hotel and provide dates that handout materials need to be submitted for copying. It includes:

§ A reminder to submit any information not yet provided

§ A reminder of the date for providing to MARAMA originals of any handouts MARAMA is to copy


¹ Weeks 5- 9

4. Week 9

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¹ Week 5


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§ How to access directions to the facility from the web site

§ An updated agenda

In some cases, the Logistics Lead or Technical Lead may use telephone reminders instead of a second memo. Or, depending on the size of the meeting, a modified Registration Memo1a may be sent to all attendees, including the speakers. The Logistics Lead should keep the Technical Lead informed about missing speaker responses so that the Technical Lead can encourage speakers to provide the needed information is there is an opportunity, such as a call regarding the agenda. It is important to be courteous to all speakers even those who are late in providing information. A personal call from the Technical Lead or Executive Director may be needed in some cases.

1. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the Speaker Reminder Memo template(s) (..Elmo/workshops/templates/SpeakerMemo1a.doc) and saves it under the meeting correspondence folder. The specific information for the meeting is inserted into the document. The memo should be reviewed to ensure

accuracy.

2. The Logistics Lead sends the reminder memo via email or fax to speakers that have not registered with the hotel or that have not submitted meeting materials. The Document Tracking Sheet that is inside the meeting file folder is updated by the Logistics Assistant with the date, name(s) and type of document (i.e., Speaker Reminder Memo). The Technical Lead may also send an informal reminder.

Registration Confirmation (Memo 2) Speakers receive the same confirmation memo as other participants described above.

Entering and Tracking Registrations Registration activities help MARAMA accurately predict the number who will attend the workshop or meeting so that appropriate space,

handouts, and food are provided and costs kept within budgets. They also help prepare information useful to participants to help them network with each other. The MARAMA Contacts Database is used to enter and track registrations. Details on the registration process and registration reports are provided in Chapter 5. Registration & Registration Reports.

Entering Registrations As registration forms are received, on a daily basis (1-8 weeks) registrations are entered into the Contacts Database (K:/contacts.mdb). The Logistics Assistant maintains the workshop Contacts Database. The database is regularly updated with the addition or modification of each registrant’s information.


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¹ Weeks 1-8


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§ Conference Participation List – Regular: The Logistics Assistant generates the Conference Participation List – Regular for the meeting notebooks 1 week before the meeting. Copies are made to include in the meeting handouts.

§ Conference Participation Table: The Logistics Assistant runs the Conference Participation Table weekly starting at week 5 through 1 week before the meeting. A copy of the list is provided to the Training Coordinator. This list is used to identify agencies not participating, to confirm/check numbers with estimates provided to the hotel, and to give the final guarantees for food and rooms.

§ Conference Participation List – With Comments and Dates: The Logistics Lead generates the Conference Participation List – With Comments and Dates at week 4 and week 1 to complete the MARAMA rooming list and to ensure that any special arrangements requested (i.e. for food) are taken care of.

Tracking Registrations The Logistics Lead monitors the registration count. If pre-registration exceeds the pre-designated count limits, the Training Coordinator (in consultation with the Executive Director) will recommend closing registration or expanding the size of the workshop if additional facility/hotel meeting room space is available, provided the instructor is willing and resources permit. If registration is below expected levels, it may be necessary to solicit additional registrations or cancel the class. Guarantees for food service are also adjusted based on registration counts.

Making Arrangements for MARAMA Staff About seven weeks prior to the event, MARAMA staff who will be attending the meeting or workshop are entered in the database, registered with the

hotel, and if flying, airline arrangements made.

1. After consulting with the Training Coordinator, the Logistics Assistant makes the hotel arrangements by calling the hotel and providing them with the names, type of room and number of nights for each MARAMA staff person. This can also be in memo form and faxed. These rooms should be included in the Master Account. The Logistics Assistant also registers the staff in the Contacts Database.

2. If airline travel is required, each MARAMA staff person is responsible for their own travel arrangements. If more than one person is attending the meeting, everyone should coordinate, if possible, to fly at the same time, especially if a rental car is required at the meeting location. Every effort should be made to obtain the lowest airfare possible. Time spent traveling should also be considered. On-line travel services such as Expedia.com and Travelocity.com can be used to check airfare prices and availability. Southwest Airlines fare information should be checked separately on their web site.

Requesting Local On-Site Support MARAMA occasionally enlists the help of its member agencies to provide a person to assist with the on-site logistics of a meeting.

¹ Week 7

¹ Week 6


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Local support for registration at the beginning of the workshop is very helpful for large workshops. Local support is also helpful for classes taught by outside instructors if no MARAMA staff will be attending. The Training Coordinator decides whether the Logistics Lead will attend the workshop, and whether additional assistance is needed. If necessary, about six weeks before the workshop, the Logistics Lead calls the state or local agency whose office is near the workshop hotel. The purpose of this call is to arrange for a clerical staff person to help staff the workshop registration table beginning about an hour before the start of the workshop through the first morning. Lunch is usually provided to the assistant. If the workshop is not near the agency's office, MARAMA may also provide lodging for the assistant, provided the person lives at least 50 miles from the workshop site.

Working with the Hotel Finalizing Food and Beverage Arrangements and Breaks

The Logistics Lead finalizes arrangements for food and beverage and reviews the set up and requirements for the breaks about 4 weeks prior to the meeting. Initial information and general costs are obtained during the site selection process 12 to 14 weeks prior to the meeting. The hotel may generate Event Orders, which the Logistics Lead carefully reviews before approval by the Executive Director. The Meeting Management Guidebook contains an optional Break Planner Worksheet (see Appendix D: Figure 26.) that can be used to help finalize the arrangements and communicate them to the hotel.

Finalizing Audiovisual Arrangements The Logistics Lead finalizes arrangements for any audiovisual equipment rental. This may be done through the hotel or with an outside vendor.

Initial information and general costs are obtained during the site selection process 12 to 14 weeks prior to the meeting. The Logistics Lead reviews the speaker’s AV Needs forms and updates the Contacts and AV Needs Worksheet inside the meeting folder with the equipment that is required. The Meeting Management Guidebook contains an optional Audiovisual Checklist (see Appendix D: Figure 25.) that can be used to help finalize arrangements. The audiovisual information is usually included in the Banquet Event Order (BEO).

When an LCD projector is required, the Logistics Lead contacts the state or local agency near the event to determine if they have an LCD projector that can be borrowed to help save on costs.

Hotel Confirmation Memo The Logistics Lead develops and maintains a list of those whose sleeping rooms will be billed to MARAMA. (MARAMA usually pays hotel costs for MARAMA staff and one or two rooms per member agency.) This information is sent to the hotel to confirm rooms that will be billed to the MARAMA Master Account.

1. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the Hotel Rooming Memo template(s) (..Elmo/workshops/templates/HotelRoomingMemo.doc) and saves it under the meeting correspondence folder. The specific information for the meeting is inserted into the document (see Appendix D: Figure 24). The names of Participants that will be covered on the Master Account (rooms only) are listed.

¹ Week 4 & See Working

with the Hotel pages 28-35

& See Food and Beverage Functions pages 39-43

& See Program

Planning/Audio-visuals pages 34-35

¹ Week 2

& See Attendee Hotel Arrangements pages 46-48

22


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The Conference Participation List – With Comments and Dates can be used to get this information. The memo should be reviewed to ensure accuracy.

2. The Logistics Lead faxes the memo to the hotel and files a copy of the memo in the Master Files and the Meeting Master Binder. The original goes into the chronological file.

Reconfirming Facility Arrangements 1. The Logistics Lead reconfirms all facility/hotel arrangements and meeting room/sleeping room reservations approximately a week before the event. The Meeting Management Guidebook contains an optional One Week Before Checklist (see Appendix D. Figure 30.) (..Elmo/checklists/OneWeekBefore.doc) which is a useful tool to ensure that meeting arrangements are not overlooked.

2. A few days before the workshop, the Logistics Lead makes an appointment with his/her contact at the workshop facility to review arrangements for food service and meeting rooms while on site prior to the meeting start. The Pre-Conference Hotel Review Checklist (see Appendix D. Figure 27.) found in the Meeting Management Guidebook (..Elmo/checklists/PreConferenceReview.doc) can be used for this on-site visit, which typically takes place one to three days prior to the meeting.

Final Count/Guarantee Usually the hotel or facility will require the final count/guarantee at least 72 hours before the meeting start. Occasionally, the hotel may require this

information sooner. This guarantee due date can be found on the facility contract of banquet Event Orders.

1. The Logistics Lead updates the Hotel Rooming Memo one week before the meeting if there are any changes and faxes the memo to the hotel and files another copy of the memo in the Master Files and the Meeting Master Binder.

2. The Logistics Lead provides final counts for meals and breaks by the due date. This is communicated in writing with the hotel. The Conference Participants Table can be printed from the Contacts Database and used to get the counts. A copy of the memo with the final counts is included in the Master Files and the Meeting Master Binder.

Note

As a general rule of thumb, the final count/guarantee should be approximately 5% less than what is expected (or at least one less than expected.)

Preparing Displays/Exhibits Membership in a professional association is an important avenue for continuing self-education and career development. To encourage

membership, MARAMA sometimes uses a tabletop display regarding the Air and Waste Management Association (A&WMA). A box of A&WMA materials as well as a table top display

¹ Week 1

& See Final Details page 49-53

¹ Weeks 1-2

¹ Week 4


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board is maintained for use at each workshop. Depending on the meeting, there may be other exhibits or displays that would benefit meeting participants. Displays or exhibits are most often used at larger workshops rather than smaller meetings.

1. About a month before a workshop, the Logistics Assistant contacts A&WMA or any other identified organization to request membership materials and forms (if needed) and announcements of upcoming workshops.

2. The Logistics Assistant verifies that the materials have arrived at MARAMA or at the workshop facility.

Handouts and Other Meeting Materials Workshop participants have come to expect that speakers will provide copies of overheads or other notes to assist participants in learning the material

covered at the workshop. Distribution of this material is much easier if all handouts can be compiled in advance into a single notebook or folder for each participant.

Displays or distribution of specialized documents related to the workshop are excellent means for getting information directly to MARAMA members. The following may be used:

§ Notebooks or folders containing handouts for each participant

§ Additional reference material to be distributed

§ Display boards to be used at workshop

Generating Evaluation Forms & Surveys Attendee evaluation forms and surveys are prepared for the workshop about a month in advance.

1. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the MARAMA Attendee Meeting Evaluation Form template and updates it with the meeting information (..Elmo/workshops/templates/AttendeeEvaluation.doc). The Technical Lead reviews the form and if necessary, modifies the form to collect information pertinent

to the workshop. The Logistics Assistant then revises and copies the form (see Appendix D. Figure 28.). Copies are made on colored paper to facilitate collection.

2. The Technical Lead may also prepare special survey forms to be used at the workshop. The Logistic Assistant also copies these, on a different color of paper from the evaluation forms.

Collecting Meeting Materials Materials to be included in the meeting notebooks or folders should be provided to or obtained by MARAMA approximately one to two weeks

before the workshop. At least a week should be allowed for copying and collating material into folders or notebooks. Several additional days should be allowed for shipping.

1. Speaker Presentations: The Logistics Lead and the Technical Lead compile original technical program handouts (presentation material) from the workshop speakers, from EPA experts, and from other sources such as journals or web sites. If necessary,

¹ Weeks 1-4

¹ Week 4

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¹ Weeks 2-4


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permission to copy printed material is obtained. All materials to be copied by MARAMA should be at the MARAMA office at least 2 weeks before the workshop. For smaller meetings or conferences, the deadline may be 1 week before the meeting. Presentations are submitted either electronically (in one of the MARAMA software formats) or mailed. Presentations should not be faxed. Some speakers may choose to bring copies to the meeting because they are unable to provide them in advance.

2. Reference Materials: If the Technical Lead wants to include any additional reference information or if there will be materials from other organizations displayed/distributed at the meeting, this information should also be collected at least 1-2 weeks prior to the workshop.

3. Three weeks before the meeting, the Handout Specification Worksheet (..Elmo/workshops/checklists/handoutsepc.doc) is printed (see Appendix D. Figure 29) and the first page completed by the Technical Lead. This worksheet specifies index titles, copying specifications, and type of meeting book and tabs required. This information will be used for ordering meeting supplies.

Handouts – Electronic (saving) 1. The majority of speakers will send their handouts in electronic format through email

prior to the event. The Logistic Lead informs the speakers through the speaker letter what type of program files MARAMA can open (i.e. PowerPoint and not Freelance). The handouts will be sent to the Logistics Lead as directed in the Speaker Confirmation letter.

2. When presentation or other handout materials are received, the Logistic Lead saves it in the Workshop File under that event in the Presentation folder. The file is saved as follows:

First Initial Last Name#.doc (A number is used if that presenter has more than one presentation).

Example: ALutrey.doc or ALutrey1.doc

Handouts – Electronic (printing) The Logistics Assistant can print handouts directly from the computer to the copier. The copier is the only printer that can make two-sided documents. This is preferable, especially when there are very detailed slides or documents. To make copies directly from the computer, the following steps are done:

1.1. Verify the copier has the appropriate paper in Tray 1. Notify everyone in the office when the copier has paper other than regular copy paper in Tray 1. When using 3-hole punched paper it is important to put the paper in the correct way. (When determining right and left, assume the operator is facing at the copier.)

One-Side copies: Holes on the left side Two-sided copies: Holes on the right side

22.. Open file to be printed.

!!


5454

33.. Select “File” from the menu bar, then “Print.” A Print pop up window will appear. Click on the down arrow for the “Name” of the printer and select Savin9945.

44.. Once the printer is selected, click on “Properties.” This is where you will identify whether or not you want the copies collated, stapled, and/or printed two-sided.

Two-Side Printing: On the Properties pop up window, click on the Setup tab. In the set-up section, click on the down arrow under the Duplex field.

Portrait layout, select “Side Binding” Landscape layout, select “Top Binding”

Collated Printing: On the Properties pop up window, click on the Setup tab. In the setup section, click on the down arrow for the Collate field and select “Yes.” Note: If you select yes, you must unselect collate on the Print pop up window, which is where you chose the printer.

Stapled Printouts: This is a two-step process.

Step 1: On the Properties pop up window, click on the Setup tab. In the set-up section, click on the down arrow for Staple and select “Top Left Slant.” Once you have selected this choice a pop up notice will appear. The notice states: “Selecting a specific paper source in the Paper tab is recommended to avoid occasional unstapled or unpunched output.” Click “OK” on this statement.

Step 2: On the Properties pop up window, click on Paper tab. Click on the All Pages tab and select “Tray 1” (it will turn blue when it is selected). Click on the Destination tab and select “Finisher Shift Tray” (it will turn blue when it is selected). If for some reason you do not have the “Finisher Shift Tray” as a choice, please let the Training Coordinator or Network Administrator know immediately.

Printing: Once you have identified on how you want the copies printed, click “OK” and this will return you to the Print pop up window. Enter in the number of copies you want in the Copies section (don’t forget to uncheck collate if, collate was chosen on the Properties Pop Up window. Click “Okay” to Print.

Other Printers MARAMA has 3 printers (aside from the copier) available for producing documents. The Tektronic Phaser 860N by Xerox is the only color printer and should be used only when needed for an event. The other two printers, HP Laserjet III and HP Laserjet 1200 can be used for single sided printing.

Ordering Supplies The Logistics Lead reviews the Handout Specification Worksheet and requests appropriate-sized folders or three-ring binders for handouts.

MARAMA’s office supplies should be inventoried to determine if there already are materials on hand. The order must be placed in time for delivery about one and-a-half weeks before the workshop. The Senior Administrative Assistant places all supply orders.

¹ Week 3


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Copying Materials MARAMA periodically uses temporary staff, student workers, or copy service businesses (depending on the size of the job) to copy and/or collate

materials for workshops.

1. The Logistics Assistant gathers and prints all original handout materials to be copied and puts them in the appropriate order. The Agenda and Attendee Evaluation form are usually copied on colored paper. Most other meeting materials are copied on 3-hole punch paper. MARAMA currently has the ability to print copies directly from the computer. There should be enough copies made for all attendees plus a copy for the Logistics Lead, the Master Files and one to two extras for walk-ins or to send to someone who couldn’t attend.

2. The Logistics Lead determines if the materials will be shipped to the meeting site. If so, the copying and collating needs to be completed so there is enough time for shipping.

3. For small meetings, and if time permits, the copies can be made by MARAMA staff, temporary staff or student workers at MARAMA.

4. If copies are to be made outside MARAMA (e.g., large jobs or color copies), the Logistics Assistant contacts the selected printing or copying firm to arrange the schedule for the production of the handouts (presentation material). The vendor information and dates should be listed on the Handout Specifications Worksheet. The Logistics Assistant arranges for pick-up or mails original handouts to the copy center and arranges for copies to be delivered to MARAMA. See Appendix E. Vendor & Training Provider Contact Information for a list of copy centers.

Note

Periodically, the MARAMA Administrative Assistant contacts several printing/copying firms to acquire competitive bids for production of workshop handouts. The Training Coordinator selects the printing/copying firm. Competitive bids are obtained once or twice a year, not for each job, since rates remain stable. The vendor names and contact information should be updated in Appendix E. as necessary.

Collating Materials Once all copies are made, the meeting folders or binders can be compiled. MARAMA periodically uses temporary staff, student workers, or copy

service businesses (depending on the size of the job) to copy and collate materials for workshops. If necessary, all available MARAMA staff may participate in compiling materials.

1. If outside copies were made and collating was requested, the copies should be checked carefully to ensure that all pages were copied and items are in the appropriate order.

¹ Weeks 2-3

¹ Weeks 1-2


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2. The Logistics Assistant compiles handouts in binders or folders. Student workers, temporary staff, or a copy center usually assists in this task. The Technical Lead/Logistics Lead provides or approves an example showing how copies are to be compiled and indexed using the Handout and Presentation Checklist and usually assists in compiling and checking the notebooks. For notebooks, the Logistics Assistant prepares the master index and obtains copies on the index sheets provided with the tabs. Items to be included are:

§ Tab index (for notebooks) § Final agenda

§ List of participants

§ Handouts for each agenda topic § Flyers or other special materials provided for the workshop

§ Workshop Evaluation Form

§ Survey form(s) (optional)

3. If meeting folders are used, the Logistics Assistant generates folder labels for the covers. For binders, labels can be used, or, if they have clear covers, a page is created to insert into the covers that includes the MARAMA logo, meeting title, meeting location and meeting dates. The template file

(..Elmo/workshops/templates/FolderLabels.doc) is copied and saved with the meeting name under the meeting material’s folder.

§ The new file is opened in MS Word.

§ Select “Tools” from the menu bar, then “Letters and Mailings”, then “Envelopes and Labels.” A pop-up window will appear. The label text can be edited/replaced with the actual meeting information. Click on the button “New Document”. The sheet of labels will be updated with the meeting information. Save the file.

§ Avery 5162 label sheets (14 per page, size is 1.33” height x 4” wide) should be inserted into the printer and Print selected from the File menu. Close the file when printing is completed.

The MARAMA Senior Administrative Assistant has a label printer that can be used for generating labels as well.

Arranging for Temporary Help When there are several meeting going on at the same time, or when staff is on vacation, or if there is a large number of binders to be completed, the

Training Coordinator may recommend that temporary help be acquired. The Executive Director must approve the use of temporary help.

Once approval is obtained, the Logistics Lead contacts a temporary service (see Appendix E. Vendor & Training Provider Contact Information) and makes arrangements for a skilled worker to assist MARAMA with copying and/or collating the handouts.

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Note

For Executive Board Meetings, meeting binders need to be collated and ready to ship at least one week prior to the conference call or meeting date.

Handouts – Electronic (at the meeting & back ups) Generally for larger meetings, the Executive Director will take her laptop to use for the PowerPoint presentations at the meetings. This is done to

consolidate all the presentations in one place and eliminate uploading from disks as much as possible during the course of the meeting.

1. The Executive Director creates a shared folder on her computer (Big Bird) labeled “Meeting Name” Year (i.e. Science2002).

2. At least four days prior to the meeting, the Logistics Assistant copies all the presentations into the folder created on the Executive Directors computer (Big Bird). The Logistic Assistant creates a folder for each day of the meeting and moves the appropriate presentation into the day it is being given.

3. The Logistic Assistant or Network Administrator creates a CD with all the presentations for the meeting. CD’s can be burned on only two computers: The Count and Grover. To create a CD, place a new CD in the CD drive and then follow the prompts provided by the computer. This CD is taken to the event as a back-up and then filed in the master files after the event.

Generating Nametags The Logistics Assistant prepares nametags for all participants, including speakers, MARAMA staff, guests, and registrants one week before the workshop.

1. The Logistics Assistant generates an Excel output file from the Contacts Database of all registered participants.





§ This list (or specified fields) can be exported to Excel by selecting the Export to Excel button. Another screen will be displayed asking to check the fields to be exported. Select the First and Last Name, Organization and Agency. An output table containing the selected data will be displayed. This can be used to generate a mail-merge document and/or pasted into Word/Outlook to get the email

¹ Week 1

¹ Weeks 1

::


5858

addresses. Save the Excel file in the meeting folder (the default name is output.xls).

2. The Excel file is merged with the Nametag template (..Elmo/workshops/templates/nametags.doc). Nametags show the first name in large type, followed by the last name and the jurisdiction or agency. The merged file is saved in the meeting materials folder.

§ Open the nametag.doc template in MS Word. From the main menu, select “Tools” then “Letters and Mailings” and then “Mail Merge Wizard.” Follow the steps for the mail merge wizard using the output.xls file as the source. Depending on the length of the individual’s name, some name tags may need to have the font size adjusted. Once they are reviewed in print preview, they can be printed.

3. The completed nametags are inserted into the plastic sleeves by the Logistics Assistant and kept in alphabetical order for delivery to the meeting site. Blank name tag stock/sleeves with the meeting information are included in the event there are mistakes or people not registered show up.

4. If desired, speaker nametags can have a ribbon attached to make it easy to identify the speakers.

Assembling the Meeting Master Binder The Logistics Lead assembles a meeting Master Binder. The Master Binder contains copies of documents that are in the Master Files. This Master

Binder is taken on-site during the meeting or workshop. It should include:

§ Directions § Agenda

§ Conference Participation Lists (Regular, With Comments & Dates and Table) § Hotel Registration List

§ Hotel Rooming List/Hotel Memo

§ List of guests and speakers § Copies of Facility Contracts/Event Orders

§ Copies of Other Contracts § Copies of Memos and Registration Form

§ Payment List

§ FedEx Vouchers

Packing Supplies and Equipment to Take to Workshop In some cases it may be possible to ship some materials to the workshop facility ahead of time. This is usually not done because a) it’s cheaper just to

22

¹ Weeks 1 - 4

¹ Week 1


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take the materials to the workshop by car, and b) it’s difficult to get speakers to provide copies early enough. However, for very large workshops or for events that are out of state, this option should be considered when scheduling preparation of workshop materials.

1. The Logistics Assistant compiles the necessary supplies utilizing the Workshop Supplies Checklist (See Appendix D. Figure 32) (..Elmo/workshops/checklists/WorkshopSupplies.doc). A meeting bag should be already prepared that contains the necessary supplies. The Logistics Assistant

reviews the contents to ensure that everything is there and re-stocked if necessary.

2. The Logistics Assistant ensures that the correct number of Meeting Notebooks or Folders are packed up to hand carry or ship to the meeting to include one or two extras. The Logistics Assistant provides an additional copy to the Logistics Lead and also includes a copy in the Master File or on the shelf of meeting notebooks.

3. The Logistics Assistant ensures that any exhibit or display materials are packed up to hand carry or ship to the meeting.

4. If MARAMA will be providing any equipment for use at the meeting, the Logistics Assistant identifies and prepares it for hand carrying or shipping to the meeting, being sure to check that all cords needed for electronic equipment is included.

6. The Logistics Lead reviews all meeting materials and supplies that are to be delivered/shipped to the meeting.

7. If materials are to be shipped, the Logistics Assistant makes the necessary arrangements with adequate time to ensure they arrive prior to the meeting. The materials should be shipped in a method that allows tracking.

Arranging for Staff Transportation MARAMA staff carpool or use public transit as much as possible to get to and from workshop facilities. If it is necessary to transport a large amount of

material to the workshop, the Executive Director or Logistics Lead may rent a vehicle.

On-Site Logistics On-site support is important to the smooth operation of the workshop. Most of the on-site activities are carried out by the on-site MARAMA

staff person (this can be the Executive Director, Technical Lead, Logistics Lead, or Logistics Assistant) or the Local Liaison.

Arrival at the Hotel 1. Upon arrival at the hotel, the on-site staff confirms that all transported materials have arrived at meeting site.

2. The on-site staff person meets with the facility representative on the evening or in the early morning before the start of the workshop. They will conduct a comprehensive walk-through of all the workshop-related areas including the meeting

!!

¹ Weeks 1

¹ Daily During Meeting

& See Arrival at the Hotel page 54


6060

rooms, dining rooms, break area, and registration area, and review times and menus for meals/breaks. This final review is important to prevent any misunderstanding. The optional Pre-Conference Hotel Review Checklist (..Elmo/workshops/checklists/Pre-MeetingReview.doc) can be used for this meeting (see Appendix D. Figure 27.).

3. The on-site staff person arranges or responds to any last minute changes in the facility arrangements and/or in the workshop technical program. If there is an impact on the costs, this must be reviewed and approved by the Training Coordinator. If costs exceed $500, the Executive Director must also provide approval.

The Day of the Meeting 1. One to two hours before the meeting starts, the on-site staff person sets up the

Registration table and any display or exhibit materials. A printed Conference Participation List is placed on the table with instructions for attendees to review their contact information and make any necessary corrections to the master copy. Nametags are displayed on the table in alphabetical order. Extra nametags and pens and pencils should be on hand.

2. Participants validate their contact information and receive handouts as they sign-in. The on-site staff person checks off that they arrived on a master attendee list. If necessary, the on-site staff person collects any outstanding fees and provides receipts. The on-site staff person secures the cash/checks and provides it to the Senior Administrative Assistant immediately upon return to the office along with the receipt book. The Senior Administrative Assistant will compare the checks/cash to the receipt book and complete a bank deposit slip. If an individual is not registered, they must complete a special on-site registration form.

3. A list of guests and speakers is in the Master Meeting Binder. The on-site staff person welcomes special guests and speakers, helps them with any questions about facilities, audiovisual equipment or handouts, and introduces them to the Technical Lead if necessary.

During the Meeting 1. Each morning of the workshop, the on-site staff person sets up the registration table and displays any exhibit materials about an hour before the

start of the workshop.

2. The on-site staff person manages the registration table and registration process, including the following:

§ Checking arrival of attendees and any last-minute registrations § Management of communications and messages

§ Responding to registrants’ questions and inquiries

§ Interfacing with the facility/hotel to address unexpected/unanticipated issues/problems

§ Welcoming speakers and special guests

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3. The Technical Lead and other MARAMA staff at the meeting assist with audiovisual set up and speaker introductions and take notes during the meeting and note any specific action items. The Technical Lead may moderate or facilitate all or part of the meeting.

4. The on-site staff person maintains an accurate count of workshop attendees and meal attendees and communicates this to the catering manager if it exceeds the guarantee.

5. The on-site staff person reviews the facility/hotel bill daily to ensure accurate accounting for sleeping rooms, food services, and A/V equipment. If MARAMA staff are not in attendance, the hotel is requested to fax this information to MARAMA for their review.

Meeting Close 1. At the end of the workshop, the on-site staff person collects workshop evaluations,

returned nametags, and survey/questionnaire responses (if applicable).

2. The Executive Director or Logistics Lead pays the master bill if direct billing has not been arranged.

3. Meeting materials are shipped back to MARAMA, if necessary.

Post-Event Activities Post meeting and workshop follow-up activities are important to recognize speakers’ contributions, keep the MARAMA Directors informed about MARAMA services and about ideas that are generated at workshops, and to encourage MARAMA staff to continue to think of ways to improve workshops.

Post event activities begin immediately after the workshop. The evaluation summary, staff evaluation, and Memo to Directors should be completed within a week. The thank you letters and cost summary should be completed two to four weeks after the workshop.

Depositing Payments If fees were collected on site, the checks and cash should be provided to the Senior Administrative Assistant by the on-site staff person

immediately upon return to the office along with the receipt book. The Senior Administrative Assistant reconciles the checks/cash with the receipts and prepares a bank deposit slip.

Updating Actual Attendance Information and Corrections 1. The Logistics Assistant reviews the sign-in sheets and corrects

the Contacts Database where participants have noted changes. If participants were registered and did not show up, the specific conference should be deleted from their contact record from the Conference Attended section.

2. The Logistics Assistant files the signed Attendance List in the Registration File of the Master Files for the meeting. This provides documentation of attendance.

¹ Immediately After

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Completing the MARAMA Staff Evaluation The Logistics Lead convenes a post workshop meeting of MARAMA

staff and may include principal outside organizers via a conference call. The meeting will help determine if progress has been made in continuously improving the technical quality of MARAMA workshops and the efficiency and effectiveness of managing the workshop process. The meeting participants will also discuss and make decisions on record keeping and filing requirements for the workshop and will complete the Post-Workshop Staff Evaluation form (see Figure 34).

1. The Logistics Lead prints the Post-Workshop Staff Evaluation form (..Elmo/templates/StaffEvaluation.doc). During the conference call or meeting, the information is filled in. If a conference call or meeting is not held, the form can be routed to the various MARAMA staff persons that participated for their input.

2. The Logistics Lead ensures that follow-up activities are assigned to the appropriate individuals and a completion date determined.

Completing the Attendee Evaluation Summary The Logistics Assistant reviews and summarizes comments from the

Attendee Evaluation Forms. The Workshop Evaluation Summary is completed for the MARAMA Executive Director’s review and approval.

Evaluation Summary Report For Level 1 and 2 meetings, the Logistic Assistant tabulates the survey responses. Excel may be used to calculate percentages and averages. The comments are captured in narrative form, with editing for grammar and redundancy. The Evaluation Summary Report is reviewed by the Technical Lead, Logistics Lead and

the Executive Director. A template can be used for the report (..Elmo/worhsops/trackingreports/evaluationsummary.doc). It is included as an attachment with the Memo to the Directors.

Quotable Quotes As the Logistics Assistant or others review the evaluation forms, any “quotable quotes” should be highlighted. This may include comments from attendees that help convey the positive impact of

MARAMA training opportunities or comments about courses or activities that were outstanding. The Logistics Assistant opens the Quotable Quotes document (..Elmo/workshops/trackingreports/QuotableQuotes.doc) and updates it with the necessary information.

Note

When preparing the MARAMA Annual Report or other types of informational materials, the Quotable Quotes are reviewed for potential material to include.

Generating the Memo to Directors The Memo to Directors summarizes any key items of potential interest

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to the Directors. It should be completed for all Level 1 and 2 meetings. It is not needed for Level 3 meetings.

The Technical Lead prepares a brief workshop report for the MARAMA Executive Board (..Elmo/workshops/trackingreports/MemotoDirectors.doc). A copy of the template is saved with the meeting abbreviation in the meeting folder (i.e. ScienceMemotoDirectors.doc). The report is in the form of a memo to the

MARAMA Directors from the Technical Lead through the Executive Director. The report should be very short, ideally a page or less, and only highlight issues or information that may be of value to the Directors. The report is almost never a full summary of the workshop. The Evaluation Summary is attached to the report. The Executive Director approves the report. The Logistics Assistant faxes or mails the workshop report to the Executive Board. A copy of the report is put in the correspondence file in the Master Files and the original is placed in the chronological files.

Posting Meeting Materials As requested, meeting materials are posted on the MARAMA web site.

After 60 days, these materials are removed.

Preparing Thank You Letters Thank you letters to speakers and to other who helped with the event should be sent.

Speaker Thank You Letters 1. The Logistics Assistant generates generic thank you letters to all

workshop speakers (..Elmo/workshops/templates/SpeakerThankYou.doc).

2. The speaker letters are provided to the Technical Lead to personalize, if necessary. During this time, the Technical Lead and Executive Director decide who will be signing which thank yous.

3. The Logistics Assistant submits the final letters to the Executive Director or Technical Lead for their review and signature prior to mailing.

4. The Logistics Assistant then prepares the thank you letters for mailing and a copy is filed in the correspondence file for the meeting in the Master File and in the chronological files.

Other Thank You Letters The Logistics Lead may also want to prepare thank you letters for others

who helped organize the event such as hotel staff that provided exceptional service, local agencies that provided assistance and other organizers. Any commendation letter going to supervisors (such as a director) is signed by the Executive Director.

The Logistics Assistant then prepares the thank you letters for mailing and a copy is filed in the correspondence file for the meeting in the Master File and in the chronological files.

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Reviewing Invoices/Expenses By week 3 after the meeting, all invoices related to the event are reviewed for accuracy by the Training Coordinator and then submitted to the Executive

Director for approval. Request for payment is sent to the Senior Administrative Assistant. If invoices have not been received, the Logistics Lead requests the vendor to submit the invoice as soon as possible. The Training Coordinator reviews the invoice for accurate billing and tax information. A meeting label is attached to each invoice and the Training Coordinator assigns the appropriate cost accounting code.

Sign Checks The Executive Director is the only staff person authorized to sign checks. The MARAMA treasurer also has authorization to sign in an emergency

situation. Payment for invoices/expenses from an event is typically made within four weeks of the completion of the event. The Senior Administrative Assistant submits checks to the Executive Director for signature and then they are mailed. A copy of the invoice is included with the check.

Preparing the Cost Summary 1. The Training Coordinator finalizes the meeting’s Budget and Actual Costs Worksheet found under the meeting folder. The Cost Summary

Worksheet is printed for the meeting files. [The second worksheet will be automatically updated when the actual costs are entered for the meeting under the Budget and Actual Details worksheet.]

2. The backup documentation from the finance profit-loss reports are kept with the meeting files. These documents are submitted to the Executive Director with the cost summary. The Executive Director reviews and signs off on the cost summary. The cost summary is filed in contracts/financial information file of the master files.

Organizing Files Electronic and Hard Copy Files

The Logistics Assistant and Logistics Lead make sure that all meeting files are organized and checked for completeness. Files are kept according to the

procedures in Chapter 8: Record Keeping.

The electronic files under the meeting folder are reviewed by the Logistics Lead to ensure that any unnecessary files/drafts are deleted. The Logistics Assistant and Logistics Lead review all hard copy files for the meeting and place the appropriate documents in the Master Files.

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MARAMA Contracted Courses Details for tasks and roles as outlined in the Meeting Checklists for MARAMA Contracted Courses (Level 3) are provided in this chapter. Information is organized by Pre-Event Activities, On-Site Activities and Post-Event Activities.

ARAMA meetings and workshops are categorized based on the level of support they require and the tasks that need to be done. The details in this chapter apply to Level 3 Contracted Meetings and Courses.

“Level 3 Contracted Courses” typically do not require agenda development or notebook preparation as the contractor does these activities. Long-term planning with contractors is important. Even before the pre-event activities take place, setting up tentative dates with the contractors is important as they can get booked.

Pre-Event Activities As soon as the event has been identified and the overall budget has been set up, pre-event activities can begin. Typically this is 12-14 weeks prior to the start of the event. Information that is needed to begin planning for the event

includes the meeting topic, target audience, and possible dates and locations.

1. The Logistics Lead contacts the Training Provider or Contractor with the requested dates and topics and a contract signed with them, if required. The Executive Director must sign any contracts.

2. The Logistics Lead prints a copy and updates the Level 3 Contacts and AV Needs Worksheet (..Elmo/workshops/checklists/Contacts_AV3.doc) with the Training Provider/Contractor information, field visit details, and State/Local agency liaison. This form is stapled to the inside front cover of the meeting folder. If all information is not available immediately, it is added as it becomes available.

3. The Logistics Lead determines if the contractor will require a field visit for the course (i.e., CARB 200 Series Courses). If a field visit is required, the Logistics Lead contacts the state/local agency Training Coordinator in the area the course is to be held. The Logistics Lead requests assistance from the Training Coordinator in identifying a staff person to help coordinate the field visit.

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4. The Training Coordinator will update the Annual Workshop Schedule with the event and work with the Executive Director to establish a general budget for the meeting or workshop and determine how many people from each agency will be supported to attend.

5. If there were any previous meetings held on the same or a related topic, the Technical Lead and the Logistics Lead review the prior evaluation summary report(s) for recommendations or guidance in planning the event.

6. The Training Coordinator sets up a hard copy file folder and includes a Document Tracking Sheet inside. This can be a lined page to track all correspondence related to the meeting and includes the date, a description of the correspondence (fax, letter, email, etc) and the person(s) involved.

Note

MARAMA usually reserves 2-3 spaces per member agency for a set period of time and then opens up registration to everyone (such as other regional agencies) on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Establishing the Meeting Framework The Training Provider is primarily responsible for establishing the meeting framework. It is important that everyone has a clear understanding of what is to be accomplished with the event. The objective parameters and expectations for the meeting should be determined before planning any details. The Meeting Framework Worksheet is used to identify the answers to questions that help the logistics team understand the general meeting requirements.

1. The Logistics Lead contacts the instructor(s) as soon as possible to review and complete (as much as possible) the Meeting Framework Worksheet (..Elmo/Checklists/Framework.doc) by phone. If necessary,

the Logistics Assistant makes follow-up calls to assist the instructor in providing the needed information.


Generating the Meeting Checklist and Assigning Roles The Training Coordinator initiates pre-event activities by generating the Meeting Checklist and then assigns staff to the roles of Management Review

and Logistics Lead. As necessary, back-up personnel should be assigned to the roles.



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The Meeting Checklist is an Excel spreadsheet that contains the following information:

§ Meeting Title

§ Meeting Start and End Dates

§ The Monday prior to the meeting start date (if not on a Monday)

§ Type of Funding


§ Expected Attendees

§ Targeted Group(s)

§ Tasks to be completed and time frames

The checklist is organized into three main sections, with tasks listed on a weekly basis from 12-14 weeks prior to the event until 4 weeks after the event. The three main sections are Pre-Event Activities, On-Site Activities and Post-Event Activities.

1. The Training Coordinator or Logistics Lead creates a new folder under the directory ..Elmo/workshops with the event date and name/acronym (i.e. 2002-Jan-CARB200). The blank subfolders can be copied from the New Meeting Folder Setup directory into the new meeting folder.

2. The Logistics Lead copies the Contracted Meetings and Courses Meeting Checklist and saves it to the meeting folder with the meeting name in front of the checklist filename (i.e. CARB200Checklist.xls) from the directory (..Elmo/checklists/Level3Checklist.xls).

3. The Logistics Lead inserts the detailed information in the fields highlighted in blue text. The Task Completion Dates and Lead Assigned To fields will be automatically updated with actual dates and names of individuals when the information is entered. As necessary, the checklist are adjusted for the following:




4. The Logistics Lead saves changes and updates the Multi-Workshop General Checklist with the new workshop’s major tasks/dates. The checklist can be used to verify the dates are set appropriately. (See Chapter 3, Agenda Development for details on updating this checklist).

5. The Training Coordinator notifies the workshop team that an electronic copy of the checklist for the event is available. Notes regarding changes and the expected timing

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of specific tasks are made during the Kick-Off Meeting. As desired, staff can print all or part of the checklists for their own use/tracking.

Contracts with Instructors or Providers For standard courses offered by the Rutgers Air Compliance Center and the California Air Resources Board, contracts are not required prior to scheduling

a course. Rutgers has a general fee that is charged and CARB has a set fee for each course.

EPA has guidance for inspector training and has funded course development. These courses are offered by several providers. For contracts with other providers (i.e., University of Cincinnati, University of Texas-Arlington, and North Carolina State University), a letter of agreement is written by the Training Coordinator with the basic course requirements.

Other providers may require a contract. In these cases MARAMA must follow the Federal procurement guidelines (40CFR part 30.44) to select the training provider. Unless sole source justification can be made, a Request for Proposal (RFP) must be issued.

The contract with the instructor should be signed before the hotel contract is signed. The Executive Director must sign all contracts. The contract contains the name of the contractor/instructor and what is included in the costs (such as all handouts, instructor time and travel).

Site Selection and Field Visit Transportation Detailed procedures for site selection are provided in Chapter 4. Site Selection & Field Visit Transportation. This is done 10 to 14 weeks prior to the meeting or

workshop. A survey of potential sites is done either in-house by the Logistics Lead or using Hotel Location Service. After comparing information using the Hotel Cost Comparison Worksheet, the Logistics Lead makes a recommendation in a memo to the Executive Director. The Training Coordinator must approve the memo prior to submittal. Once the final site is approved, the Logistics Lead requests a written contract.

In the initial contact with the hotel or facility selected, the Logistics Lead identifies audiovisual and menu options.

The Logistics Lead determines if MARAMA would be tax exempt (if the site is in Maryland). If applicable, the tax exempt form is provided with the credit application.

If a field visit is required for the meeting or workshop, the Logistics Lead identifies potential transportation providers and their available services during the initial site selection process. Transportation options are finalized about four weeks before the meeting start.

By 10 weeks before the meeting, a signed contract should be in place with the selected facility.

Setting the Meeting Budget and Fee Fees may be charged to outside participants, especially non-state/local attendees. However fees may be waived for speakers who are not federal

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employees. Due to Federal grant guidelines, federal employees (e.g. EPA staff) generally may not attend MARAMA events unless they are contributing to the workshop, such as a presenter or resource person.

1. Once a site has been selected, the Training Coordinator makes a copy of the template for the Budget and Actual Costs Worksheet (..Elmo/checklists/budget_actuals.xls) and updates the first worksheet in the spreadsheet with the selected hotel prices and any known meeting

expenses. The budget information entered includes: the estimated number of attendees, meeting room costs, per person costs for breaks/meals, estimated A/V equipment costs, room rates, speaker costs, handouts and supplies costs and any revenue from registration fees.

2. If there is a workshop fee, it is set based on the total cost for the meals. MARAMA cannot pay for Federal employee meals, but light breaks can be covered. To calculate the fee, the cost of all meals plus tax and gratuity is totaled and then rounded to the nearest $5. As a general rule of thumb, MARAMA does not provide meals (aside from breaks/refreshments) for contracted courses.

3. The Training Coordinator updates the meeting budget in the Annual Workshop Schedule (..Elmo/workshops/workshop schedules/ FYXXWorkshopMeetingCosts.xls).

Setting Up the Course in the Contacts Database MARAMA maintains a Contacts Database that contains records for members and also keeps track of conferences that contacts have attended.

The course information needs to be set up so that registrations can be entered and tracked.

1. The Logistics Lead opens the Contacts Database (K:/contacts.mdb) and selects View/Edit Conferences. When the Conference window is opened, he/she will either scroll through the records to the end or click on the >* in the lower left corner of the window to go to a blank record.

2. The Logistics Lead enters the course name, dates, location and either selects a hotel or enter a new hotel. The database will not allow the same conference name to be used for more than one record so each course must have a unique name.

3. The Logistics Lead updates the MS Word file with the contact information plus the names and dates of the meeting (..Elmo/hotelinformation/MARAMA Hotels YY.doc) maintained by the Training Coordinator where additional hotel/facility information is maintained.

Generating Meeting Labels Labels that contain the meeting name, date, location, funding type and meeting level can be useful to put on generic checklists (so that the

information does not need to be re-written) and also on invoices and other documents that are provided by hotels, etc. This helps to ensure that the documents can be easily and properly identified, particularly those invoices that need to be provided to EPA.

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The Logistics Assistant generates the meeting labels.

1. The template file (..Elmo/workshops/templates/MeetingLabels.doc) is copied and saved with the meeting name under the meeting material’s folder.

2. The new file is opened in MS Word.

3. Select “Tools” from the menu bar, then “Letters and Mailings,” then “Envelopes and Labels.” A pop-up window will appear. The label text can be edited/replaced with the actual meeting information. Click on the button “New Document.” The sheet of labels will be updated with the meeting information. Save the file.

4. Avery 5162 label sheets (14 per page, size is 1.33” height x 4” wide) are inserted into the printer and Print selected from the File menu. Close the file when printing is completed.

Agenda Development The Training Provider or contractor is responsible for providing the agenda. The Logistics Lead requests a copy of the agenda from the

Training Provider. This may include a draft and final agenda. The agenda is posted on the MARAMA web site when it is received. The final agenda is provided four weeks prior to the event if possible.

Generating Announcements and Attendee Communication Early announcements of workshops are needed in order for MARAMA members to obtain out-of-state travel approvals. Announcements also encourage early registration to ensure accurate estimates of attendance.

Information should begin to be posted on the MARAMA web site as soon as the workshop or meeting date is chosen. Hotel information must be posted on the web no later than (and preferably earlier than) six weeks before the event. The preliminary agenda is also posted at that time.

Save the Date Notice A workshop announcement is distributed via fax and/or e-mail about ten weeks before major workshops. It can be sent out as soon as the

workshop or event topic is added to the schedule. If the hotel arrangements have not been finalized or the exact dates are not yet determined, the announcement can indicate “To Be Determined.” This announcement may include a preliminary list of topics but does not include a registration form. The purpose of the announcement is to facilitate travel approvals, prevent schedule conflicts, and promote attendance.

The announcement calls attention to the MARAMA web site as a source of further information, and it provides a MARAMA e-mail address to request a registration form or address questions. (See Appendix D. Figure 13 for an example.)

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1. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the template (..Elmo/workshops/templates/SavetheDate.doc) and saves it under the meeting correspondence folder. The specific information for the course is inserted into the document.

2. The Save the Date Notice is provided to the Training Coordinator for review.

3. The Logistics Lead sends the announcement via email to:

§ MARAMA Directors

§ Members of the appropriate MARAMA Committee. Including both the Training Committee and one or more technical committees.


§ Expected speakers

§ MARAMA members who attended similar workshops in the past

4. The Logistics Lead notifies the MARAMA web master that the Save the Date file is ready for posting.

5. The Logistics Lead sends an email to EPA OAQPS with the course name and dates, MARAMA email contact and information required for inclusion on their consolidated calendar (if needed, the dates are listed as TBD).

Registration Memo (Memo 1) and Form A signed contract with a facility is required before the registration form is sent and the fee, if any must be determined. The course information should

already be set up in the Contacts Database.

The Logistics Lead generates the Registration Memo and Registration Form. It must be reviewed by the Training Coordinator and may need to be approved by the Executive Director before it is sent out. Memos for courses (Level 3) are reviewed by the Training Coordinator. The registration memo/email includes the following information:

§ Name of workshop, date, and location

§ Due date for registration with hotel and reminder that registrations should be made now and cancelled if necessary

§ Due date for registration with MARAMA § Costs for parking, hotel room, and registration fee (if any)

§ Number of hotel rooms per agency for which MARAMA will cover costs

§ Attach draft copy of the agenda (validate recent version with Technical Lead)

G E N E R A T I N G T H E R E G I S T R A T I O N M E M O A N D F O R M

1. The Logistics Lead requests facility/hotel information and travel directions and other pertinent locale information that will be of use and

interest to workshop attendees. This information is typed and reviewed by the Logistics Lead. Once finalized, it is provided to the web master for posting on the MARAMA web

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site. Additional information that requested from the hotel is brochures/materials on area attractions which can be included in the meeting packets or distributed upon request.

2. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the Registration Memo template (..Elmo/workshops/templates/Memo1.doc) and saves it under the meeting correspondence folder. The specific information for the meeting is inserted into the document or email.

3. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the appropriate Registration Form (with fee or without fee) template (..Elmo/workshops/templates/Registration.doc or Registration_Fee.doc) and saves it under the meeting correspondence folder. The specific information for the meeting is inserted into the document or email.

4. The Registration Memo and Registration Form are provided to the Training Coordinator or the Executive Director for review.

5. The Logistics Lead sends the approved announcement with the attached Registration Form via email or fax to:

§ MARAMA Directors § Members of the appropriate MARAMA Committee(s)


§ Expected speakers § EPA

§ Persons who requested Registration information

6. The Logistics Lead notifies the MARAMA web master that the Registration Form is ready for posting.

7. The Logistics Lead sends an email to EPA OAQPS with the updated course information for their consolidated calendar.

Receipt of Registration Confirmation Upon receipt of the registration form from the MARAMA members, the Logistics Assistant sends an email to confirm that MARAMA has received

the registration form and has the correct information.

Registration Reminder (Memo 1a) About one month prior to the meeting, the Logistics Lead reviews the list of registered participants along with a list of those registered at the hotel. These

lists are reviewed to determine if MARAMA agencies are participating to the fullest extent. If not, a Registration Reminder memo may be sent to the agency which includes:


§ Reminder of registration and reservation deadlines

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§ A list of attendees with reservations

§ Number of persons from agency who can attend

In some cases, the Logistics Lead or Technical Lead may use telephone reminders instead of a reminder memo or email.

1. The Logistics Lead generates the Conference Participants Table from the Contacts Database for the specified meeting or workshop.

§ The K:/contacts.mdb database file is opened and the button for View/Edit Conferences is clicked.

§ Select the appropriate workshop. Then under Conference Reports, click on Conference Participation Table. Specify the report to

display the list alphabetically by agency and print the report.

2. The Logistics Lead contacts the hotel and requests that the Hotel Block Reservation List be faxed to MARAMA. The Logistics Lead reviews the Hotel Block Reservation List and the Conference Participation Table. By looking at the table, it can be determined which MARAMA agencies have not registered for the event or which agencies do not have the maximum number of participants registered.

3. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the Registration Reminder memo template (..Elmo/workshops/templates/Memo1a.doc) and saves it under the meeting correspondence folder. The specific information for the meeting is inserted into the document or email.

4. The Logistics Lead sends the reminder memo via email or fax to targeted agencies, based on those members not registered. It is also sent to the registered attendees to remind them to register with the hotel. The Technical Lead provides support as needed.

Registration Confirmation (Memo 2) Two weeks before the workshop, a Registration Confirmation (Memo 2) is sent from the Logistics Lead to all those who have registered for the

workshop including speakers. A copy of this memo is also sent to the instructors and to the MARAMA Directors so that they can ensure their agency is adequately represented. This memo:

§ Confirms registration

§ Provides information on how to get directions to the workshop facility and a copy of the agenda

§ Provides any additional information, such as security procedures, pre-workshop work to be completed, and special equipment required (such as a calculator).

§ Identifies those whose sleeping rooms will be billed to MARAMA

§ Provides the order of names on the wait list (if necessary)

§ Provides a link to the agenda

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1. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the Registration Confirmation memo template (..Elmo/workshops/templates/Memo2.doc) and saves it under the meeting correspondence folder. The specific information for the meeting is inserted into the document. The memo should be reviewed to ensure accuracy.

2. The Logistics Assistant sends the registration confirmation memo via email or fax to MARAMA Directors (copying their assistants) and all registered participants and speakers. This list can be obtained from the Contacts database.





§ This list (or specified fields) can be exported to Excel by selecting the Export to Excel button. Another screen will be displayed asking to check the fields to be exported. An output table containing the selected data will be displayed. This can be used to generate a mail-merge document and/or pasted into Word/Outlook to get the email addresses.

Information for the MARAMA Web Site The Logistics Lead and the Training Coordinator are responsible to coordinate

event information and updates for the MARAMA web site. The following information should be provided to the MARAMA web master as it becomes available:

§ Event Announcement (Save the Date) notice

§ Scheduled Event Details: information about the workshop is updated as soon as the hotel contract is signed (about 10 weeks before the event) and includes workshop fee, hotel cost, parking cost, and hotel telephone.

§ Draft Agenda

§ Final Agenda

§ Directions to Hotel/Facility

§ Registration Form: A link is provided to an on-line registration form that can be completed online and submitted to MARAMA.


Generating Speaker Correspondence The Logistics Lead obtains the list of speakers from the Training Provider or Contractor.

Confirmation Email/AV Request 1. The Training Provider provides a list of speakers and contact

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information to the Logistics Lead.

2. The Logistics Lead sends an email to the instructors which identifies the audiovisual equipment that has been reserved for the course and requests that the instructor confirm if any additional equipment is needed.

Instructor Reminder Email The optional second email to instructors is to ensure they have registered

with the hotel, to verify A/V equipment, and to ensure that all needs for the meeting have been addressed. In some cases, the Logistics Lead may use telephone reminders instead of a second email. The Logistics Lead should keep the Training Provider informed about missing speaker responses so the Technical Lead can encourage speakers to provide the needed information if there is an opportunity, such as a call regarding the agenda.

Registration Confirmation (Memo 2) Instructors receive the same confirmation memo as other participants described above.

Entering and Tracking Registrations Registration activities help MARAMA accurately predict the number who will attend the workshop or meeting so that appropriate space,

handouts, and food are provided and costs kept within budgets. They also help prepare information useful to participants to help them network with each other. The MARAMA Contacts database is used to enter and track registrations. Details on the registration process and registration reports are provided in Chapter 5. Registration & Registration Reports.

Entering Registrations As registration forms are received, on a daily basis (1-8 weeks) registrations are entered into the Contacts Database (K:/contacts.mdb). The Logistics Assistant maintains the workshop Contacts Database. The database is regularly updated with the addition or modification of each registrant’s information.


§ Conference Participation List – Regular: The Logistics Assistant generates the Conference Participation List – Regular for the attendees 1 week before the meeting. Copies are made for distribution to the course attendees.

§ Conference Participation Table: The Logistics Assistant runs the Conference Participation Table weekly starting at week 5 through 1 week before the course. A copy of the list is provided to the Training Coordinator. This list is used to identify agencies not participating, to confirm/check numbers with estimates provided to the hotel and to give the final guarantees for food and rooms.

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§ Conference Participation List – With Comments and Dates: The Logistics Lead generates the Conference Participation List – With Comments and Dates at week 4 and week 1 to complete the MARAMA rooming list and to ensure that any special arrangements requested (i.e. for food) are addressed.

Tracking Registrations The Logistics Lead monitors the registration count. If pre-registration exceeds the pre-designated count limits, the Training Coordinator (in consultation with the Executive Director) will recommend closing registration or expanding the size of the workshop if additional facility/hotel meeting room space is available, provided the instructor is willing and resources permit. If there is a wait list set up for the course, the individuals should be contacted to let them know there is more room in the course. The list is on a first-come-first-serve basis.

If registration is below expected levels, it may be necessary to solicit additional registrations or cancel the class. For APTI, CARB and Rutgers classes, the minimum number of participants is 25. Guarantees for food service are also adjusted based on registration counts.

For Level 3 Contracted Meetings, the Logistics Lead sends the Conference Participation List - Regular to the Training Provider/Contractor at 4 weeks and 2 weeks with a final attendee count provided 1 week prior to the meeting. MARAMA usually reserves 2-3 spaces per member agency for a set period of time and then opens up registration to everyone (such as other regional agencies).

Note

Information about the meeting is sent to EPA OAQPS to add to their consolidated calendar. The Training Coordinator in neighboring states/consortia may also be notified about the meeting.

Making Arrangements for MARAMA Staff About seven weeks prior to the event, MARAMA staff that will be attending the meeting or workshop are entered in the database, registered with the

hotel, and if flying, airline arrangements made.

1. After consulting with the Training Coordinator, the Logistics Assistant makes the hotel arrangements by calling the hotel and providing them with the names, type of room and number of nights for each MARAMA staff person. This can also be in memo form and faxed. These rooms should be included in the Master Account. The Logistics Assistant also registers the staff in the Contacts Database.

2. If airline travel is required, each MARAMA staff person is responsible for their own travel arrangements. If more than one person is attending the meeting, everyone should coordinate, if possible, to fly at the same time, especially if a rental car is required at the meeting location. Every effort should be made to obtain the lowest airfare possible. Time spent traveling should also be considered. On-line travel services such as Expedia.com and Travelocity.com can be used to check airfare prices and availability. Southwest Airlines fare information should be checked separately on their web site.

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Requesting a Local On-Site Liaison When MARAMA staff is not attending the course, MARAMA enlists the help of its member agencies to provide a person to act as an on-site liaison

for the course.

The on-site liaison provides on-site support. They may also be the person who assists with arrangements for the field visit required for CARB courses and/or to assist with facility arrangements. This person is someone who is planning on attending the course and the Logistics Lead contacts the local organization’s Training Coordinator for recommendations. Usually the local Training Coordinator will contact the liaison and provide MARAMA their contact information.

Finalizing Field Trips and Securing the Transportation Provider For Level 3 meetings that require a field visit, the Logistics Lead verifies the field trip arrangements with the state or local agency staff person in charge

of the particular field trip or the instructor. Information should have been gathered during the site selection process around week 12-14.

Using the estimated number of participants, the Logistics Lead obtains bids and secures the transportation provider. The Logistics Lead also updates

the Contacts and AV Needs Worksheet with the finalized contact information and fees for the transportation provider. The Executive Director must sign all contracts.

Working with the Hotel Finalizing Food and Beverage Arrangements and Breaks

The Logistics Lead finalizes arrangements for food and beverage and reviews the set up and requirements for the breaks about 4 weeks prior to the meeting. Initial information and general costs are obtained during the site selection process 12 to 14 weeks prior to the course. The hotel may generate Event Orders, which the Logistics Lead carefully reviews before approval by the Executive Director. The Meeting Management Guidebook contains an optional Break Planner Worksheet (see Appendix D: Figure 26.) that can be used to help finalize the arrangements and communicate them to the hotel.

Finalizing Audiovisual Arrangements The Logistics Lead finalizes arrangements for any audiovisual equipment

rental. This may be done through the hotel or with an outside vendor. Initial information and general costs are obtained during the site selection process 12 to 14 weeks prior to the course. The Logistics Lead reviews the instructor’s AV Needs forms and updates the Contacts and AV Needs Worksheet inside the meeting folder with the equipment required. The Meeting Management Guidebook contains an optional Audiovisual Checklist (see Appendix D: Figure 25.) that can be used to help finalize arrangements. The audiovisual information is usually included in the Banquet Event Order (BEO).

When an LCD projector is required, the Logistics Lead contacts the state or local agency near the event to determine if they have one that can be borrowed to help save on costs.

¹ Week 6

¹ Week 5

¹ Week 4

¹ Week 4 & See Working

with the Hotel pages 28-25

& See Food and Beverage Functions pages 39-43

& See Program Planning/Audio-visuals pages 34-35


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Hotel Confirmation Memo The Logistics Lead develops and maintains a list of those whose sleeping rooms will be billed to MARAMA. (MARAMA usually pays hotel costs for MARAMA staff and one or two rooms per member agency.) This information is sent to the hotel to confirm rooms that will be billed to the MARAMA Master Account.

1. The Logistics Lead makes a copy of the Hotel Rooming Memo template(s) (..Elmo/workshops/templates/HotelRoomingMemo.doc) and saves it under the meeting correspondence folder. The specific information for the meeting is inserted into the document (see Appendix D: Figure 24). The names of Participants that will be covered on the Master Account (rooms only)

should be listed. The Conference Participation List – With Comments and Dates can be used to get this information. The memo should be reviewed to ensure accuracy.

2. The Logistics Lead faxes the memo to the hotel and files a copy of the memo in the Master Files and the Meeting Master Binder. The original goes into the chronological file.

Reconfirming Facility Arrangements 1. The Logistics Lead reconfirms all facility/hotel arrangements and meeting room/sleeping room reservations approximately a week before the event. The Meeting Management Guidebook contains an optional One Week Before Checklist (see Appendix D. Figure 30.) (..Elmo/checklists/OneWeekBefore.doc) which is a useful tool to ensure that meeting arrangements are not overlooked.

2. A few days before the workshop, the Logistics Lead makes an appointment with his/her contact at the workshop facility to review arrangements for food service and meeting rooms while on site prior to the meeting start. The Pre-Conference Hotel Review Checklist (see Appendix D. Figure 27.) found in the Meeting Management Guidebook (..Elmo/checklists/PreConferenceReview.doc) can be used for this on-site visit, which typically takes place one to three days prior to the meeting.

Final Count/Guarantee Usually the hotel or facility will require the final count/guarantee at least 72 hours before the meeting start. Occasionally, the hotel may require this

information sooner. This guarantee due date can be found on the facility contract of banquet Event Orders.

1. The Logistics Lead updates the Hotel Rooming Memo one week before the meeting if there are any changes and faxes the memo to the hotel and file another copy of the memo in the Master Files and the Meeting Master Binder.

2. The Logistics Lead provides final counts for meals and breaks by the due date. This is communicated in writing with the hotel. The Conference Participants Table can be printed from the Contacts Database and used to get the counts. A copy of the memo

¹ Week 2

& See Attendee Hotel Arrangements pages 46-48

22

¹ Week 1

& See Final Details page 49-53

¹ Weeks 1-2


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with the final counts should be included in the Master Files and the Meeting Master Binder.

Note

As a general rule of thumb, the final count/guarantee should be approximately 5% less than what is expected (at least one less than expected.)

Handouts and Other Meeting Materials Typically the Training Provider or Contractor is responsible for the preparation of all handouts and other meeting materials. The Logistics Lead

informs them of the number of attendees so enough copies can be provided.

If the Training Provider is not making the copies, the original handout materials should be provided to the Logistics Lead no later than four weeks before the course. The details on collating and copying meeting materials are provided in Chapter 6 MARAMA Meeting & Workshops/Committee Meetings.

Generating Nametags If the Training Provider is not taking care of nametags, the Logistics Assistant prepares nametags for all participants, including instructors,

MARAMA staff, guests, and registrants one week before the workshop.

1. The Logistics Assistant generates an Excel output file from the Contacts Database of all registered participants.





§ This list (or specified fields) can be exported to Excel by selecting the Export to Excel button. Another screen will be displayed asking to check the fields to be exported. Select the First and Last Name, Organization and Agency. An output table containing the selected data will be displayed. This can be used to generate a mail-merge document and/or pasted into Word/Outlook to get the email addresses. Save the Excel file in the meeting folder (the default name is output.xls).

2. The Excel file is merged with the Nametag template (..Elmo/workshops/templates/nametags.doc). Nametags show the first name in large type, followed by the last name and the jurisdiction or agency. The merged file

¹ Weeks 1-4

¹ Weeks 1

::

22


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is saved in the meeting materials folder.

§ Open the nametag.doc template in MS Word. From the main menu, select “Tools” then “Letters and Mailings” and then “Mail Merge Wizard”. Follow the steps for the mail merge wizard using the output.xls file as the source. Depending on the length of the individual’s name, some name tags may need to have the font size adjusted. Once they are reviewed in print preview, they can be printed.

3. The completed nametags are inserted into the plastic sleeves by the Logistics Assistant and kept in alphabetical order for delivery to the meeting site. Blank name tag stock/sleeves with the meeting information are also included in the event there are mistakes or people not registered show up.

4. If desired, speaker nametags can have a ribbon attached to make it easy to identify the speakers.

Assembling the Meeting Master Binder The Logistics Lead assembles a meeting Master Binder. The Master Binder contains copies of documents that are in the Master Files. This Master

Binder is taken on-site during the meeting or workshop. It should include:

§ Directions

§ Agenda

§ Conference Participation Lists (Regular, With Comments & Dates and Table) § Hotel Registration List

§ Hotel Rooming List/Hotel Memo § List of guests and speakers

§ Copies of Facility Contracts/Event Orders


§ Payment List

§ FedEx Vouchers

If the Master Binder is being sent to an on-site liaison, then copies of the attendee lists are sent as well for distribution to the participants and the instructors.

Packing Supplies and Equipment to Take to Workshop Since the Training Provider usually supplies the materials, MARAMA generally does not have to ship supplies and equipment for the course, aside

from the Master Binder and attendee lists. These should be sent via US mail when possible. The timing of preparing the Master Binder must be taken into account when it is being sent to an on-site liaison.

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¹ Weeks 1-2


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Many times the Training Provider will mail their materials to the hotel. It is important to provide the instructors with the necessary information on where they are to send their materials and the site’s receiving and delivery procedures.

In some cases when MARAMA is providing the handouts, it may be possible to ship some materials to the workshop facility ahead of time. This is usually not done because a) it’s cheaper just to take the materials to the workshop by car, and b) it’s difficult to get instructors to provide copies early enough.

1. If the Logistics Lead is attending the course, he/she compiles the necessary supplies utilizing the Workshop Supplies Checklist (See Appendix D. Figure 32) (..Elmo/workshops/checklists/WorkshopSupplies.doc). A meeting bag should be already ready that contains the necessary supplies. The Logistics

Assistant reviews the contents to ensure that everything is there and re-stocked if necessary.

2. The Logistics Lead validates that the correct number of Meeting Notebooks or Folders being brought to the meeting by the Training Provider or Contractor. The Logistics Lead puts one extra copy on the shelf of meeting notebooks.

3. If MARAMA will be providing any equipment for use at the meeting, the Logistics Lead identifies and prepares it for hand carrying or shipping to the meeting.

4. The Logistics Lead reviews all meeting materials and supplies that are to be delivered/shipped to the meeting.

5. If materials are to be shipped, the Logistics Lead makes the necessary arrangements with adequate time to ensure they arrive prior to the meeting. The materials should be shipped in a method that allows tracking.

Note

For Meetings with an On-Site Liaison, the Meeting Master Binder (or folder) and any other necessary meeting materials, such as the attendee list, are shipped to the liaison or to the meeting facility to hold for the liaison by the Logistics Lead.

Arranging for Staff Transportation MARAMA staff carpool or use public transit as much as possible to get to and from workshop facilities. If it is necessary to transport a large amount of

material to the workshop, the Executive Director or Logistics Lead may rent a vehicle.

On-Site Logistics On-site support is important to the smooth operation of the workshop. Most of the on-site activities are carried out by the on-site MARAMA

staff person (this can be the Executive Director, Logistics Lead or the Local Liaison).

!!

¹ Weeks 1

¹ Daily During Meeting


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Arrival at the Hotel 1. Upon arrival at the hotel, the on-site staff or local liaison confirms that all transported materials have arrived at meeting site.

2. The on-site staff person meets with the facility representative on the evening or in the early morning before the start of the workshop. They will conduct a comprehensive walk-through of all the workshop-related areas including the meeting rooms, dining rooms, break area, and registration area, and review times and menus for meals/breaks. This final review is important to prevent any misunderstanding. The optional Pre-Conference Hotel Review Checklist (..Elmo/workshops/checklists/Pre-MeetingReview.doc) can be used for this meeting (see Appendix D. Figure 27.). If there is not a MARAMA staff person on site, this review can be done via phone with the Logistics Lead and hotel staff.

3. The on-site staff person arranges or responds to any last minute changes in the facility arrangements and/or in the workshop technical program. If there is an impact on the costs, this must be reviewed and approved by the Training Coordinator. If costs exceed $500, the Executive Director must also provide approval. If there is not a MARAMA staff person on site, this is done via phone with the Logistics Lead and hotel staff.

The Day of the Meeting 1. If the Training Provider is not handling registration, then one to two hours before the

meeting start, the on-site staff person or local liaison sets up the Registration table and any display or exhibit materials. A printed Conference Participation List is placed on the table with instructions for attendees to review their contact information and make any necessary corrections to the master copy. Nametags are displayed on the table in alphabetical order. Extra nametags and pens and pencils should be on hand.

2. Participants validate their contact information and receive handouts as they sign-in. The on-site staff person or local liaison checks off that they arrived on a master attendee list. If an individual is not registered, they must complete a special on-site registration form.

3. The on-site staff person or local liaison welcomes the training provider and helps them with any questions about facilities, and audiovisual equipment or handouts.

During the Course 1. If the Training Provider is not handling registration, each morning, the on-site staff person or local liaison sets up the registration table and displays

any exhibit materials about an hour before the start of the workshop.

2. The on-site staff person or local liaison manages the registration table and registration process, including the following:

§ Checking arrival of attendees and any last-minute registrations § Management of communications and messages

§ Responding to registrants’ questions and inquiries

& See Arrival at the Hotel page 54

¹ Daily


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§ Interfacing with the facility/hotel to address unexpected/unanticipated issues/problems

3. The on-site staff person or local liaison maintains an accurate count of workshop attendees and meal attendees and communicates this to the Logistics Lead via a daily phone call. The Logistics Lead notifies the catering manager if it exceeds the guarantee.

4. The Logistics Lead reviews the facility/hotel bill daily to ensure accurate accounting for sleeping rooms, food services, and A/V equipment. If MARAMA staff are not in attendance, the hotel is requested to fax this information to MARAMA for their review.

Meeting Close 1. At the end of the workshop, the Training Provider collects workshop evaluations,

returned nametags, and survey/questionnaire responses (if applicable).

2. The Executive Director or Logistics Lead pays the master bill if billing has not been arranged.

3. Meeting materials are shipped back to MARAMA or Training Provider location, if necessary by the Training Provider.

Post-Event Activities Post meeting and workshop follow-up activities are important to recognize speakers’ contributions, keep the MARAMA Directors informed about MARAMA services and about ideas that are generated at workshops, and to encourage MARAMA staff to continue to think of ways to improve workshops.

Post event activities begin immediately after the workshop. The evaluation summary, staff evaluation, and Memo to Directors should be completed within a week. The thank you letters and cost summary should be completed two to four weeks after the workshop.

Updating Actual Attendance Information and Corrections 1. The Logistics Lead requests the Training Provider to send copies

of the sign-in sheets to MARAMA for the files.

2. The Logistics Lead reviews the sign-in sheets and corrects the Contacts Database where participants have noted changes. If participants were registered and did not show up, the specific conference should be deleted from their contact record from the Conference Attended section.

3. The Logistics Lead files the signed Attendance List in the Registration file of the Master Files for the meeting. This provides documentation of attendance.

¹ Week 1 After


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Completing the MARAMA Staff Evaluation The Logistics Lead convenes a post workshop meeting of MARAMA

staff and may include principal outside organizers via a conference call. The meeting will help determine if progress has been made in continuously improving the technical quality of MARAMA workshops and the efficiency and effectiveness of managing the workshop process. The meeting participants will also discuss and make decisions on record keeping and filing requirements for the workshop and will complete the Post-Workshop Staff Evaluation form (see Figure 34).

1. The Logistics Lead prints the Post-Workshop Staff Evaluation form (..Elmo/templates/StaffEvaluation.doc). During the conference call or meeting, the information is filled in. If a conference call or meeting is not held, the form can be routed to the Training Provider and the various MARAMA staff persons that

participated for their input.

2. The Logistics Lead ensures that follow-up activities are assigned to the appropriate individuals and a completion date determined.

Completing the Attendee Evaluation Summary The Logistics Lead requests the Training Provider to send copies of the

completed evaluation forms to MARAMA. The Logistics Lead reviews and summarizes comments from the Attendee Evaluation Forms. The Workshop Evaluation Summary is completed for the MARAMA Executive Director’s review and approval.

Evaluation Summary Report The Logistic Lead tabulates the survey responses. Excel may be used to calculate percentages and averages. The comments are captured in narrative form, with editing for grammar and redundancy. The Evaluation Summary Report is reviewed by the

Training Coordinator, Training Provider and the Executive Director. A template can be used for the report (..Elmo/worhsops/trackingreports/evaluationsummary.doc). There are standard CARB and Rutgers evaluation forms in the same directory.

Quotable Quotes As the Logistics Lead or others review the evaluation forms, any “quotable quotes” should be highlighted. This may include comments from attendees that help convey the positive impact of

MARAMA training opportunities or comments about courses or activities that were outstanding. The Logistics Lead opens the Quotable Quotes document (..Elmo/workshops/trackingreports/QuotableQuotes.doc) and updates it with the necessary information.

Note

When preparing the MARAMA Annual Report or other types of promotional materials, the Quotable Quotes are reviewed for potential material to include.

¹ Week 1 After

!!

¹ Week 1 After

22

44


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Quarterly Meeting Summary Memo A summary of the meeting is put in the Quarterly Meeting Summary Memo (..Elmo/workshops/trackingreports/directorssummarymemo.doc) which includes the dates, meeting name/location, number attending and the agencies represented.

Posting Meeting Materials As requested, meeting materials are posted on the MARAMA web site.

After 60 days, these materials are removed.

Preparing Thank You Letters Thank you letters to instructors and to other who helped with the event should be sent.

Instructor Thank You Letters The Training Provider is responsible to send out the instructor thank you letters following the course.

Other Thank You Letters The Logistics Lead may also want to prepare thank you letters for others

that helped organize the event such as hotel staff that provided exceptional service, local agencies that provided assistance and other organizers. Any commendation letter going to supervisors (such as a director) are signed by the Executive Director.

Reviewing Invoices/Expenses 1. By week 3 after the meeting, all invoices related to the event should be reviewed for accuracy by the Training Coordinator and then submitted to

the Executive Director for approval. Request for payment is sent to the Senior Administrative Assistant. If invoices have not been received, the Logistic Lead requests the vendor to submit the invoice as soon as possible. The Training Coordinator reviews the invoice for accurate billing and tax information. A meeting label is attached to each invoice and the Training Coordinator assigns the appropriate cost accounting code.

Sign Checks The Executive Director is the only staff person authorized to sign checks. The MARAMA treasurer also has authorization to sign in an emergency

situation. Payment for invoices/expenses from an event should typically be made within 4 weeks of the completion of the event. The Senior Administrative Assistant submits checks to the Executive Director for signature and then they are mailed. A copy of the invoice is included with the check.

Preparing the Cost Summary 1. The Training Coordinator finalizes the meeting’s Budget and Actual Costs Worksheet found under the meeting folder. The Cost Summary

Worksheet is printed for the meeting files. [The second worksheet will be automatically updated when the actual costs are entered for the meeting under the Budget and Actual Details worksheet.]

2. The backup documentation from the finance profit-loss reports are kept with the meeting files. These documents are submitted to the Executive Director with the cost

44 ¹ Week 1 After

¹ Week 2 After

¹ Week 3 After

¹ Week 4 After

¹ Week 4 After


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summary. The Executive Director reviews and sign off on the cost summary. The cost summary is filed in contracts/financial information file of the master files.

Mailing Certificates of Completion The Training Provider may provide MARAMA with certificates of completion for all attendees. The Logistics Assistant sorts the certificates by

agency and prepares them for mailing. Most of the MARAMA member agencies have Training Coordinators that request the original certificates be sent to them for all participants from their agency. The Logistics Assistant prepares a letter to include with the certificates for each agency that includes a list of persons receiving certificates. Then the Logistics Assistant mails the letter and certificates.

Organizing Files Electronic and Hard Copy Files

The Logistics Assistant and Logistics Lead make sure that all meeting files are organized and checked for completeness. Files are kept according to the

procedures in Chapter 11: Record Keeping.

The electronic files under the meeting folder are reviewed by the Logistics Lead to ensure that any unnecessary files/drafts are deleted. The Logistics Assistant and Logistics Lead review all hard copy files for the meeting and place the appropriate documents in the Master Files.

¹ Week 4 After

¹ Week 4 After

E X E C U T I V E B O A R D E V E N T S

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Executive Board Events This chapter covers the special tasks and reporting required for Executive Board meetings.

versight of MARAMA is provided by the Executive Board. The Director from each member agency, or an alternate, make up the board, and the MARAMA Executive Director is a non-voting Board member. Conference calls and meetings are used to communicate information, get input, and report on MARAMA activities.

The Executive Director organizes the meetings; the Senior Administrative Assistant handles scheduling, prepares financial materials, and assembles binders; and other staff assist in preparing and presenting agenda items.

Executive Board meetings are held at least four times a year. Financial/administrative matters are usually handled on a conference call scheduled about a week before or a week after the quarterly Board meeting, in order to reserve face-to-face time for policy and technical discussion among the Board members. Once a year, a call with the Board is held to review the performance of the Executive Director and to set his or her salary for the next calendar year.

Executive Board Meeting and Calls The Executive Board meets both in person and via conference calls. Face-to-face Executive Board meetings are either short meetings (Level 2) that last less than 1 day with a specific topic or they are longer meetings (Level 1) that require full logistics support. There are typically 12-15 attendees at Level 2 Executive Board meetings. Tasks specific to Board meetings and calls are briefly described in this chapter. For detailed information on the logistical tasks, see Chapter 6 MARAMA Meetings and Workshops/Committee Meetings.

Selecting Meeting Dates and Sites The annual Executive Board Meeting is required to be held between January 2 and February 15. The spring and fall meetings are coordinated with the STAPPA/ALAPCO meetings. The summer meeting is usually in August.

1. The Training Coordinator contacts STAPPA/ALAPCO to determine the Spring and Fall meeting dates and location.

Chapter

8 O

¹ ASAP – 3-6 months prior to the meeting


8888

2. For other meetings and conference calls, the Senior Administrative Assistant confers with the Executive Director and then canvases the Board by email to determine when the Chair and a majority of the members would be available for a meeting or call. The target date for regular quarterly calls is in the 3rd or 4th week after the end of the quarter.

3. The Executive Director chooses the location for the meeting after consulting with the Board.

4. The Logistics Lead handles the site selection as outlined in Chapter 4 Site Selection & Field Visit Transportation with the site finalized by week 10.

5. For meetings, the Executive Director obtains agenda ideas from staff, the MARAMA Board Chair and other information related to the meeting dates and location and completes the Meeting Framework Worksheet. Conference calls usually focus on financial information, but timely project updates are also included, particularly if member agency staff members will be asked to participate in the discussion. If technical staff are asked to participate, usually they are first on the agenda with the financial discussions later.

6. If any major technical action item is on the agenda, the Senior Administrative Assistant invites key technical staff from member agencies to attend the meeting or call. This adds to the credibility of any recommended actions and helps ensure that Board members have been briefed by their technical staff ahead of time.

7. The Training Coordinator updates the Annual Workshop Schedule with the meeting dates and location.

Generating the Meeting Checklist 1. The Training Coordinator creates a new folder under the directory ..Oscar/Executive Board Meetings with the board meeting date

and name/acronym (i.e. 2002-Jan-EBMeeting). The blank subfolders can be copied from the New Meeting Folder Setup directory into the new meeting folder.

2. The Training Coordinator then copies the Meeting Checklist (Executive Board Meetings) (..Elmo/checklists/EBChecklist.xls) and saves it to the meeting folder with the meeting date in front of the checklist filename (i.e. Jan02EBChecklist.xls). See Appendix D. Figure 3 for an example.

3. The Training Coordinator inserts the information for the fields are highlighted in blue. The Task Completion Dates and Lead Assigned To fields will be automatically updated with actual dates and names of individuals when the information is entered. As necessary, the checklist is adjusted for the following:



¹ Weeks 12-14

!!


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§ Check the page breaks and adjust if necessary.

4. The Training Coordinator saves changes to the file in the meeting folder and updates the Multi-Workshop General Checklist with the new workshop’s major tasks/dates. The checklist can be used to verify the dates are set appropriately. (See Chapter 3 for details on updating this checklist).

5. The Training Coordinator notifies the workshop team that an electronic copy of the checklist for the workshop is available. Notes regarding changes and the expected timing of specific tasks are made during the Kick-Off Meeting. As desired, staff can print all or part of the checklists for their own use/tracking.

Developing the Agendas The Executive Director develops an agenda for each Board meeting in consultation with the Chair and with input from MARAMA staff.

Administrative items included for each meeting, if not handled separately on a conference call, include a review of budgets/expenditures, a review of the training/workshop schedule, and the quarterly Executive Director’s Report. Board members are also asked to contribute ideas for agenda topics.

1. The Preliminary Draft Agenda is completed by the Executive Director 8 to 10 weeks prior to the meeting date. The draft is reviewed by the Executive Board Chair.

2. The Final Draft Agenda is completed by the Executive Director 4-6 weeks prior to the meeting date.

3. The Final Agenda is completed by the Executive Director 3 weeks prior to the meeting date and reviewed with the Executive Board Chair.

Generating Attendee and Speaker Correspondence The Senior Administrative Assistant generates the Save the Date memo and distributes it to all Executive Board members by email or fax.

The Registration Memo and Form (Memo 1) is generated by the Senior Administrative Assistant and distributed to all registered participants 8 weeks before the meeting.

The Registration Confirmation (Memo 2) is generated by the Senior Administrative Assistant and distributed to all registered participants 2 weeks before the meeting.

If there will be speakers, the Executive Director provides a list of speakers to the Senior Administrative Assistant no later than Week 5 so that Speaker Confirmation Letters can be distributed.

Speaker Confirmation letters and AV Request Forms are completed by the Senior Administrative Assistant and sent at least 5 weeks prior to the meeting.

¹ Weeks 4-10

¹ Week 11


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Tracking Registrants The Directors are responsible for making their own hotel reservations. They should complete a Registration Form and submit it to MARAMA to confirm they will be attending the meeting. As forms are received, registration information is entered into the Contacts Database.

The Senior Administrative Assistant generates a Conference Participation Table weekly starting in Week 5 and compares it to the Hotel Rooming List to ensure that all members registered at the hotel are also registered with MARAMA and vice versa.

Developing Meeting Materials The Executive Director and Senior Administrative Assistant are primarily responsible for developing the Executive Board Meeting materials. Information from meetings and workshops should already be captured in the quarterly reports and tracking documents as part of the regular Post-Meeting Activities. As necessary, the Training Coordinator and other MARAMA staff may be asked to contribute to the meeting materials. In addition to the agenda, the meeting notebooks typically include:

§ Cover Memo Unlike most MARAMA meetings, handouts for Board meetings are mailed to Board members and other participants about a week before the meeting/call. The Executive Director summarizes any action items included in the agenda in a cover memo sent with the meeting notebook. Directions to the meeting site are also included.

§ Minutes Minutes from the last meeting or call are included for approval.

§ Summaries of Expenditures and Contract Obligations For each Board meeting, the Senior Administrative Assistant prepares summaries of expenditures and contract obligations. The Executive Director reviews these summaries to ensure that budgets are being adhered to. These items are usually handles on a conference call.

§ Executive Director’s Quarterly Report For each quarter, the Senior Administrative Assistant coordinates the preparation of the Executive Director’s Quarterly Report, to which all staff contribute. These reports summarize activities on meetings/workshops, Board meetings, contract/project activities, administrative activities, and lists meetings attended by MARAMA staff. At the end of each Executive Director’s Quarterly Report is a list of upcoming major activities for the next quarter, which is a management tool used to help organize and track work for the next quarter. The Executive Director’s Quarterly Report may be handled on a call or at a meeting, depending on timing.

It is important to start preparing the quarterly Executive Director’s Quarterly Report well before the mailing date, and staff are encouraged to keep notes during the quarter to expedite their contributions. Preparation usually begins formally in about the last week of the quarter. The Executive Director roughs out the list of major activities for the next quarter, and the list from the previous quarter is a starting point for what to include in the report.

§ Budget Amendments Any grant budget amendments or new grant applications are presented for approval.


9191

§ Training Plan Update: A quarterly update on MARAMA’s workshop and training schedule is presented by the Executive Director or Training Coordinator on a call or at a meeting. Board members are given an opportunity to comment on priorities and other issues.

§ Major Contract/Project Items Technical staff prepare summaries of major contract/project items for the Board. These are lengthier than the brief items included in the Executive Director’s Quarterly Report and are intended to highlight matters where Board guidance is requested or to explain major findings.

Copying and Collating Meeting Materials MARAMA usually copies the Executive Board meeting materials in-house due to the sensitive nature of the financial information they contain.

The Executive Director completes a Handout Specifications Sheet 4 weeks prior to the meeting. Supplies need to be ordered at that time.

The meeting materials should be completed 2 full weeks prior to the pre-meeting conference call or meeting date, which ever is earlier to allow time for copying and distribution.

Meeting notebooks are shipped via overnight delivery or regular mail to the Directors to arrive at least 1 week prior to the pre-meeting conference call or the meeting date, which ever is earlier.

Preparing Board Officers The Executive Director reviews financial information with the Treasurer and other matters with the Chair a few days before each meeting/call. This ensures these officers are prepared for the call and helps the Executive Director get organized and address any issues.

Compiling Meeting Minutes Board meeting minutes must be prepared for each meeting, whether face-to-face or via conference call. The Senior Administrative Assistant (if attending) or the Executive Director completes the first draft of the meeting minutes one week after the meeting or call and circulates the draft for review if other staff attended the meeting. The Senior Administrative Assistant submits the revised draft to the Directors via e-mail for comments within 2 weeks following the meeting. If feedback is received the Senior Administrative Assistant inserts suggested changes, lining through any deletions and underlining any additions. The final draft is distributed with materials for the next Board call or meeting, where the final draft minutes are presented for approval. For the annual conference call to approve the Executive Director’s salary and performance appraisal, the Chair prepares the minutes in the form of a memo to the Executive Director. (No MARAMA staff attend that call.)

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MARAMA Training Reimbursements This chapter reviews the procedures for providing financial support to MARAMA members who attend meetings and workshops sponsored by other organizations (Level 4 Training Reimbursements).

hen meetings or workshops offered by other organizations that would benefit MARAMA members are identified, rather than duplicate the effort, if funds are available MARAMA provides financial support to member agencies for a limited number of persons to attend. There is usually a fixed dollar amount that will be

reimbursed per person. In order to allow time for members to obtain the necessary approvals to attend, usually these meetings need to be identified at least six weeks prior to the start date.

Identifying Existing Meetings/Workshop of Benefit to MARAMA Members MARAMA chooses meetings or workshops for which to provide financial support for members to attend in several ways:

§ A State or Local agency member contacts MARAMA and informs them of a meeting, indicating they would like MARAMA support to attend. MARAMA then determines if other agencies/members are interested or could benefit from the activity. If there is a positive response by other agencies as well, this meeting or workshop will be considered.

§ There is a training topic for which MARAMA is unable to contract or develop a workshop or course, but it is needed to benefit member agencies. MARAMA will look for other organizations that are offering the training and will recommend the meeting to member agencies. The Technical Lead and Executive Director usually make this determination.

§ The Executive Director and/or the Executive Board make decisions on which meetings to support. The Training Coordinator provides budget and cost information to support this decision and advises whether funds are available or would have to be reprogrammed.

Chapter

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Scheduling a Training Reimbursement Event 1. When a meeting or workshop is identified, the Training Coordinator contacts the sponsoring organization to obtain meeting details such as dates, location and costs.

2. The Executive Director and the Training Coordinator review the budget to determine if support can be provided for the meeting, how many persons per member agency can be supported and what the reimbursement amount will be.

3. Once it is determined that MARAMA will provide support for the event, the Training Coordinator creates a new folder under ..Elmo/workshops with the meeting or workshop date and name (i.e. 2002-Mar-STAPPA).

4. For important events scheduled well in advance, the Training Coordinator generates a Save the Date memo by making a copy of the template (..Elmo/templates/SavetheDate.doc) and saving it in the new meeting folder. The announcement is then modifying with the appropriate meeting information.

5. The Logistics Assistant distributes the Save the Date memo via email to the identified groups from the MARAMA Directory, the Directors, and Training Coordinators.

6. The Training Coordinator updates the Annual Workshop Schedule with the meeting name, dates, and location.

Pre-Event Activities Generating the Meeting Checklist (Training Reimbursements)

As soon as a meeting or workshop is identified for Training Reimbursement, the Training Coordinator will generate the Meeting Checklist (Training Reimbursements) and assign staff roles, if applicable. There is no Technical

Lead role for Training Reimbursements. The checklist is an Excel spreadsheet that contains the following information:

§ Meeting Title § Meeting Start and End Dates

§ The Monday prior to the meeting start date (if not on a Monday) § Type of Funding


§ Expected Attendees § Targeted Groups

§ Tasks to be Completed and Time Frames

1. The Training Coordinator opens the Meeting Checklist (Training Reimbursements) (see Appendix D. Figure 4.) and creates a copy for the specified meeting (..Elmo/checklists/Level4Checklist.xls).

¹ As soon as identified

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¹ As soon as identified

!!


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2. The Training Coordinator inserts the detailed information about the event in the fields highlighted in blue text. The Task Completion Dates and Lead Assigned To fields are updated with actual dates and names of individuals. As necessary, the checklist is adjusted for holidays and staff schedules. The spreadsheet is then saved.

3. The Training Coordinator notifies all staff assigned to roles that the checklist is available electronically. If desired, staff can print the checklist for their own use.

Generating the Reimbursement Announcement Memo 1. The Logistics Lead generates the Reimbursement Announcement memo/email. This memo contains details on the upcoming event including

the sponsoring organization and registration procedures. The amount to be reimbursed by MARAMA is also detailed as well as the deadline for notifying MARAMA of who will be attending. The template is copied (..Elmo/workshops/templates/SupportAnnounce.doc) and saved in the meeting

folder and then updated with the new information. The details on the meeting are also posted on the MARAMA web site along with a link to the sponsoring organization’s web site.

2. The Logistics Assistant may be requested to distribute the memo by email, mail, or fax. It should be distributed to the MARAMA Directors, Training Coordinators and Committee members, if appropriate.

Tracking Registrants The Training Coordinator is responsible for tracking registrants for the meeting or workshop. This information is tracked in the Support

Participants List. The spreadsheet is copied from the template (..Elmo/templates/SupportParticipantList.xls) and saved in the meeting folder with the meeting date and name and then updated with meeting information. The template file has two worksheets; one for MARAMA supported events and one for MANE-VU supported events. The worksheet that will not be used should be deleted

from the file.

When the registration form is received or notification is provided by phone or email to MARAMA, the Logistics Assistant adds the individual’s name and

agency to the meeting’s Support Participant’s List as well as the number of days/nights they will be attending, if the information was provided. Registrations are entered until the cutoff date.

A preliminary list of agencies and individuals registered is reviewed and printed. Agencies that have not responded should be contacted by the

Logistics Lead or the Logistics Assistant and reminded about the meeting and the MARAMA support details. Agencies can be contacted by email or by phone.

The final list of registrants in the Support Participant List is printed just prior to the meeting.

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¹ Week 8

¹ As soon identified

22

¹ Weeks 3-7

¹ Week 4

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Generating the Reimbursement Memo/Form 1. The Logistics Lead generates the Reimbursement Memo. This memo contains details the procedures for completing the reimbursement

form and the due dates for returning the completed form. The template is copied (..Elmo/workshops/templates/SupportMemo.doc) and saved in the meeting folder and then updated with the new information.

2. The Logistics Assistant may be requested to distribute the memo by email, mail, or fax. It is distributed to all individuals who have been authorized support. In addition to the Reimbursement Memo, the MARAMA Travel Expense Voucher and instructions is also included with the form

(..Elmo/workshops/templates/MARAMATravelExpenseVoucher.doc and MARAMA InstructionsforVoucher.doc). Modifications are not needed to these forms.

Post-Meeting Activities Processing Reimbursements

Registrants typically have 30 days to turn in the Travel Expense Voucher.

1. The Logistics Assistant uses the final Support Participant List to confirm that all persons registered have submitted their Travel Expense Voucher. If not, attendees are reminded of the due date for the Travel Expense Voucher via email or phone calls. As needed, follow-up occurs until all forms are received.

2. The Training Coordinator reviews the Travel Expense Vouchers for accuracy to ensure that:

§ Dollar amounts add up

§ The reimbursement amount does not exceed the MARAMA agreed to amount for the event

§ The form is signed by the attendee and their supervisor

§ The form indicates who the check is to be made out to (attendee or agency)

§ The attendee checked the statement regarding who to reimburse at the bottom of the form

§ The agency did not submit more requests than the limit set by MARAMA

3. Once reviewed and approved, the Training Coordinator initials the forms and submits the Travel Expense Voucher for payment. The forms must be reviewed and authorized by the Executive Director and then they are returned to the Senior Administrative Assistant for processing.

4. The Executive Director signs completed checks which are then mailed out by the Logistics Assistant along with a copy of the Travel Expense Voucher. The Logistics

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¹ Weeks 1-4 After


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Assistant updates the Date Paid and Amount Paid fields in the Support Participant List for the meeting.

Updating Reports with Actuals 1. The Logistics Lead is responsible for updating the Quarterly Meeting Summary Memo

(..Elmo/TrackingReports/DirectorsSummaryMemo.doc) with the meeting details to include the dates, meeting name, dates, location, the total number of people supported to attend and the agencies attending.

2. The Training Coordinator updates the Annual Workshop Schedule with the actual costs from the meeting.

Completing Files/Archive if Necessary 1. Within four weeks after the meeting, the files should be completed. The Logistics Assistant is responsible to ensure that that following items are included in the meeting’s Master File:

§ Meeting Agenda or Meeting Details

§ Final Support Participant List

§ Copies of all individual’s Reimbursement Forms

§ Cost Summary

§ Copies of Correspondence:

§ Save the Date Memo

§ Reimbursement Announcement

§ Reimbursement Form

2. The meeting folder under the directory ..Elmo/workshops is moved into the archived folder for the year.

44 ¹ Week 1 After

¹ Week 4 After

R E P O R T I N G

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Reporting MARAMA reports that contain meeting and workshop information or are used for completing tasks are described in this chapter.

ARAMA generates reports for a variety of audiences to include: the Executive Director, the Executive Board, EPA and other funding organizations and the general public. There reports provide information on the workshops and meetings that MARAMA supports. They are important tools for demonstrating to others

MARAMA’s accomplishments.

Quarterly Meeting Summary Memo The Quarterly Meeting Summary Memo is mailed to Executive Board members about six weeks after the end of the quarter. This memo lists courses and training/travel support provided by MARAMA. The dates, course name, total number attending and agencies represented are included. Lists of attendees for each event and course evaluation summaries are included. There are no evaluation summaries for Level 4 events.

The Quarterly Meeting Summary Memo gets updated at the conclusion of each Level 3 MARAMA Contracted Courses event as part of the post-meeting activities. It is also updated at the conclusion of each Level 4 Training Reimbursements event (..Elmo/workshops/trackingreports/directorssummarymemo.doc). Copies of the report are also saved in the Grants File (..Elmo/Grant 2002/Training/QTR Reports/Board Reports).

Funding Grant Status Reports MARAMA is required to submit quarterly reports to the agencies that provide funding such as the US EPA. The grant will dictate the frequency of the reports and the information that needs to be included. Typically, there is a requirement to show the status of funds (spent, projected, balance) and activities and accomplishments for the reporting period.

Executive Director’s Quarterly Report The Executive Director’s Quarterly Report summarizes activities on meetings and workshops, Board meetings, contract and project activities, administrative activities and lists meetings attended by MARAMA staff. The meeting and workshop summaries are usually a paragraph in length.

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MARAMA sponsored events are usually just listed. The report also lists upcoming activities for the next quarter.

After each Level 3 or 4 event, the Training Coordinator prepares a short summary and provides it to the Senior Administrative Assistant for the Executive Director’s Quarterly Report. For Level 1 or 2 events (MARAMA Meetings and Workshops/Committee Meetings), the Technical Lead prepares the meeting summary. The summary states where the event was held, how many people attended, and summarizes any recommendations, issues, or highlights that may be of interest to the Directors.

Annual Report MARAMA prepares a short Annual Report (4-6 pages). This is intended as an informational piece for Board Members, funding agencies, and others. The report includes a list of meetings and workshops held as well as summaries of major projects completed, a financial summary, and plans for the next year. The Executive Director and both Administrative Assistants put this together, and other staff review it for accuracy. The addition of the list of training events to this report should be very easy and straightforward using information from the Training Coordinator’s lists that are included in each Board Meeting Notebook.

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Record Keeping This chapter provides details on MARAMA’s procedures for maintaining and archiving electronic and hard copy files related to meetings and workshops.

rganized records facilitate retrieval of information about a workshop’s technical content, help staff make contacts with participants, and document costs and facility arrangements. Records documenting cost comparisons are kept in compliance with federal rules and in case of future audits. Evaluations and survey results help

MARAMA improve its work products.

Electronic Files All electronic documents for MARAMA meetings and workshops are kept on a shared network drive. This directory can be accessed by clicking on Network Neighborhood under My Computer on the desktop and then selecting the specified path:

..Elmo/Workshops/

Maintaining Electronic Templates and Checklists The Training Coordinator is primarily responsible to review and update the master templates, checklists, tracking reports and procedures. Improvements or suggestions are welcomed from other staff. The Quick Reference Guide in Appendix A. provides a list of the document templates and checklists along with the file name and location.

On the main server, under the Manuals and Tutorials directory, the MARAMA Meetings & Workshop Procedures Manual and the related Appendices can be accessed. These documents are read only and can be reviewed or searched in electronic form.

On the Training Coordinator’s computer, the following sub-folders are in the shared Workshops folder:

§ Checklist These master worksheet and checklist documents typically do not need to be altered for meetings and can be printed and copied ahead of time. Some are to be copied and then customized with meeting-specific information.

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§ Templates Microsoft Word documents that can be merged/updated with the Conference or Contact Database data to generate event-specific documents such as participant announcements and speaker letters.

§ Tracking Reports These MS Word or Excel documents are referenced in Appendix A. They are quarterly or annual documents that get updated routinely for each event such as the Topic and Speakers List.

§ Workshop Schedules These MS Word or Excel documents are referenced in Appendix A. They are planning and scheduling documents that get routinely updated such as the Annual Workshop Schedule.

Note

As procedures are updated and checklists or templates are modified, the footer in the documents should be updated to indicate the date of the last revisions. This will help to ensure that the current document is being used.

Maintaining Electronic Meeting Files For each new MARAMA meeting, the Training Coordinator sets up the initial workshop folder under the Workshops directory. The workshop folders should be named as follows:

Year_MMM_MeetingAbbreviation (i.e. 2002-Jan-CARB200)

For each meeting, files are copied from templates/checklists by various people and customized for the specific meeting. These tailored files and any other meeting correspondence is kept in the meeting folder in the appropriate subfolder. To help organize meeting files, the following subfolders are under the Workshops directory:

§ New Meeting Folder Set Up This contains blank subfolders which can be copied into a new meeting folder to organize the meeting files. Subfolders include: Correspondence, Presentations, and Meeting Materials. All memos should be saved under the Correspondence folder. Speaker presentations under the Presentation folder and the agenda, evaluation forms and any other materials in the Meeting Materials folder.

§ Archived Folders by Calendar Year All meeting files are organized according to calendar year (January 1 through December 31). When a meeting is completed, the entire workshop folder is moved from directly under the Workshops folder into the archived folder for that year (i.e. 2002Archived).

Hard Copy Meeting Files Working Files

While the workshop or meeting is active, there are several hard copy working files for the event:

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§ Meeting Folders The Logistics Lead maintains the meeting folder and may have it in their possession during the planning stages. The Technical Lead may also have a folder with information related to the agenda and speakers. The meeting folders are kept in the desk drawer of the Logistics Lead or Technical Lead, filed by month until they are moved to the Master Files at the conclusion of the meeting.

§ Document Tracking Sheet This tracking sheet is in the front of the meeting file in the Master Files. It is usually just a lined sheet of paper to track all correspondence related to the meeting and includes the date, a description of the correspondence (fax, letter, email, etc) and the person(s) involved.

§ Master Binder The Master Binder contains copies of documents that are in the Master Files. This Master Binder is taken on-site during the meeting or workshop. It should include:

§ Directions § Agenda

§ Conference Participation Lists (Regular, With Comments & Dates and Table) § List of Speakers/Special Guests

§ Hotel Registration List

§ Hotel Rooming List/Hotel Memo § Copies of Facility Contracts/Event Orders


§ Payment List

§ FedEx Vouchers

Master Files Files should be organized and put away immediately after a workshop, with final items added within a month after the workshop.

The Logistics Lead and Logistics Assistant collect and file all appropriate handouts, documents, data, and records related to the meeting or workshop. The files are organized chronologically by event in the Master Files and stored in the Training Coordinator’s office. Documents that should be in the Master Files for each meeting/workshop (if applicable) include:

1. Correspondence § Workshop announcement (if any)

§ Registration memo and form § Memo to participants

§ Memos to speakers regarding costs MARAMA will cover for speakers

2. Registration Confirm that the Logistics Assistant checked the sign-in sheet and corrected the participant database where participants have noted changes.

¹ 4 Weeks After


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§ Sign-in sheets

§ List of participants

3. Evaluations Evaluation forms, the Evaluation Summary Report, and the Staff Post-Evaluation Summary.

4. Surveys Surveys completed at the workshop, and summaries of the surveys

5. Contract and Financial Information § Facility contracts

§ Hotel search information

§ Bids for printing/copying and other services (if applicable)

§ Preliminary and final workshop cost summary reports

6. Program § Final workshop agenda

§ Handouts, or note that the workshop binder is on a bookcase shelf

MARAMA Web Site Files The Webmaster will post meeting-specific files on the MARAMA web site as they are provided from the Logistics Lead or the Training Coordinator. In addition to the Annual Workshop Schedule, there are files specific for each meeting that may be posted on the MARAMA web site to include:

§ Save the Date Announcement § Agenda

§ Registration Memo/Form


The Webmaster deletes workshop-specific information from the MARAMA web site when the event is concluded and/or materials are no longer needed.

Archiving Archiving procedures are in place ensure that backups are made of important electronic documents and to keep hard copy files organized so that older files are moved out of the Master Files to free up space for new files.

Contacts Database The Administrative Assistant or the Web Master backs up the MARAMA Contacts Database weekly at a minimum (K:/contacts.mdb). The Training Coordinator maintains one backup file and a copy off-site.


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Electronic Files By the end of January each year, the Training Coordinator or Executive Director initiates archiving of electronic files. The electronic meeting files for the previous year should be archived by copying all meeting folders to CD-ROM disks and making two copies of the CD. One copy should be stored with the Master Files and the second copy should be stored off-site in a secure location by the Executive Director. The CD should be clearly labeled “Archived Meeting and Workshop Files for YYYY”.

Retention of Hard Copy Files Meeting files are kept for five years and then they can be archived in boxes in the file room. Files more than 10 years old should be destroyed. The Training Coordinator or Executive Director initiates archiving of hard copy files.

A P P E N D I X A

Appendix A – Page 11

A. Quick Reference Guide

Document Name File Location/ Name

1. Meeting Checklist – MARAMA Meetings & Workshops/Committee Meetings

../workshops/checklists/Level1_2Checklist.xls

2. Meeting Checklist – MARAMA Contracted Meetings and Courses

../workshops/checklists/Level3Checklist.xls

3. Meeting Checklist – Executive Board Meetings

../workshops/checklists/EBChecklist.xls

4. Meeting Checklist – Training Reimbursements

../workshops/checklists/Level4Checklist.xls

5. Meeting Framework Worksheet ../workshops/checklists/Framework.doc

6. Facility Spec Sheet Memo ../workshops/templates/SpecSheet.doc

7. Site Visit Checklist (optional) ../workshops/checklists/SiteVisitChecklist.doc

8. Hotel Cost Comparison Worksheet ../workshops/templates/HotelCostComparison.xls

9. Meeting Labels ../workshops/templates/MeetingLabels.doc

10. Contacts & AV Needs Worksheet ../workshops/checklists/ContactsAVNeeds.doc

11. Level 3 Contacts & AV Needs Worksheet

../workshops/checklists/Contacts-AV3.doc

12. Budget and Actual Costs Worksheet ../workshops/templates/Budget_Actuals.xls

13. Save the Date Announcement ../workshops/templates/SavetheDate.doc

Registration Form 14. With Fee 15. Without Fee

../workshops/templates/Registration_Fee.doc ../workshops/templates/Registration.doc

16. Registration Memo ../workshops/templates/Memo1.doc

17. Registration Reminder Memo ../workshops/templates/Memo1a.doc

18. Registration Confirmation Memo ../workshops/templates/Memo2.doc

Appendix

A

A P P E N D I X A

Appendix A Appendix A –– Page Page 22


Speaker Confirmation Memo 19. Federal Speaker 20. MARAMA agency speaker 21. External speaker

../workshops/templates/SpeakerMemo_Fed.doc ../workshops/templates/SpeakerMemo_Int.doc ../workshops/templates/SpeakerMemo_Ext.doc

22. Audiovisual Request Form ../workshops/templates/AVRequestForm.doc

23. Speaker Registration Reminder Memo ../workshops/templates/Speaker Memo1a.doc

24. Hotel Rooming Memo ../workshops/templates/HotelRoomingMemo.doc

25. Audio-Visual Worksheet (optional) ../workshops/checklists/AudioVisualWorksheet.doc

26. Break Planner Worksheet (optional) ../workshops/checklists/BreakPlannerWorksheet.doc

27. Pre-Conference Hotel Review Checklist (optional)

../workshops/checklists/PreConferenceHotelReview.doc

28. Attendee Meeting Evaluation Form ../workshops/templates/AttendeeEvaluation.doc

29. Handout Specifications Worksheet ../workshops/checklists/HandoutSpecs.doc

30. One Week Before Checklist (optional) ../workshops/checklists/OneWeekChecklist.doc

31. Name Tags ../workshops/templates/NameTags.doc

32. Workshop Supplies Checklist ../workshops/checklists/WorkshopSuppliesList.doc

33. Folder Labels 3.5 x 1 ../workshops/templates/FolderLabels.doc

34. Post-Workshop Staff Evaluation Form ../workshops/templates/StaffEvaluationForm.doc

35. Speaker Thank You Letters ../workshops/templates/SpeakerThankYou.doc

Reports/Tracking Documents

36. Topic and Speakers List ../workshops/trackingreports/TopicandSpeakersList.doc

37. Annual Training Schedule ../workshopschedules/FYXXWorkshopMeetingCosts.xls

38. Multi-Workshop General Schedule ../workshopschedules/Multi-WorkshopGeneralSchedule.doc ../workshops/templates/Multi-Workshoptemplate.doc

39. Quotable Quotes ../workshops/trackingreports/QuotableQuotes.doc

40. Quarterly Meeting Summary Memo ../workshops/trackingreports/DirectorsSummaryMemo.doc

41. Memo to Director ../workshops/trackingreports/MemotoDirectors.doc

42. Conference Participation List - Regular ContactsDatabase.mdb

A P P E N D I X A

Appendix A Appendix A –– P Page age 33


43. Conference Participation List – With Comments and Dates

ContactsDatabase.mdb

44. Conference Participation Table ContactsDatabase.mdb

45. Evaluation Summary Report ../workshops/trackingreports/EvaluationSummary.doc

Level 4 Training Reimbursement Documents

46. Reimbursement Announcement ../workshops/templates/SupportAnnounce.doc

47. Reimbursement Memo ../workshops/templates/SupportMemo.doc

48. Reimbursement Form ../workshops/templates/MARAMATravelExpenseVoucherYY.doc ../workshops/templates/MARAMAInstructionsforVoucher.doc

49. Support Participants ../workshops/templates/SupportParticipantList.xls

A P P E N D I X B

B. Job Aids

Appendix

B

A P P E N D I X B

Appendix B - Page 11

Job Aid: Management Review Management Review for MARAMA meetings and workshop activities is provided by the Executive Director. A summary of the role of Management Review related to meetings and workshop support is provided. Links will go to the detailed procedures in the MARAMA Workshop and Meeting Manual.

Meeting Coordination and Long Term Planning

§ The Executive Director presents the Annual Workshop Schedule to the MARAMA Executive Board at their quarterly meetings for review and comment.

§ The Executive Director develops grant requests. The Executive Director must be proactive and stay in close touch with EPA’s Region III and the OAQPS Training Office to ensure that opportunities are identified and utilized.

§ The Executive Director reviews general budgets that correspond with the planned workshop and meetings.

§ The Executive Director helps identify potential speakers and topics for workshops and meetings.

§ The Executive Director assists with Technical Program Development by reading air quality policy and technical information and attending outside meetings in areas of interest to MARAMA member agencies and related to regulations related to Air issues. The Executive Director also meets annually with EPA Region III to review training plans and priorities.

§ The Executive Director gathers information from Needs Assessment Surveys and reviews the findings from the STAPPA/ALAPCO bi-annual Air Pollution Training Needs Survey to look for regional trends/needs. A MARAMA survey is also distributed and the Executive Director approves the survey prior to distribution and studies the results.

§ The Executive Director calls weekly meetings which include a review of meetings and workshops including overall event management. Schedules, priorities, and problems are communicated at these meetings. Requesting status updates from staff at these meetings helps encourage staff to monitor schedules carefully.

§ The Executive Director determines cases when course development is necessary and plays a key role in shaping the requirements and overseeing the process.

§ The Executive Director reviews meeting cost summaries and on a quarterly basis reviews the status of expenditures versus budget for workshops and training.

A P P E N D I X B

Appendix B – Page 22

Agenda Development

§ The Executive Director may participate as part of ad hoc committee for agenda development for MARAMA meetings and workshops.

§ The Executive Director solicits input and ideas for topics and agenda items.

§ The Executive Director reviews preliminary and final agendas for Level 1 and 2 meetings.

Event Management

§ The Executive Director works with the Training Coordinator to establish a general budget for planned and scheduled meetings and workshops.

§ The Executive Director must review and approve and sign all contracts that financially obligate MARAMA. This includes:

§ Instructor and Training Provider contacts

§ The Executive Director reviews final site selection criteria and approves the final site location and facility.

§ Credit application

§ Facility Contracts and Event Orders § Authorizing travel and review and approval of Travel Vouchers

§ Securing outside services such as Audiovisual Equipment Rental, Transportation Services, Copy Services or Temporary Personnel services.

§ Review of hotel/facility bill § Pays the Master Bill (if not direct billed)

§ Signing all checks

§ The Executive Director reviews and approves the Registration Memo and Form for Level 1 and 2 MARAMA Workshops and Meetings/Committee Meetings.

§ The Executive Director helps to monitor and track member participation by reviewing weekly reports of participants registered for events and also aids in determining when to close registration.

§ The Executive Director determines which MARAMA staff will attend meetings and workshops.

§ If the Executive Director is the only on-site MARAMA staff member, she is responsible for the On Site Activities for the meeting to include reviewing facility arrangements, registration, distribution of meeting materials, and collecting meeting materials at the conclusion.

A P P E N D I X B


§ The Executive Director reviews the Attendee Meeting Evaluation Form prior to the meeting and then reviews the Evaluation Summary Report for Level 1-2 meetings.

§ The Executive Director reviews and provides input for the Post-Workshop Staff Evaluation.

§ The Executive Director may review and personalize speaker thank you letters, if the letters are from the Executive Director. Other thank you or commendation letters that are addressed to supervisors are signed by the Executive Director.

§ The Executive Director reviews the Memo to Directors (Level 1 and 2 meetings) and must approve the final memo.

Executive Board Meetings

§ The Executive Director has a key role in preparing for and participating in the Executive Board meetings. The MARAMA Executive Director is the Secretary of the Board and a non-voting board member.

§ The Executive Director attends all Executive Board meetings and participates in conference calls.

§ The Executive Director works with the Chair to prepare the agendas for the Executive Board meetings and conference calls and obtains speakers.

§ The Executive Director helps develop the meeting notebooks and financial and status reports. Usually a significant amount of time is spent on this in the three weeks prior to the Executive Board meetings.

§ The Executive Director takes notes for minutes at meetings and helps in preparing, reviewing and finalizing the meeting minutes for meeting and conference calls.

§ The Executive Director reviews financial information with the Executive Board Treasurer prior to calls/meetings.

§ The Executive Director communicates regularly with the Executive Board Chair to include review of the schedule, meeting locations, and input on draft agendas.

Other Management Review Areas

Training Reimbursements: The Executive Director reviews the budget with the Training Coordinator to determine if support can be provided for a meeting, how many persons per member agency can be supported and what the reimbursement amount will be. The Executive Director authorizes payment for travel vouchers and signs checks.

Reporting: The Executive Director supervises preparation of reports including the MARAMA Annual Report, MARAMA Directory, Quarterly Director’s Report and quarterly reports required under various grants.

A P P E N D I X B


Record Keeping: The Executive Director is responsible to ensure the procedures are in place for record keeping including consistent organization of files, backup mechanisms, and archiving procedures.

A P P E N D I X B


Job Aid: Technical Lead The Technical Lead role for MARAMA meetings and workshop activities is usually filled by MARAMA staff for meetings that are in their area of expertise. At times, the Training Coordinator or the Executive Director may take on the role of Technical Lead. For contracted courses, this role is usually fulfilled to some extent by the Training Provider or Contractor. A summary of the role of Technical Lead related to meetings and workshop support is provided. Links will go to the detailed procedures in the MARAMA Workshop and Meeting Manual.


§ The Technical Lead assists with Technical Program Development by reading technical and regulatory information and attending outside meetings in areas of interest to MARAMA member agencies and committees that they work with.

§ The Technical Lead helps identify potential speakers and topics for workshops and meetings. The speakers and topics are maintained in a tracking document which is periodically updates by the Technical Lead.

§ The Technical Lead provides input to the Executive Director and Training Coordinator as the Annual Workshop Schedule is developed and updated.

§ The Technical Lead participates in weekly meetings related to overall event management in which schedules, priorities and problems are communicated.

§ The Technical Lead makes recommendations when course development should be considered and plays a key role in shaping the requirements and overseeing the process if it is in their training area.

Agenda Development

For each meeting assigned to the Technical Lead:

§ The Technical Lead is responsible to complete the Meeting Framework Worksheet which helps set the objective and requirements for the workshop or meeting.

§ The Technical Lead reviews prior MARAMA meeting materials and evaluation summary reports if a meeting on a similar topic was held.

§ The Technical Lead schedules the kick-off meeting for agenda development and if necessary, the Technical Lead will organize an ad hoc committee to work on agenda development. The Technical Lead is responsible for scheduling the calls/meetings and keeping notes.

§ The Technical Lead coordinates overall agenda development. This includes preparation of a preliminary draft (10 weeks), final draft (8 weeks) and final agenda (4 weeks).

A P P E N D I X B


§ The Technical Lead is primarily responsible for contacting speakers and presenters and extending the initial invitation to participate. The Technical Lead tracks speaker information and provides a list of speakers to the Logistics Lead.

Event Management

§ The Technical Lead may provide input on suggested locations for the event.

§ The Technical Lead assists the Logistics Lead in obtaining handout materials from speakers and identifies reference materials to be included in the meeting notebooks or folders.

§ The Handout Specifications Worksheet (page 1) is reviewed by the Technical Lead to document and communicate requirements for the meeting materials to the logistics staff.

§ The Technical Lead reviews the draft Attendee Evaluation Form and customizes it as necessary for the meeting or workshop. If necessary, additional surveys may be developed by the Technical Lead for distribution to attendees.

§ The Technical Lead will review and approve a collated Meeting Notebook/Folder to ensure everything is correctly organized and all materials are complete for the attendee. This includes a review of the Master Index before it is printed.

§ If designated, the Technical Lead serves as the on-site staff person and carries out the On Site Activities to include registration, distribution of meeting materials, daily counts, and collecting meeting materials at the close of the meeting. The Technical Lead also welcomes speakers/presenters and takes notes if he/she attends the meeting.

§ The Technical Lead reviews draft speaker letters and personalizes them for distribution by the Logistics Assistant.

§ The Technical Lead participates in the Post-Workshop Staff Evaluation process.

§ The Technical Lead reviews the Evaluation Summaries and the Evaluation Summary Report. They also highlight attendee comments that should be included in the Quotable Quotes tracking document.

§ The Technical Lead prepares the Memo to Directors for Level 1 and 2 meetings.

Other Technical Lead Roles

Reporting: Technical Experts assist in compiling information for MARAMA quarterly reports about meetings or workshops.

Record Keeping: The Technical Lead should be familiar with and adhere to the procedures for storing both electronic and hard copy meeting and workshop files.

A P P E N D I X B


Job Aid: Logistics Lead The Logistics Lead role for MARAMA meetings and workshop activities is provided by the Training Coordinator or an Administrative Assistant. A summary of the role of Logistics Lead related to meetings and workshop support is provided. Links will go to the detailed procedures in the MARAMA Workshop and Meeting Manual.


§ The Logistics Lead participates in weekly meetings related to overall event management in which schedules, priorities and problems are communicated.

Agenda Development

For each meeting assigned to the Logistics Lead:

§ The Logistics Lead reviews the Meeting Framework Worksheet completed by the Technical Lead to ensure the objectives and requirements for the workshop or meeting are fully understood.

§ The Logistics Lead participates in the kick-off meeting and other ad hoc committee meetings during agenda development.

§ The Logistics Lead works with the Technical Lead in the agenda development process to ensure that breaks and meals are scheduled appropriately, meeting room set-ups are determined and the objective for the meeting is clear.

§ The Logistics Lead is provided a list of speakers by the Technical Lead and ensures that the speakers receive the Confirmation Letter and AV Request Form (in addition to the Registration Form).

Event Management

§ The Logistics Lead is responsible to oversee the Meeting Checklist and schedule for the meeting. They coordinate with other staff assigned to roles to ensure that all tasks are completed within the schedule timeframe and address any problems and adjust the schedule or reassign tasks as necessary.

§ The Logistics Lead is the primary person responsible for arranging for facilities, food and beverage functions and audiovisual equipment. This includes:

§ Site Selection

§ Drafting the Meeting Budget (detailed)

§ Site Survey/Specifications Memo

§ Negotiating with the facility (supported by Training Coordinator) and obtaining bids

§ Hotel Cost Comparison – recommendation for final site

A P P E N D I X B


§ Completing the contacts and A/V Needs Worksheet

§ Identifying A/V needs and making the necessary arrangements § Identifying menu options for breaks and other food functions

§ Specifying the meeting set-up requirements

§ Reviewing facility contracts and Event Orders

§ The Logistics Lead is responsible to generate attendee and speaker communication documents/emails to include:

§ Save the Date announcement § Registration Memo and Registration Form

§ Travel Directions/Facility Information

§ Registration Reminder § Registration Confirmation

§ Speaker Confirmation Memo and AV Request Form

§ Speaker Reminder Memo

§ The Logistics Lead monitors the registration process by reviewing the Hotel Rooming List and comparing it to the MARAMA registration reports.

§ The Logistics Lead coordinates field trip activities to include selecting field trip location and arranging for transportation for attendees.

§ The Logistics Lead requests local on-site support for field trips and registration process.

§ The Logistics Lead is the primary contact with the hotel/facility and works with them to assure arrangements are made, provides Hotel Rooming Memo to indicate which rooms should be added to the Master Account, provides the Final Count/Guarantee, reviews bill to ensure accuracy.

§ Reviews meeting materials/handouts compiled by Logistics Assistant to ensure everything is in order, quality control check. Makes recommendation to copy in house/send out and if temporary help is needed. Schedule for copying/collating and shipping materials, if necessary.

§ The Logistics Lead reviews the assembled Meeting Master Binder.

§ If designated, the Logistics Lead serves as the on-site staff person and carries out the On Site Activities to include registration, distribution of meeting materials, daily counts, and collecting meeting materials at the close of the meeting. They also welcome speakers/presenters and takes notes if they attend the meeting.

§ The Logistics Lead coordinates completion of the Post-Workshop Staff Evaluation Form and ensures any follow-up activities are assigned.

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§ The Logistics Lead reviews the Evaluation Summary.

§ The Logistics Lead reviews invoices/expenses for accuracy and updates the actuals against the meeting budget (Budget and Actuals Worksheet) and provides the Cost Summary to the Training Coordinator.

§ For Level 3 Contracted Meetings, the Logistics Lead is the primary point of contact with the Training Provider/Contractor. This involves ensuring the Meeting Framework Worksheet is completed with the Training Provider, collecting the draft and final agendas from the Training Provider, providing updates on registration numbers, coordinating copying of handouts if necessary.

Other Logistics Lead Roles

Executive Board Meetings: The Logistics Lead carries out many of the same activities as he/she does for other MARAMA meetings including overall management of the checklist/schedule, site selection, attendee and speaker correspondence, working with the hotel/facility, managing the schedule for completing the Board Meeting Notebooks and post-meeting review of invoices/expenses.

Training Reimbursements: The Logistics Lead generates the Reimbursement Announcement and the Reimbursement Memo. He/she tracks participants in the Support Participants List and reviews the Travel Expense Vouchers to ensure they are complete and paid. Summary information is entered in the Executive Director’s Quarterly Report.

Reporting: MARAMA Staff assist in compiling together information for MARAMA quarterly reports about meetings or workshops.

Record Keeping: The Logistics Lead should be familiar with and adhere to the procedures for storing both electronic and hard copy meeting and workshop files. He/she must ensure that the Master Files are complete for the meeting and electronic files are in order.

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Job Aid: Logistics Assistant The Logistics Assistant role for MARAMA meetings and workshop activities is usually provided by Administrative Assistants and student workers. A summary of the role of Logistics Assistant related to meetings and workshop support is provided. Links will go to the detailed procedures in the MARAMA Workshop and Meeting Manual.


§ The Logistics Assistant participates in weekly meetings related to overall event management in which schedules, priorities and problems are communicated.

Agenda Development

§ The Logistics Assistant usually does not have a role in agenda development.

Event Management

§ The Logistics Assistant needs to be familiar with the lists/groups in the MARAMA directory as these are usually the targeted groups for meeting announcements.

§ The Logistic Assistant prepares generic meeting worksheets and checklists and generates meeting labels to be attached to forms/invoices.

§ The Logistics Assistant completes the credit application to set up direct billing with a hotel/facility for approval by the Training Coordinator and signature by the Executive Director.

§ The Logistics Assistant distributes attendee and speaker communication documents/emails to include:


§ Travel Directions/Facility Information § Registration Reminder

§ Registration Confirmation



§ The Logistics Assistant is responsible for entering and tracking registrations using the MARAMA Contacts Database. Tracking is done by generating database Conference Participation report and by requesting the Hotel Rooming Lists periodically from the hotel.

§ The Logistics Assistant registers MARAMA staff in the Contacts Database and makes hotel reservations if needed. The Logistics Assistant checks the meeting agenda and confers with the Technical Lead to ensure that any MARAMA staff who

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are attending the meeting are included in the attendee list and are included in the hotel rooming memo.

§ The Logistics Assistant requests exhibit and display materials that will be made available at the meeting or workshop.

§ The Logistics Assistant has a lead role in putting together meeting materials:

§ Reviews the Handout Specification Worksheet prepared by the Technical Lead and determines supplies that should be ordered. Orders supplies to ensure receipt in time for collating.

§ Arrange for copying of meeting materials by a copy service

§ Collates meeting materials § Prepares the Master Index for meeting notebooks/folders

§ Generates Name Tags § Organizes Meeting Materials to take to the meeting

§ Packs meeting materials for shipping/delivery

§ If designated, the Logistics Assistant serves as the on-site staff person and carries out the On Site Activities to include registration, distribution of meeting materials, daily counts, and collecting meeting materials at the close of the meeting. He/she also welcomes speakers/presenters and takes notes if he/she attends the meeting.

§ The Logistics Assistant assists with Post-Event Activities:

§ Contributes to the Post-Workshop Staff Evaluation.

§ Updates the Contacts Database with the actual attendance information and makes changes to registrant contact information as necessary.

§ Prepares the Evaluation Summary Report by tabulating the attendee evaluations and compiling comments. Quotable Quotes are highlighted and added to the tracking report. For Level 3 meetings, the Director’s Summary Memo is updated with attendee information.

§ Prepares the draft Speaker Thank You letters for review by the Technical Lead or Executive Director. Once finalized, the letters are distributed.

§ Mails Certificates of Completion for Contracted Courses, if applicable.

§ Organizes meeting files and helps ensure that the Master Files are complete.

Other Logistics Assistant Roles

Executive Board Meetings: The Logistics Assistant carries out many of the same activities as they do for other MARAMA meetings to include distribution of attendee and speaker memos and registration and putting together the meeting notebooks.

Training Reimbursements: The Logistics Assistant distributes the Save the Date announcements, Reimbursement Announcement and Reimbursement Memo/Voucher.

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Registration is tracked using the Support Participants List in Excel. The Logistics Assistant follows-up to ensure Travel Vouchers are submitted. Once approved and paid, checks are distributed by the Logistics Assistant and the Support Participants List is updated.

Reporting: MARAMA Staff may be requested to aid in putting together information for MARAMA reports for meetings or workshops in which they were the Logistics Assistant.

Record Keeping: The Logistics Assistant should be familiar with and adhere to the procedures for storing both electronic and hard copy meeting and workshop files. They are responsible to help ensure that the Master Files are complete for the meeting and electronic files are in order.

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Job Aid: Training Coordinator The Training Coordinator is instrumental in the overall coordination and oversight of all MARAMA meetings and workshops to include an on-going review and improvement of procedures and processes. A summary of the role of the Training Coordinator related to meetings and workshop support is provided. Links will go to the detailed procedures in the MARAMA Workshop & Meeting Manual.


§ The Training Coordinator and the Executive Director meet annually with EPA Region III to review training plans and priorities.

§ The Training Coordinator attends outside meetings, sometimes of other Regional Consortia and regularly stays in contact with the training providers to keep current with their offerings and training needs.

§ The Training Coordinator helps identify potential topics for workshops and meetings and presents updates to the MARAMA Training Committee members.

§ The Training Coordinator reviews the findings from the STAPPA/ALAPCO bi-annual Air Pollution Training Needs Survey to look for regional trends/needs. The Training Coordinator develops the MARAMA Needs Assessment Surveys which is distributed to member agencies.

§ The Training Coordinator develops the Annual Workshop Schedule and drafts general budgets that correspond with the planned workshop and meetings for review with the Executive Director. The Training Coordinator updates the Annual Workshop Schedule on at minimum a monthly basis.

§ The Training Coordinator develops and distributes the Multi-Workshop General Schedule to aid in managing activities for multiple workshops simultaneously. This form is used to guide weekly staff meeting discussions.

§ The Training Coordinator is responsible to update the Weekly Activity Checklists which lays out a detailed schedule of tasks and activities for the different types of meetings and workshops MARAMA supports.

§ The Training Coordinator leads discussions at weekly staff meetings related to overall event management in which schedules, priorities and problems are communicated.

§ The Training Coordinator manages course development and plays a key role in shaping the requirements and overseeing the process.

Agenda Development

§ The Training Coordinator participates in the review of the preliminary and final agendas.

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Event Management

§ In consultation with the Executive Director, the Training Coordinator identifies staff for the roles of Technical Lead, Logistics Lead and Logistics Support for MARAMA Meetings.

§ The Training Coordinator sets up the initial hard copy and electronic files for new meetings.

§ The Training Coordinator provides oversight and review of staff and the schedule.

§ The Training Coordinator assists in the site selection process by maintaining a facilities document/database and provides suggestions and recommendations for determining the final site. The Training Coordinator provides guidance for negotiating with potential hotel/facilities.

§ For Level 3 Contracted Meetings, the Training Coordinator makes the initial contact to secure the Training Provider/Contractor for the meeting and helps determine if field trips are required.

§ The Training Coordinator is primarily responsible to set up the budget worksheet for the meeting and sets the meeting fee.

§ The Training Coordinator reviews all contracts that impact the meeting budget. This includes:

§ Instructor and Training Provider contacts § Facility Contracts and Event Orders

§ Securing outside services such as Audiovisual Equipment Rental, Copy Services or Temporary Personnel services.

§ Review of Travel Vouchers

§ Review of hotel/facility bill

§ The Training Coordinator reviews attendee and speaker communication documents/emails prior to distribution to include:


§ Travel Directions/Facility Information

§ Registration Reminder § Registration Confirmation



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§ The Training Coordinator helps to monitor and track member participation by reviewing weekly reports of participants registered for events and also aids in determining when to close registration.

§ The Training Coordinator makes recommendations on the use of outside services for copying and temporary help based on staff workloads.

§ If the Training Coordinator is the only on-site MARAMA staff member, they may be responsible to carry out the On Site Activities for the meeting to include reviewing facility arrangements, registration, distribution of meeting materials and collecting meeting materials at the conclusion.

§ The Training Coordinator reviews the Attendee Meeting Evaluation Form prior to the meeting and then reviews the Evaluation Summary Report for Level 1-2 meetings.

§ The Training Coordinator provides input for the Post-Workshop Staff Evaluation.

§ The Training Coordinator reviews the Memo to Directors (Level 1-2 meetings) and must approve the final memo.

§ The Training Coordinator ensures that the Annual Workshop Schedule and meeting information is updated on the MARAMA web site (provides to web master).

Other Training Coordinator Roles

Executive Board Meetings: The Training Coordinator provides general oversight of the activities and schedule and participates as requested in helping to prepare materials for the Board Meeting Notebooks.

Training Reimbursements: The Training Coordinator reviews the budget with the Executive Director to determine if support can be provided for the meeting, how many persons per member agency can be supported and what the reimbursement amount will be. Often, the Training Coordinator takes on the role of Logistics Lead. The Training Coordinator generates the Weekly Activity Checklist and sets up the hard copy and electronic meeting files.

Reporting: The Training Coordinator helps put together reports to include: the MARAMA Annual Report, MARAMA Directory, Quarterly Director’s Summary Memo and Funding Grants Status Reports.

Record Keeping: The Training Coordinator reviews and updates the procedures for record keeping and conducts quality control to ensure consistent organization of files and that backup mechanisms and archiving procedures are in place.

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C. Meeting Management Guidebook

Appendix

C

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Appendix D – Page 11

D. Sample Documents and Forms Meeting Checklists D – 1. Meeting Checklist – MARAMA Meetings & Workshops/Committee Meetings D – 2. Meeting Checklist – Contracted Meetings and Courses D – 3. Meeting Checklist – Executive Board Meetings D – 4. Meeting Checklist – Training Reimbursements

Meeting Set-up Checklists, Worksheets and Templates D – 5. Meeting Framework Worksheet D – 6. Facility Spec Sheet Memo D – 7. Site Visit Checklist (optional) D – 8. Hotel Cost Comparison Worksheet D – 9. Meeting Labels D – 10. Contacts & AV Needs Worksheet D – 11. Level 3 Contacts & AV Needs Worksheet D – 12. Budget and Actual Costs Worksheet

Attendee and Speaker Communication Templates D – 13. Save the Date Announcement D – 14. Registration Form - With Fee D – 15. Registration Form - Without Fee D – 16. Registration Memo D – 17. Registration Reminder Memo D – 18. Registration Confirmation Memo D – 19. Speaker Confirmation Memo - Federal Speaker D – 20. Speaker Confirmation Memo - MARAMA agency speaker D – 21. Speaker Confirmation Memo - External speaker D – 22. Audiovisual Request Form

Appendix

D

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Appendix D – Page 22

D – 23. Speaker Registration Reminder Memo

Hotel Document Checklists, Worksheets and Templates D – 24. Hotel Rooming Memo D – 25. Audio-Visual Worksheet (optional) D – 26. Break Planner Worksheet (optional) D – 27. Pre-Conference Hotel Review Checklist (optional) D – 30. One Week Before Checklist (optional)

Meeting Materials Checklists, Worksheets and Templates D – 28. Attendee Meeting Evaluation Form D – 29. Handout Specifications Worksheet D – 31. Name Tags D – 32. Workshop Supplies Checklist D – 33. Folder Labels 3.5 x 1 D – 34. Post-Workshop Staff Evaluation Form D – 35. Speaker Thank You Letters

Reports/Tracking Documents D – 36. Topic and Speakers List D – 37. Annual Training Schedule D – 38. Multi-Workshop General Schedule D – 39. Quotable Quotes D – 40. Quarterly Meeting Summary Memo D – 41. Memo to Director D – 42. Conference Participation List - Regular D – 43. Conference Participation List – With Comments and Dates D – 44. Conference Participation Table D – 45. Evaluation Summary Report

Level 4 Training Reimbursement Templates D – 46. Reimbursement Announcement D – 47. Reimbursement Memo D – 48. Reimbursement Form D – 49. Support Participants

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Appendix E – Page 11

E. Vendor & Training Provider Contact Information

Vendors Hotel Location Services Accommodations Contact Karen Garcia, President Email: [email protected] PO Box 30439 Phone: 703-971-6200 Alexandria, VA 22310-0439 Fax: 703-971-4066

rooms4u.com

Copy Services Sir Speedy 401 Washington Avenue Email: [email protected] Suite Lower Level 5 Phone: 410-825-1300 Baltimore, MD 21204 Fax: 410-825-1509

Copy Cats

Temporary Employment Services Office Team Jacalyn Breeden, Staffing Manager Email: [email protected] 401 E. Pratt Street, 14th Floor Phone: 410-385-1860 Baltimore, MD 21202 Fax: 410-659-6765

Car Rental Agencies

Check the MARAMA website

Appendix

E

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Appendix E – Page 22

Travel Agencies

Check with the Senior Administrative Assistant

Training Providers Air Pollution Training Institute

US EPA Phone: 919-541-5492 Office of Air Quality Planning & Standards Fax: 919-541-5678 Education and Outreach Group Mailcode E 143-01 Research Triangle Park, NC 27711

Registration: Deborah Miller ([email protected]) Course Development: Geri Dorosz ([email protected]) Other APTI Centers: Jerry Yarn ([email protected])

http://www.epa.gov/air/oaqps/eog/index.html

California Air Resources Board

Nancy DeVore Email: [email protected] Training & Compliance Assistance Branch Phone: 916-327-0646 1001 I Street Fax: 916-445.5745 PO Box 2815 Sacramento, CA 95812 http://www.arb.ca.gov/training

Rutgers Air Compliance Center

Mike Gallo, Jr. Email: [email protected] 24 College Farm Road Phone: 732-932-7715 Department of Environmental Sciences Fax: 732-932-8655 New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Rutgers Air Training Center

Barbara Turpin Email: [email protected] Rutgers University Phone: (732) 932-9540 Department of Environmental Sciences Fax: (732) 932-8544 14 College Farm Road New Brunswick, NJ 08901

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Appendix E - Page 33

University of Cincinnati

Dr. Sumana Keener Email: [email protected] Environmental Training Institute Phone: 513-556-2542 Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engr. Fax: 513-556-2599 Room #765, Baldwin Hall PO Box 210071 Cincinnati, OH 45221-0071 http://www.uc.edu/eti/index.html

University of Illinois

Peter A. Scheff Email: [email protected] School of Public Health Phone: 312-996-2094 2121 West Taylor Ave Fax: 312-413-9898 Chicago, IL 60612

University of Texas - Arlington

Air Pollution Training Academy Email: [email protected] South -West Environmental Education Phone: 814-272-2915

Training Center Fax: 814-272-2921 Lou Rene Garcia Box 19200 Arlington, TX 76019-0200

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