The Monroe IPM Model

Dr. Marc L. Lame

 

The Monroe IPM Model is a 22 step process reliant on intensive communication and partnership and based on sound pest management as practiced by national experts. Adjusting and enhancing the IPM management processes will allow increased diffusion and program success. The following is a description of the management processes critical to the 22 step “Monroe IPM Model” in the language of the participating change agents.

 

1. Agree with the funding model:                                                                                              

    • Real IPM.  To take this model forward the EPA was approached.  Agreement was made in formal terms using a grant proposal.  What did they want? The goal was to expand real IPM (defined previously).
    • Have the people that are part of the school system do what they are doing now - - just change their focus to pests. 
    • ***The school will do the monitoring***. 
    • The model costs about 40K to implement. 
    • Does this work?  Funding agencies need to have a definitive plan on what they are looking for.  They make a commitment on what to fund. The implementer must ask the agency what they want?  Agreeing means you are partnering.  The requestor should use words like expansion and/or technology transfer. 

 

  1. Scout:

·        Strategically plan where the model can have the most success.  Look for a well-managed school district to show the pilot model is successful.

·        Need good partners at all levels.    You need to look at all levels, not just the management levels.  Look at the parents, organizations, etc. before starting the pilot. 

·        Pick a school that has opinion leaders, so that there is influence among their peers.  Strategically pick something in terms of management and its ability to be transferred.  It is our job to promote and develop IPM programs. 

·        Diffusion is sometimes salesmanship.  Look for more representative school districts.

·        Use strategic planning for the most impact on area wide implementation. 

 

3. Contacts:

·        Go to a school district that might be easy to work with.  Then go to change agents and their recruit interest.  

 

 

4. Verbal commitment:

·        Start with the administrator and get buy-ins. You're usually always referred to facilities managers. 

·   Get administrator to say, “I need to try IPM in my schools”.

·   Determine who from the school district will be designated to make things happen.

 

5. Cooperate:

·  Contact is made, funding and implementers are in place.  Model will be/must be tailored to the school district.

·   Identify well-managed pilot programs.

 

6. Sweeten the pot: 

·  Mitigate the risk of adoption.  They want to know what it will cost them. 

·  An offer is made for custodial staff to get overtime.

·   Give them PR.  The word must get out to parents about IPM. 

 

7. Obtain an MOU:

·        Get a written agreement.  It is not legally binding, but ethically gets

the work done.

·        The supervisor of the pest management program should be present at the beginning.  This should be part of MOU. Include your PCO within the MOU.  You need to say who does what and ensure that the right people are contacted.

 

8. Assessment/Audit of the School District in terms of Pests, pesticides, costs and policies:

A. Technical Assessment Go in and check the school out, do an audit of conducive conditions and existing pest management practices. The report will go to the school.

·                     Sit down and ask for the toughest schools…look for the challenge. 

 

B. Management assessment: Work with the facilities or business managers to access existing records, costs and policies pertaining to pest management.

 

 

9. Train the trainers: Identify those responsible for implementing change in the system

 

10. Train the school staff adopters:

·         Try to figure out a way to get on the teacher’s agenda.  You need to target them, its fast and precise.  If PCOs are involved have them attend the meeting. 

·        Explain why it is an innovation; it involves people’s relationship with pests.

 

11. Monitor: 

·        ***This phase starts implementation***.  Monthly basis at least. 

 

12. Introduce: 

·        Get the audience together, do newsletters to get everyone on the same page to continue and expand the program.

·        What are the innovations?  Power point, demonstration research for termaticides, press, newsletters, etc.

 

13. Newsletters:

·        Ongoing education.  Disseminate electronically or put it on the school’s website. 

 

14. Mid-term evaluation:

·        Execute the evaluation in a timely fashion and report back to the school.  It needs to be done quickly and follow up should happen for each action item listed.

·        Keep it simple and get the schools response to issues brought up in the evaluation.

·        Work orders.

 

15. Mid-term adjustment meeting: face to face meeting explaining the results of the mid-term evaluation and how the partners can adjust for program improvement.

 

16. Hand holding. 

·        You need to walk them through the implementation process; the school is not sure what happens next. 

·        It takes lots of communication to overcome administrative hurdles.

·        Analyzes whether internal PCO functions work.  If there are under 15 schools involved, they should contract with a PCO.  To internalize this budget wise. It is difficult to justify this (40K) expenditure.  Evaluate the PCO contract if there is one. 

 

17. Integrate the PCO into the model and specific IPM standards:

·        Spend time with the PCO.  If the PCO gets licensed, where do they gain the experience?  Establish a quality control process. 

·        The PCO needs to define their role and perform self- evaluations.

 

18. Final evaluation:

·              Implement mid-term evaluations into the report.  State the percentage of compliance, pesticides used, money spent, etc.

 

19. District Expansion: 

·        This sometimes happens before the pilot is finished. The measure

is whether a school district commits to go district wide.

·        Part of the model should state the stipulation: If you decide to expand, we/you will assist the people in obtaining funding. 

·        Include ASBOs.

 

20. Reward:

·  Recognize school districts on EPA website when they commit and

incorporate real IPM into their districts. 

·  Plaques/certificates could be done through the grant.

·   National recognition is extremely important, it should not be a

competition, just recognition that they are doing IPM.

 

21. Area Wide Expansion:

·        Takes just as much management as starting the initial program. 

·        It takes peers.

·         Is there a way to get district managers in at the start? 

·        If you want to get this going, put together a committee with parents that will push it forward.  The parents can sell the idea.   Some times this can work.  It is an innovation for expanding the project.  This should not be done at the initial phase, but works for expansion.  Parents have clout and combined with a committee, their involvement can make a significant difference.

 

22. Report:

·        It is just like an evaluation; send in the report.  Make the report credible and real.