TO:                 Mr. Scott Goldman, USDA
                       Ms. Carmen Podani, USAID Romania
                       Mr. Cosmin Sabau, USDA Romania
                       Dr. Gabriela Paleru, USAID Romania

FROM:           Dr. Jack Gelb, Carla Stone & George Irvine
                       Delmarva International Poultry Partnership
                       Contact Mr. Irvine at girvine@udel.edu; 1-302-831-0852
                             for additional information.

SUBJECT:    Quarterly Project Report on DIPP
                       Technical Assistance, Training and Capacity Building in
                       Response to Avian Influenza in Romania
                       Covering the period from February 9 – May 30, 2007

DATE:            May 30, 2007

          On August 15, the Delmarva International Poultry Partnership (DIPP) began work on its cooperative agreement with USDA to provide technical assistance to Romanian government, academic and private sector organizations to improve their capacity to plan and respond to avian influenza outbreaks.  The DIPP Romania project has 4 goals all of which are predicated on the importance of all sectors – government, industry and academia – effectively communicating and cooperating to combat an animal disease outbreak – what we call the “Delaware Model” of animal disease management.  DIPP’s goals for the Romania project include:

  1. Goal 1:  Improve AI Policy, Preparedness, Response and Recovery Capabilities; & Improve Communication among Romanian government, industry and academic personnel involved in responding to AI.
  2. Goal 2:  Enhance Biosecurity in Commercial Poultry Sector with particular focus on Depopulation, Disposal and Disinfectant of Commercial Farms in order to get them quickly back into production.
  3. Goal 3:  Assist the University of Agronomical Sciences and Veterinary Medicine to plan the development and implementation of an animal diagnosis and testing laboratory technology training center. 
  4. Goal 4:  Build Sustainable Delaware – Romania Partnership.

          DIPP’s goals support USAID and USDA’s efforts to “provide technical assistance and training to improve both the Government of Romania’s rapid response capabilities in the case of a large outbreak, and to improve poultry industry compliance with international bio-security and food safety measures.” (From USDA PASA 186-P-0:0-02-00106-00 Agribusiness Development and Policy Support Program (ADAPS))  In particular, DIPP’s activities relate to USDA/USAID’s specific goals to mobilize US expertise to provide 1) Country level training programs for vets, food safety officials, and lab technicians; and 2) Technical Assistance to help poultry industry compliance with bio-security and food safety measures. 

This report lists activities completed or underway by goal between August 15, 2006 and May 30, 2007.  See “DIPP Mid Project Report” filed with USAID Romania on February 6, 2007 for complete details of the activities that took place between August 2006 and February 2007.

Goal 1: Improve AI Policy, Preparedness, Response and Recovery Capabilities; & Improve Communication among Romanian government, industry and academic personnel involved in responding to AI. 

Goal 1 activities accomplished from 8/15/06 to 2/8/07. 

  • Project Scoping Trip to Introduce DIPP Completed:  From September 20 to October 11, 2006 Carla Stonetraveled to RomaniatointroduceDIPP and the Delaware Model of animal disease management to key Romanian officials and lay the groundwork for subsequent project activities.
  • Videoconference on Delaware Model Held:  On October 5, Delaware Secretary of Agriculture, the Honorable Michael Scuse,shared the Delaware Model and experience with LPAI with his senior Romanian counterparts via a videoconference.
  • Technical Training Tour to Delaware on AI Policy Implemented:  DIPP managed a Technical Training Tour on Avian Influenza Policy, Planning & Response for fourteen (14) senior-level Romanian officials from November 11 - 20, 2006 in Washington, DC and Delaware.
  • 2-person DIPP Technical Assistance (TA) team traveled to Romania to provide AI policy, planning and response assistance :  Dr. Jack Gelb and Mr. George Irvine traveled to Romania from January 20 – 25 to meet with Dr. Avram and participants from the technical training tour to Delaware to provide follow-up policy, planning and response assistance.
  • Delivered 1st Project Management Training for ANSVA:  Dr. Charles Poplos and Ms. Carla Stone of Delaware Technical and Community College traveled to Romania from January 27 to February 3 to conduct two seminars on project management for 22 mid-level managers and veterinarians from ANSVA.

Goal 1 activities accomplished or underway from 2/09/09 to 5/30/07

  • Developing a CD-based professional Education Module on Delmarva Model of AI Management:  Dr. Jack Gelb, Director of UD’s Avian Biosciences Center, and Ms. Jann Lightcapp, Instructional Designer at UD’s Professional and Continuing Studies are producing a professional education CD on best AI planning and response practices based on Delmarva’s experience for translation into Romanian and distribution via ANSVA, FVMB and UCPR.  It will also be available in English and Romanian on the Avian Biosciences Center website.  A final draft will be available by the end of June 2007.
  • Delivered 2nd Project Management Training with ANSVA – First Fundamentals of Project Management Course & Technical Support, March 12-24, 2007: Dr. Charles Poplos and Ms. Carla Stone of Delaware Technical and Community College traveled to Romania to conduct project management training for 8 project managers at ANSVA.   The participants prepared preliminary project plans using the new project management tools they acquired.  Participants will complete their project plans to be reviewed and graded.  Those who complete all requirements and pass the course will receive a Delaware Tech certificate as well as an official Delaware Tech transcript.  All completed project plans will be forwarded to ANSVSA management for final approval and implementation.
  • Delivered 3rd and 4th Project Management Training with ASNVA – April 28 – May 17, 2007: Dr. Charles Poplos and Ms. Carla Stone of Delaware Technical and Community College traveled to Romania to conduct project management training for 22 project managers from regional and local laboratories of the Veterinary Authority.  The participants prepared preliminary project plans using the new project management tools they acquired.  Participants will complete their project plans to be reviewed and graded.  Those who complete all requirements and pass the course will receive a Delaware Tech certificate as well as an official Delaware Tech transcript.  All completed project plans will be forwarded to ANSVSA management for final approval and implementation.
  • Led three person delegation from ANSVSA to Project Management Institute EMEA Global Congress in Budapest May 14-May 16, 2007.   Dr. Charles Poplos and Ms. Carla Stone led three project managers from ANSVSA, Bucharest to the PMI Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Global Congress in Budapest, Hungary for intensive advanced training and to meet peers from other countries. ANSVSA Vice President and Sub Secretary of State, Laszlo Nagy-Csutak, was accompanied by Ms. Dana Roberta Ion, Coordinator of PHARE Implementing Unit, and Mr. Marius Avram, ANSVSA Consultant.
  • Dr. Poplos and Ms. Stone, DTCC, Delivered Project Management CDs to participants with course materials and templates.
  • Dr. Poplos and Ms. Stone, DTCC, met with new President of ANSVA to review current project management training and to plan for future training in western Romania for 50 regional and local veterinary authority project managers  (June 2 through June 16).

Goal 2:  Enhance Biosecurity in Commercial Poultry Sector with particular focus on Depopulation, Disposal and Disinfectant of Commercial Farms in order to get them quickly back into production. 

Activities accomplished from 8/15/06 to 2/9/07. 

  • Videoconference on Flock Depopulation and Composting Techniques Held– On Friday, December 15, Bud Malone, Poultry Extension Specialist of the University of Delaware presented an overview of diseased flock management and composting techniques.

Activities accomplished or underway from 2/09/07 to 5/30/07

  • Avian Influenza Biosecurity Technical Training Tour – DIPP hosted 8 Romanian biosecurity managers from UCPR and ASNVA in Delaware on March 24 – April 1, 2007 to train them on three topics: 1) how to use a UD-developed foam to depopulate diseased poultry flocks; 2) how to effectively compost poultry mortalities; 3) how to assess the biosecurity risk of a poultry farm using a Delmarva Poultry Industry assessment tool.  DIPP staff and the Romanian participants outlined topics for follow-on training in Romania in June.  Participants received a UD Certificate in Avian Influenza Biosecurity and 2.5 professional education continuing education units for completing the technical training tour.  As a result of the tour, one biosecurity manager from a UCPR member company has begun to experiment with composting poultry mortalities at his company.  One of the ANSVA participants is conducting an in-house training program on May 28, 2007 to share the lessons learned with her colleagues.
  • Developing CD-based Professional Education Modules on flock culling and composting - Bud Malone and Ms. Jann Lightcapp are producing 2 web-based training presentations on poultry flock depopulation and carcass composting.  The final draft should be completed by the end of June.
  • DIPP Technical Assistance and Training Team to Romania – A 3-person DIPP technical assistance team and 2 in-country trainers will provide training to UCPR members, government officials and university faculty in Cluj, Brasov and Bucharest on June 6, 9 and 14.  The 3 person team is Dr. Eric Benson, Assistant Professor of Bioresources Engineering at the University of Delaware, Mr. Bob Alphin, Manager of the Allen Biotechnology Lab at UD, and Mr. George Irvine, Project Manager at UD’s Center for International Studies.  The team will also meet with UCPR and FVMB to explore the possibility of conducting a poultry composting experiment in Romania to demonstrate to Romanian government and industry officials this method of disposing of poultry infected with avian influenza.

Goal 3:  Assist the University of Agronomical Sciences and Veterinary Medicine to plan the development and implementation of an animal diagnosis and testing laboratory technology training center to serve the needs of personnel employed in laboratories operated by the Romanian government, higher education, and the commercial food and animal production industries.  (Note:  Original Goal 3 revised in February 2007 per agreement of DIPP, USDA and USAID.)

Activities accomplished from 2/9/07 to 5/30/07:

  • FVMB Project Scoping Statement Completed:  Ms. Carla Stone assisted Dr. Doina Danes of the FVMB in preparing a Project Scoping Statement for the development of an animal diagnostic and testing laboratory training center to provide continuing professional education for laboratory technicians, veterinarians, and supervisors.  The Project Plan was approved by the deans of the FVMB and the rector of the UASVMB. The Statement can be used by FVMB to guide the project’s completion and raise funds.
  • Lab Management Technical Training Tour: DIPP organized a tour for Dr. Doina Danes and the two FVMB visiting scholars at UD and Delaware Tech, Drs. Baraitareanu and Staicu, from March 3 to 14, 2007.  The technical training tour was designed to prepare them for developing and implementing a veterinary laboratory technician training program at the FVMB.  They received training in: 1) Curriculum used to prepare personnel to work effectively in diagnosis and testing laboratories; 2) Evaluation of training effectiveness: student learning outcomes assessment practices for continuing education students and undergraduates; 3)Resources necessary to implement the development of a laboratory training center including physical, human and financial resources; 4) Planning for the construction, equipping, installation, testing and operation of a laboratory training center; 5) Marketing continuing education courses and recruiting undergraduate students; 6) Working with industry to provide high quality clinical internships; 7) Accreditation of training.
  • Plan for Integrating Veterinary Laboratory Technician Training into Reorganized ANSVSA and Emerging Private Veterinary Laboratories Completed.  Dr. Stelian Baraitareanu, assisted by Ms. Carla Stone, developed a preliminary plan for meeting Romania’s needs for veterinary laboratory technicians in four major areas including Animal Health Testing, Food Safety Testing, Environmental Testing, and Animal Welfare Testing.  The results were presented at a poster presentation at DelTech in Georgetown.
  • Veterinary Technician Training Equipment for New FVMB Lab List Completed: Using the technician training laboratories at Delaware Tech as a model, Dr. Baraitareanu completed an equipment and consumables list and submitted it to USDA.  He also met with equipment manufacturers and distributors. Dr. Baraitareanu was assisted in the preparation of the list by DIPP faculty Ms. Barbara Wiggins, Ms. Sherrie Shupe and Ms. Linda Collins, Ms. Carla Stone (all of Delaware Tech) and  Dr. Jack Gelb (UD).
  • Veterinary Laboratory Technician Training Curriculum Developed:  Using Delaware Tech’s medical laboratory technician and veterinary technician degree programs as a model, Dr. Baraitareanu developed a curriculum with student learning outcomes for the training of veterinary laboratory technicians, veterinarians and supervisors. The curriculum is designed to be completed in two years and will be offered as a continuing education program for working professionals in state run laboratories as well as private industries such as animal pharmaceutical manufacturers and food processing companies.
  • DIPP Technical Assistance to Romania – A DIPP lab management trainer will travel to Romania to deliver technical assistance to FVMB, IDAH and commercial poultry company labs in Ploesti from June 7 to 20, 2007.

Goal 4:  Build Sustainable Delaware – Romania Partnership.

  • Hosted 2 Research Fellows from the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest at the UD College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Delaware Technical and Community College – Dr. Stelian Baraitareanu and Dr. Elena Staicu of the FVMB studied laboratory management training and poultry production biosecurity, respectively, from March 3 to May 31, 2007.  They worked extensively with personnel from UD, Delaware Tech, State of Delaware Environmental Laboratory, met with poultry companies and associated industry, participated in the Avian Influenza Technical Training Tour in March, met with vaccine companies and government agency officials, and conducted their own research.  Dr. Staicu worked closely with Bud Malone at UD to conduct a poultry composting experiment so that she understands how composting works and can share her expertise with her colleagues in Romania.  Drs. Baraitareanu and Staicu also contributed to DIPP’s efforts to achieve goals 2 and 3, as outlined above.
  • General Agreement between UD and UAVSMB – Having a general agreement in place will allow both universities to collaborate on avian biosciences and other agricultural topics.  The agreement covers exchange of students, scholars and joint research.
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