The Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE) is offering a webinar, Crime Lab Proficiency Testing and Quality Management. This event will be held Tuesday, January 21st from 11am-12pm, CST.
In the wake of recent reports documenting the vulnerability of forensic science methodologies to human error (e.g., NAS, 2009; PCAST, 2016), the field has sometimes pointed to proficiency testing as evidence of disciplines’ validity and/or reliability. In 2015, the Houston Forensic Science Center adopted recommendations for blind proficiency testing by implementing a blind quality control program. The objective of the program is to supplement mandatory proficiency tests as well as to provide real-time assessment of analysis procedures, determine areas of improvement, and ensure that stakeholders are receiving accurate and reliable results. This webinar will detail the origin, maintenance, and benefits of HFSC’s blind quality control program within the Latent Print Comparison section. HFSC personnel will also describe obstacles to the implementation of the program and feasible solutions.
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
- Identify and discuss the need for quality management beyond traditional proficiency tests.
- Describe how one laboratory successfully implemented a blind quality control program, using the latent print comparison unit as an illustrative example.
- Identify hurdles, and solutions, to the implementation of a blind quality control program.
Presenters include:
- Brett Gardner, Sharon Kelley and Daniel Murrie, University of Virginia
- Maddisen Neuman, Callan Hundl, Rebecca Green and Alicia Rairden, Houston Forensic Science Center
Please visit the CSAFE Events Page to register for the webinar. The event will take place via the videoconferencing software Zoom. Participation instructions will be emailed after registering for the event.
All members of the broader forensic science community are welcome to attend and we encourage you to invite additional colleagues. Please contact CSAFE Research Administrator Marc Peterson at marc@iastate.edu with any questions or concerns.