Developing applied skills in managing urban and industrial Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs

Managing sustainable urban and industrial pest management programs requires an integrated operational management approach. These programs are often lead by a technical person such as Board Certified Entomologist. Besides having academic and scientific knowledge on subject matters such as entomology and IPM, they are increasingly required to have greater understanding of applied skills such as pest control regulations, licensing, service quality standards, policies, processes & procedures, outreach tools, applied facilities engineering & management, data maintenance & analytical tools, budgeting, human resource management and other program management needs; and its impact on IPM program management. This non-research article provides a bird-eye view on transforming market requirements in urban and industrial IPM and emerging employment opportunities for Board Certified Entomologists. It examines; first, a historical perspective on pest control service management, national and international regulations and industry initiatives towards self governance through adoption of written policies, procedures and standards related to changing requirements of pest control services; second, designing and managing multijurisdictional complex IPM programs; third, a need of integrating/aligning pest control service management processes with global quality management systems (QMS) standards to provide specific, measurable results (“outcome”) with emphasis on service quality and customer satisfaction. A greater understanding of all above will allow them to be competitively employed and effectively serve this ever growing specialized and rewarding market segment. Key Words: IPM, Pest Control, Urban Pest Management, Pesticide Use Reporting, Quality Management Systems, ISO, HACCP, OSHAS, ISPM, Quality Tools, Pest management standards, Quality Assurance, Careers in Entomology