1992
courage the participation of his neighbors through
enlisting the help of one or more agencies for
land treatment and water quality monitoring
one-on-one visits, well testing, and newsletter
and evaluation,
preparation.
developing a plan for critical area selection,
Project advisory committees (e.g.,
tive, technical,
land treatment and water quality
creating a plan for implementing targeted
and evaluation, and modeling) are useful
recommendations,
for gaining progress in areas where input from a
establishing a plan for linking land treatment
smaller, more focused group improves
and water quality data and analysis, and
ing. Advisory committees should be -formed,
disbanded, or regrouped as needed. For example, an
developing a plan for project reporting.
advisory committee comprised of land treatment and
water quality monitoring and modeling personnel
The Florida, Vermont, Idaho, South Dakota,
can help coordinate efforts to link land treatment
Pennsylvania, Oregon, Delaware, Utah, Maryland,
and water quality information. In the Vermont
and Iowa
projects all had strong local commit-
an advisory committee proved to be highly
tees that contributed profoundly to the success of
effective; it ensured cooperation among agencies
their projects.
and kept work activities on schedule. Similarly, the
The county ASC committee, elected by county
key to success in the Florida RCWP project was the
farm operators, is responsible for encouraging
implementation of an administrative subcommittee.
project participation and compliance. It can also play
The subcommittee (comprised of major agencies)
a major role in promoting the project. The involve-
met regularly to coordinate project activities.
ment of the county ASC committee for the
quinimink River RCWP project in Delaware was a
Project Proposal and
significant factor affecting participation:
were
Plan of Work Development
implemented in 87 percent of the project's critical
area.
Activities before project start-up influence the opera-
tion and success of each project and the total pro-
A project manager is also essential
gram. Pre-project programs and periods are
and Smolen, 1991). The manager should have a
specified in Figure 1 for three different levels of
water quality and management background, ideally
projects based on problem magnitude, monitoring
should work with the project from its inception, and
intensity, and project complexity.
hold the designation for the length of the project.
The manager coordinates and monitors all project
Initially, the Federal program administration is
activities, including project reports, and has the
formed to develop and publish program and project
authority to exert pressure on agencies or in-
guidelines. Thereafter, a proposal development
dividuals not performing adequately. The project
period without funding is specified for all three
manager is responsible to the local and State coor-
project levels. The national technical support group
dinating committees and can report problems and
provides leadership for proposal evaluation and
successes directly to the national coordinating com-
determines which projects will be funded for plan of
mittee.
work development.
Examples of RCWP projects that used managers
The high-level, or most complex, projects are re-
with positive results are South Dakota, Kansas, Vir-
quired to have baseline water quality monitoring
ginia, and Minnesota. The South- Dakota project
data or to initiate water quality monitoring during
hired a temporary, full-time manager during its ini-
the proposal development period. Monitoring of
tial phase to conduct individual visits with farmers to
water quality explanatory variables and land treat-
lay groundwork for their participation. The manager
ment are to continue throughout the total project.
also organized project activities and compiled infor-
Medium-level projects may begin water quality
mation so that the local coordinating committee
monitoring during the plan of work development and
could operate quickly and efficiently. The position
continue for the total project. Land treatment
continued until the last few years of the project.
monitoring will be conducted throughout the project
Likewise, Minnesota RCWP project recommenda-
period. Sampling design for water quality and ex-
tions suggested that a manager should be hired at
planatory variables would be less comprehensive at
the program's start who is familiar with all govern-
this level than in a high-level project.
ment agencies involved in the project but
autonomous. A half-time manager was hired in Min-
Projects at the lower level may require periodic
nesota after the
had begun. As a respected
water quality evaluation, such as visual examinations
area farmer, the project assistant was able to en-
or simple measurements of an unambiguous water
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