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ENFRASTRUCTURE 1. StafFing The organizations utilize several different strategies for staffing. ~- Some groups hire full-time staff to work out of an established office, thereby providing the organization with a strong public identity and helping to ensure organizational continuity. --- Other groups maintain an active staff, but through an existing agency, consulting engineer or part-time staff. In some cases, the board is also closely involved in the daily operations of the organization. A third approach used by some groups is to hire no staff or consultants, and instead depend on the board or other members to take on more staff responsibili- ties, sometimes including daily work activities. These organizations may also collaborate with other agen- cies and groups to accomplish certain tasks. A fourth strategy involves employing no staff, but making limited use of consultants to accomplish some board-requested activities. This may include mandated duties such as maintenance of existing structures, ditch inspections, permitting and over- sight of member communities. Nearly all of the watershed decision-makers in the most active or successful organizations hire staff. Field data confirms that the majority of Highly Active organiza- tions not only have staff, but have full time staff work- ing out of an established office. When compared to the other groups, a distinct trend is evident: the least active organizations are also least like- ly to have staff. The presence of staff in an established office is clearly and positively associated with increased water-quality activity. 2. C}fEico Space and Equipment Highly Active organizations have greater access to office space, infrastructure, and equipment such as computers and fax machines. This result emphasizes that organiza- tions need to have adequate infrastructure in order to be successful in implementing water-quality activities. ~. Funding Stal`iCfty Interestingly, watershed decision-makers' perceptions of their organization's funding stability does not correlate with the level of their water-quality efforts. More water- shed decision-makers from Inactive Organizations felt their funding was stable than did respondents from the Highly Active Organizations. This can be attributed to the fact that some of the organizations categorized as Inactive for water quality still had active flood-control programs and very stable funding. A good deal of water- quality funding has yet to be institutionalized in local organizations and depends instead upon grants from government and foundations. ~. l~ianitarinq Water-quality monitoring clearly relates to organiza- tional success in implementing water-quality projects and programs. Eighty-five percent of the decision-mak- ers from the Highly Active organizations claim to have programs for monitoring water quality in their water- shed. This figure declines with the other organizations. Monitoring generates data for effective decision-mak- ing, and also provides internal evaluation of projects and programs. EXTERNAL [NPUTS Access to current water-quality information is an impor- tant factor in the success of organizations. Ninety-two percent of watershed decision-makers from the Highly Active organizations say that they have this access. Access to water-quality information decreases with level of activity, with only 51% of watershed decision-makers from the Inactive group claiming access to current water-quality data. .,.. ~ ~,'w ~~~~ ~ . ~ .~ ~x~. __ ~~ ~~