The Greater South Texas Cultural Basin Commission (GSTCBC), a division of the Governor's Office, was created by Governor Dolph Briscoe in September 1973, as a pilot project to comply with the Cultural Basin Act of 1973 (S.B. 638, 63rd Legislature, Regular Session; codified in Texas Civil Statutes, Article 4413(32d)). The law was designed “to improve the quality of life for the residents of Texas by stimulating orderly economic and socially desirable development and conservation and utilization of the state's human and natural resources.” Furthermore, it encouraged “a partnership of local citizens, local governments, state agencies, and federal agencies” and created “a vehicle of change broad enough to plan and operate interagency and intergovernmental programs and flexible enough to respond to locally determined needs.” The GSTCBC was composed of 21 members: five local citizens (appointed by the Governor for two-year terms), the chairman or president of each regional council of government within the cultural basin, six state agency heads, and representatives of five federal agencies. Lauro Cruz was the Executive Director of the GSTCBC during the time period covered by these records.

The Regional Human Resource Development (RHRD) Project was created by the Greater South Texas Cultural Basin Commission beginning July 1974. Sharon Flippen served as Project Director, and Mario Vasquez as Project Officer. The intent of the project was to improve human service decision-making by developing a comprehensive human resource planning and management process in South Texas. The five regional councils of government (COGs) in the Basin (Alamo Area Council of Governments, the Coastal Bend Council of Governments, the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council, the Middle Rio Grande Valley Development Council, and the South Texas Development Council) formulated regional human resource plans which identified local needs and priorities. These were then integrated into a basinwide plan by the GSTCBC. The recommendations of these plans were ultimately submitted to local, state, and federal decision-makers. During the first year (Phase I) of the project, each of the COGs hired a Human Resource Coordinator and organized a Human Resource Committee to plan, coordinate, and review the human resource programs in their regions. During the second year (Phase II), the GSTCBC held three workshops for RHRD participants: on conducting needs assessment and service inventories, on setting goals and priorities, and on developing alternative service strategies and recommendations. Additional technical assistance was provided by the Research Group, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia. At the state level, an Interagency Advisory Committee (representing the GSTCBC and the six major state human resource agencies) helped to link regional with state planning and budgeting. The third year of the project (Phase III) was a period of refinement and institutionalization.