Texas Office of the Governor, Greater South Texas Cultural Basin Commission:

An Inventory of the Regional Human Resource Development Project Files at the Texas State Archives, 1973-1978

Agency History

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.

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Scope and Contents

These records consist of project files for the Greater South Texas Cultural Basin Commission's Regional Human Resource Development (RHRD) Project, and contain correspondence among the various participants, grant proposals and applications (including one for the Rural Regional Human Resource Coordination [RRHRC] Project), work plans, financial documents (budgets, financial status reports, and audits), contracts, progress reports (quarterly, annual, special, and final), evaluation reports, workshop materials, agenda and minutes of meetings, etc. The materials range in date from 1973 to 1978.

To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

None.

Restrictions on Use

Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

Technical Requirements

None.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Regional Human Resource Development project files, Greater South Texas Cultural Basin Commission. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession number: 1990/013

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Governor's Office of Regional Development (via the Records Management Division of the Texas State Library) on October 9, 1989.

Processing Information

Tony Black, March 1990

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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