The organizational structure for this project was developed through the use of an initial "Partnering Workshop" that brought together key participants from all three institutions (Cornell, Purdue, Zamorano). The initial workshop in the fall of 1998 and a subsequent workshop in winter 2000, both of which met at Zamorano, resulted in the formation of 16 inter-institutional faculty "Working Groups" arrayed across the four thematic areas. These groups collectively drew on the expertise of nearly 50 faculty. Each Working Group received modest seed funds (up to $5000) from the ALO grant that were used for travel and to leverage additional resources. Early in the project, Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras including portions of the project area. Activities, especially in the area of natural resource management, proved particularly pertinent to reconstruction efforts. Additional USAID funds for post-Mitch recovery have supported the working groups focused on natural resources.