Project coordinators found that this over-simplified the BIOS approach and resulted in inappropriate project elements. To address this problem in the new projects, emphasis was placed on recruitment of local leaders for management teams who could more successfully shape the goals and strategies in each project area. Since there are many active collaborators in each area and the projects are complex, fairly management-intensive coordination is required. The BIOS program has found that the most effective structure is to have a full-time coordinator and a management team of at least four local members for each project. A project coordinator must remain very flexible in working with the local management team.
Different people have distinct communication styles.
It takes a skilled facilitator to keep meetings productive and reasonable in length, and to find the most effective means of communicating with team members outside of meetings. It also takes skill to manage conflicts that are bound to occur when you convene a group of people with different professional backgrounds. Establishing and maintaining a team often depends on finding or cultivating a project coordinator that members can trust to represent the interests of the whole team. 3-Sustainability CAFF has provided the catalytic force and played the coordinating role thus far in implementing BIOS projects in California. In other words, CAFF's central coordinating role in each BIOS project is meant to be short-term.