On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Brazilian ESP Project, this paper discusses why it has been able to sustain itself and develop over such a long period. The analysis focuses on two main areas of decision-making which led to this success: the structure of the project itself and the ESP methodology which was developed. Comparing the Brazilian experience with that of other projects, the paper identifies a number of decisions which determined the process-based nature of the project structure. These were crucial in ensuring a flexible and responsive administrative structure and enabled participants to feel "ownership" of the project. With regard to the ESP methodology developed, the paper highlights the way that a "Brazilian" or "Latin" approach to the teaching of ESP was developed. In both areas the importance of using a local knowledge approach to decision-making is emphasised.