Under the act, mediation services were provided to disputants either by Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) staff or by community conciliators. In addition to examining FMCS tracking sheets and digests of disputes and agreements, interviews were conducted with mediators, advocacy groups, and others. Results suggest that the act is confusing and largely unenforced. Few complaints have been mediated: only 470 complaints were filed with 6 agencies between fiscal years 1979-1983. In cases where mediation was sucessful, disputes were resolved within the 60-day time limit. However, the rate of resolution by agreement fell from 43 percent in 1979 to 26 percent in 1983. Because the act applies only to complaints involving the provision of services or benefits by recipients of Federal funds, they have not involved a joint history or ongoing relationship and have, thus, been difficult to mediate. Significant differences in background, training and approach were found between FMCS staff and community conciliators. While FMCS staff generally had training in labor/management mediation and were more neutral in their stance, community conciliators were more often successful in negotiating agreement.