By concentrating on the process of competence to practice and by delineating the component parts of intervention which constitute the probation officer's role, core skills can be conceptualized under the headings of assessment, intervention, and evaluation. A typology of the methods of intervention currently operated within the probation service can provide a framework for the more rigorous analysis of training needs. These intervention categories include problemsolving, care and maintenance, monitoring, supervision, and use of authority. Additional areas include brokerage, advocacy, report preparation, and conciliation. By linking this developmental typology to analyses of service objectives, it may be possible to devise preservice training that will be innovative and responsive to changing needs and demands for new skills. 1 table and 7 references.