REPORT's work highlights the advantages of building a research component into service development, both in terms of satisfying managers and funders and in refining the agency's aims and objectives. The first phase of the research has involved researchers working closely alongside the service team, feeding back information as rapidly as possible to help the team firm up appropriate aims, objectives, and working methods. In this first phase, one of REPORT's researchers regularly accompanied team members on outreach work. This enabled the researcher to assess the team's outreach work, to meet its clients, and to contact drug users not in touch with established services. Researchers also conducted outreach work outside the team's orbit to extend the networks of drug users contacted. Researchers' interviews with a range of people in contact with the service has helped the team modify services in accordance with client needs. Programs working with tight budgets can use team staff to obtain some information valuable for program evaluation.