The guide was developed for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to stimulate creative thinking on the part of program staff as to what constitutes a superior program, to remind staff of the factors to be considered in program assessment, to organize information and data in a rational and workable manner, to maintain staff objectivity by assuring that many relevant factors are considered and given equal weight, and to standardize assessment criteria so that all programs can be monitored on the same basis and program performance can be compared. The guide is divided into four sections. The program objectives section addresses the specificity, relevance, and consistency of a program's mission and goals. The program methods section is concerned with a program's actual provision of services, while the program staff section deals with staff qualifications. The program organization and management section considers program organizing and staffing, staff management capabilities, clinical and management recordkeeping, coordinating mechanisms with other agencies and individuals, program evaluation methods, and program efforts to involve client groups in program planning and development.