The discussion emphasizes that assessment and evaluation need to be considered at the earliest stages of program development. The paper proposes that program managers be assigned primary responsibility for assuring that program evaluation functions demonstrate to the satisfaction of oversight officials the extent to which the program is effectively administered and support the program manager in producing an effectively administered program. It describes the four criteria that define an effectively managed program as an acceptable description of goals and objectives, a linkage between program activities and objectives, performance information, and acceptable performance. The three incremental phases envisioned for a complete program evaluation system are program logic analysis, process evaluation, and impact/intensive evaluation. Measuring the impact of activities in relation to the goals and objectives that they seek to achieve requires the development of quantitative or qualitative performance indicators. Over the past 8 years the Bureau of Justice Assistance has supported an extensive initiative to enhance assessment and evaluation capacities at State and local levels. This effort has improved evaluation practices and identified effective model programs nationwide. In recent years, Oregon and Illinois have exemplified what can be achieved by establishing sound management and evaluation systems.