The experiences of the Maine Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) and the Juvenile Justice Advisory Group, which developed an RFP protocol that incorporates evaluation, are used as a framework for describing this process. Evaluation is a key component of program development and management. It is useful for juvenile justice program managers to identify desired program outcomes and determine how their staff members will achieve these outcomes. Including an evaluation component in the application process can encourage early evaluation planning. Potential grantees should develop thoughtful evaluation plans as part of the RFP process to help ensure that programs understand and document why they are doing what they do and how they will make a difference in the lives of the juveniles they serve. The process shows which program is most effective and deserving of future funding. The process also allows program managers to refine their thoughts about what they are trying to accomplish and how they are going about it. They can learn what information they need to collect on an ongoing basis to assess the progress toward achieving their desired outcomes. This information will help them further refine the goals, objectives, and activities of their program. The information that should be included in the evaluation plan is problem definition, research-based programming implementation, creation of a program logic model, measures development, data collection and analysis, reporting findings, and reassessment of program logic. Suggestions from the experiences of the Maine SAC and Advisory Group are to obtain feedback from key stakeholders, adapt successful procedures and models for needs, and seek input from relevant State agencies.