THE AUTHORS STATE THAT THE MAJOR JUSTIFICATIONS FOR VICTIM COMPENSATION PROGRAMS APPEAR TO FALL INTO FOUR PRINCIPAL HEADINGS - SOCIAL WELFARE, SOCIAL CONTRACT, SYMBOLIC, AND INSTRUMENTAL. SEVERAL STANDARD DIMENSIONS WHICH CHARACTERIZE THE OPERATION OF ALL COMPENSATION PROGRAMS ARE IDENTIFIED. THE AUTHORS STATE THAT THESE DIMENSIONS MAY ALL BE USED IN THE DESCRIPTION AND EVALUATION OF ANY GIVEN PROGRAM. THE AUTHORS THEN DISCUSS HOW THE APPROPRIATENESS OF EACH OF THESE DIMENSIONS TO THE TASK OF EVALUATION WILL VARY AS A FUNCTION OF THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE DECISION ABOUT THE APPROPRIATE MEASURES OF PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS AND CONSEQUENTLY THE CONCLUSIONS ABOUT PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS - ARE LARGELY DETERMINED BY THE EVALUATOR'S ASSESSMENT OF OR ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT PROGRAM GOALS AND APPROPRIATE PARAMETERS OF EVALUATION. PROBLEMS IN QUANTIFYING THESE VARIABLES ARE ALSO DISCUSSED.