SITUATION-BASED IS DEFINED AS A REALITY ORIENTED DEMONSTRATION OF REQUIRED JOB-RELATED SKILLS WHICH MUST BE VALIDATED AND OBSERVABLE PROCESS FOR GENERATING BEHAVIOR AND EXPOSING SKILLS TO TRAINED OBSERVERS. THE APPLICATION OF THE ASSESSMENT CENTER MODEL IN FREMONT (CA) TO SELECT POLICE LIEUTENANTS AND TO APPOINT A POLICE CHIEF IS DISCUSSED. THE AUTHORS FOUND THAT SITUATIONAL-BASED TESTING CONDITIONS OBTAINED THROUGH AN ASSESSMENT CENTER PROVIDE A SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED MEANS FOR EVALUATING PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, BOTH FOR SPECIFIC JOB CAPABILITIES AND FOR GENERAL MANAGEMENT.