IT ALSO ASSESSES THE SUBSTANTIVE UTILITY OF THE NCS RESULTS AND OFFERS SUGGESTIONS ON FUTURE DIRECTIONS THE PROGRAM SHOULD TAKE TO IMPROVE THE USEFULNESS OF THE RESULTS. THE NATIONAL CRIME SURVEYS ARE DESCRIBED IN TERMS OF THEIR FIELD DESIGNS AND SAMPLING AND ESTIMATING SCHEMES, THE VICTIM SURVEY PRETEST AND PILOT STUDIES SPONSORED BY LEAA AND CONDUCTED BY THE CENSUS BUREAU ARE REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED, AND THE IMPACT OF THESE TEST RESULTS ON THE CURRENT DESIGN OF THE NCS IS APPRAISED. SURVEY DESIGN CHANGES AND RESOURCE SHIFTS DESIGNED TO ENHANCE THE MANAGERIAL AND TECHNICAL COORDINATION OF THE NCS OPERATION ARE THEN RECOMMENDED. IN ADDITION, LEAA CENSUS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE NCS ARE EXAMINED, THE NCS COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS AND PROCEDURES ARE ASSESSED, AND THE PRINCIPAL FEATURES OF THE NCS ANALYSIS, PUBLICATION, AND DISSEMINATION PROGRAM ARE OUTLINED. THE PAST, EXISTING, AND FUTURE OBJECTIVES FOR THE NATIONAL CRIME SURVEYS ARE ALSO CONSIDERED. STUDY FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THE DESIGN OF THE NATIONAL CRIME SURVEYS GENERALLY IS CONSISTENT WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF PRODUCING DATA ON TRENDS AND PATTERNS OF VICTIMIZATION FOR CERTAIN CATEGORIES OF CRIME; THAT CONCEPTUAL, PROCEDURAL, AND MANAGERIAL PROBLEMS LIMIT THE POTENTIAL OF THE NCS; THAT A MAJOR SHIFT OF RESOURCES TO ANALYTIC AND METHODOLOGICAL RESEARCH IS ESSENTIAL TO YIELD DATA USEFUL FOR POLICY FORMULATION; AND THAT THE OBJECTIVE OF PRODUCING OPERATING INTELLIGENCE FOR JURISDICTIONS IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE ORIGINAL PURPOSES OF THE NCS. TEN MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT ARE OFFERED, INCLUDING THE ALLOCATION OF A SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER PROPORTION OF LEAA RESOURCES TO DELINEATION OF PRODUCT OBJECTIVES, TO MANAGERIAL COORDINATION, TO DATA ANALYSIS AND DISSEMINATION, AND TO A CONTINUING PROGRAM OF METHODOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND EVALUATION. AN EXTENSIVE APPENDIX, A GLOSSARY OF TERMS, AND AN EIGHT PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE ATTACHED.