THE NATIONAL EVALUATION PROGRAM (NEP) IS BEING OPERATED BY LEAA'S NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE. THE NEP IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE TIMELY, RELIABLE ASSESSMENTS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TYPICAL PROGRAMS FUNDED WTH LEAA BLOCK GRANT MONEY TO CONGRESS AND TO THE PUBLIC; TO SYSTEMATICALLY EXTEND KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNICAL CAPACITY IN THE FIELD OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE; AND TO PROVIDE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATORS WITH MANAGEMENT-RELEVANT INFORMATION. NEP IS USING A SERIES OF PHASED, NATIONALLY COORDINATED STUDIES IN TOPIC AREAS. PHASE I STUDIES DETERMINE THE STATE-OF-THE-ART IN A GIVEN TOPIC AREA, IDENTIFY KNOWLEDGE GAPS, AND SUGGEST EVALUATION DESIGNS FOR FILLING THE GAPS. PHASE II STUDIES WILL BE FIELD EVALUATIONS BASED ON DESIGNS DEVELOPED IN PHASE I. THE IDEA IS TO MAKE AVAILABLE IN THE SHORT-TERM WORKING KNOWLEDGE THROUGH THE LESS COSTLY PHASE I STUDIES AND THEN TO COMMIT LARGER BLOCKS OF EVALUATION RESOURCES TO AREAS IN WHICH THE NEED FOR FURTHER INFORMATION HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED. A LIST OF THE FIRST 17 PHASE I STUDIES AND A SUMMARY OF PRELIMINARY FINDINGS ARE PRESENTED. AN IMPORTANT FINDING HAS BEEN THE NEED TO EDUCATE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND RESEARCHERS IN THE METHODS AND CONCEPTS OF EVALUATION. (LKM)