DECISIONMAKING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL INVOLVES INFORMATION AND POLITICAL PRESSURES. EVALUATION PROVIDES THE INFORMATION; THE POLITICAL PRESSURES COME FROM THOSE WITH INTERESTS IN THE MATTER BEING DECIDED. THE ROLE OF INFORMATION IS TO ENLIGHTEN THOSE INTERESTS AND TEMPER THEIR IMPACT ON THE DECISION. THE DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR RESEARCH AND EVALUATION AT THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ASSUMES THE FOLLOWING: (1) THAT PROGRAM MANAGERS PREFER TO BE UNAWARE OF WHAT THEY DO NOT KNOW; (2) THAT BUREAUCRATS PREFER A QUIET LIFE AND WILL ALWAYS COUNSEL DELIBERATION; AND (3) THAT FACTORS MORE COMPLEX THAN SIMPLE IGNORANCE OR IMCOMPETENCE MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN THE INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR DECISIONMAKING. THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY HAS A BASICALLY NEGATIVE VIEW ABOUT THE EFFICACY OF EVALUATION AND THE LONG-RUN PROSPECTS FOR PROVIDING SOUND INFORMATION TO THE DECISIONMAKING PROCESS. HIS PESSIMISM IS BASED ON REPEATED FAILURES IN THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO DEVELOP ADEQUATE PROGRAM PROCESS DATA AND TO EXPLICATE PROGRAM PROCESSES. THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS--WHAT A PROGRAM IS ATTEMPTING TO ACHIEVE, HOW ITS PROGRAM DELIVERY MECHANISM WORKS, WHAT DATA ARE NEEDED TO ASSESS PROCESS AND OUTCOMES--GO UNANSWERED. TO IMPROVE THIS SITUATION, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO ENFORCE INTERACTION AMONG POLICYMAKERS, PROGRAM MANAGERS, EVALUATORS, AND DATA GATHERERS. WITHOUT SUCH INTERACTION, EVALUATION IS A WASTE OF TIME AND RESOURCES. (LKM)