THE MANUAL PROVIDES BACKGROUND INFORMATION USEFUL IN DETERMINING EVALUATION STRATEGIES AND IN PLANNING EVALUATIONS, DISCUSSES ISSUES TO BE CONSIDERED IN SETTING EVALUATION PRIORITIES, AND SUPPLIES INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIFIC EVALUATION TECHNIQUES IN SUFFICIENT DETAIL TO ENABLE EVALUATORS FIRST TO DECIDE WHETHER A PARTICULAR TECHNIQUE IS APPROPRIATE AND THEN TO APPLY THE TECHNIQUE. OPENING CHAPTERS DISCUSS THE CONTEXT OF PROGRAM EVALUATION (ATTITUDES TOWARD PROGRAM EVALUATION, LINKING EVALUATION TO PLANNING AND CHANGE, MANAGEMENT OF THE EVALUATION FUNCTION) AND ADMINISTRATION (A CHECKLIST OF ISSUES TO BE CONSIDERED IN EVALUATING A SERVICE PROGRAM, ANNUAL AND MULTIYEAR EVALUATION CYCLES). OTHER CHAPTERS COVER THE FOLLOWING: THE ROLE OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN PROGRAM EVALUATION; NEEDS ASSESSMENT (THE KEY INFORMANT, COMMUNITY FORUM OR COMMUNITY IMPRESSIONS, AND NOMINAL GROUP APPROACHES); TECHNIQUES FOR MEASURING PATTERNS OF SERVICE USE; COST ANALYSIS; IMPACT ANALYSIS (CLIENT OUTCOME EVALUATION, COMMUNITY INDEXES); COST-OUTCOME AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS; DETERMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CONSULTATION AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES; ASSESSING QUALITY OF CARE; AND APPROACHES TO CITIZEN REVIEW. EACH DISCUSSION OF A SPECIFIC TECHNIQUE DEFINES THE TECHNIQUE, IDENTIFIES THE TECHNIQUE'S USES AND LIMITATIONS, PROVIDES GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE TECHNIQUE, ESTIMATES THE LEVEL OF EFFORT REQUIRED FOR IMPLEMENTATION, AND CITES SOURCES OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE TECHNIQUE. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE A LIST OF TRAINING PROGRAMS IN EVALUATION AND AN OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH DESIGN (INCLUDING CAUTIONS IN THE INTERPRETATION OF PROGRAM EVALUATION RESULTS).