STUDIES ARE QUOTED SHOWING THAT THE COST AND EFFORT EXPENDED IN EVALUATION ENTERPRISES VERY SELDOM ARE TRANSLATED INTO ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES REFLECTING EVALUATION FINDINGS. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS FINDING FOR COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS ARE CONSIDERED. SOME OF THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE ARE IDENTIFIED, AND, BASED UPON THE BELIEF THAT ORGANIZATIONAL FUNCTIONING IS ROOTED IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR, A MODEL TO BE USED FOR ASSESSING AN ORGANIZATION'S READINESS FOR CHANGE IS DESCRIBED. THE MODEL IS ENTITLED, 'A VICTORY,' AN ACRONYM USED TO HELP RECALL THE 8 VARIABLES CONSIDERED NECESSARY TO ACCOUNT FOR ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR: ABILITY--THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT CHANGE; VALUES--THE ESTABLISHED PERSPECTIVE OF THE ORGANIZATION; INFORMATION--A CLEAR BASE OF KNOWLEDGE INDICATING THE NEED FOR AND THE DIRECTION OF CHANGE; CIRCUMSTANCES AND TIMING--RELATED VARIABLES AFFECTING THE OVERALL CLIMATE FOR CHANGE; OBLIGATION--FELT NEEDS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION STIMULATING MOVEMENT TOWARD CHANGE; RESISTANCES; AND YIELD--THE KINDS OF BENEFITS RESULTING FROM THE CHANGE PROPOSED. THE APPLICATION OF THIS MODEL IS ILLUSTRATED WITH A SMALL, RURAL MENTAL HOSPITAL THAT SERVED LARGELY LONG-TERM GERIATRIC PATIENTS. THE CHANGE PROPOSED INVOLVED MOVEMENT FROM CUSTODIAL CARE OF PATIENTS TO A PROGRAM STRESSING SELF-CARE AND INCREASED INDEPENDENCE FROM DIRECT HOSPITAL SERVICES. FOLLOWING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A READINESS FOR CHANGE SCALE CONSTRUCTED THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF 'A VICTORY' MODEL, THE FOLLOWING FOUR STAGES ARE DISCUSSED IN THE APPLICATION OF THE MODEL AS A GUIDE TO ORGANIZATIONAL CONSULTATION AND CHANGE: PROBLEM ASSESSMENT; GOAL DEFINITION; ACTION; AND FOLLOW-THROUGH. CHARTS AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)