THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION ACT OF 1968 RECOGNIZED THE SINGLE PURPOSE BUT INTERRELATED NATURE OF MOST FEDERAL PLANNING PROGRAMS AND THE NEED TO COORDINATE THEM. SECTION 401(E) OF THE ACT DEMANDS THAT THE 'SYSTEMATIC PLANNING REQUIRED BY INDIVIDUAL FEDERAL PROGRAMS (SUCH AS HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION, URBAN RENEWAL, AND OPEN SPACE) SHALL BE COORDINATED WITH AND, TO THE EXTENT AUTHORIZED BY LAW, MADE PART OF COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL AREAWIDE DEVELOPMENT PLANNING.' THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET (OMB) CIRCULAR A-95 SEEKS TO IMPLEMENT THIS SECTION. TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE ACT AND CIRCULAR WERE ADHERED TO, PLANNING ACTIVITIES IN 3 SUBSTATE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS UNDER 20 FEDERAL PLANNING PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY 9 FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES WERE REVIEWED. THE DISTRICTS WERE THE EIGHT-COUNTY AREA SURROUNDING SACRAMENTO, CALIF., THE SEVEN-COUNTY AREA AROUND ATLANTA, GA., AND THE FOUR-COUNTY AREA ADJACENT TO SEATTLE, WASH. ALTHOUGH IDEALLY, PLANNING IS A BASIS FOR FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS' DECISION IN AUTHORIZING VAST AMOUNTS OF FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT PLANS AND ACCOMPLISH FEDERAL DOMESTIC OBJECTIVES, THE REVIEW FOUND FEW EXISTING LINKAGES BETWEEN DEVELOPMENTAL PLANNING AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FEDERALLY ASSISTED PROGRAMS. THROUGH CIRCULAR A-95, OMB HAS ATTEMPTED TO PROMOTE COORDINATED PLANNING AND SOME PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE, BECAUSE OF RESISTANCE TO CHANGE IN ANY LARGE, COMPLEX SYSTEM AND A LACK OF VIGOROUS ACTION AT THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS, PLANNING PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO BE FRAGMENTED AND LARGELY UNCOORDINATED. OTHER IMPEDIMENTS TO COORDINATED PLANNING ALSO EXIST: PLANNING GRANT PERIODS DO NOT COINCIDE, INFORMATION INCLUDED IN PLANS IS OFTEN INSUFFICIENT FOR ENSURING COORDINATION, AND THE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OF RELATED FUNCTIONAL PLANNING ACTIVITIES ARE NOT ALWAYS CONSISTENT. MAPS AND GRAPHIC DATA ARE INCLUDED. A DESCRIPTION OF FEDERALLY ASSISTED PLANNING PROGRAMS IS APPENDED. (KBL)