THE DISCUSSION, WHICH WAS PRESENTED AT A SYMPOSIUM ON THE USE OF EVALUATION BY FEDERAL AGENCIES, DEALS WITH REASONS BEHIND THE PHASED DESIGN OF THE NEP, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PHASE I 'EVALUABILITY ASSESSMENT' STUDIES, AND THE EVALUATION OF PHASE I. THE IDEA BEHIND THE NEP'S PHASED APPROACH WAS TO OBTAIN INFORMATION SEQUENTIALLY FROM PARTICIPANTS IN LEAA BLOCK GRANT PROGRAMS SO THAT INFORMATION FILES COULD BE BUILT IN SPECIFIC PROGRAM AREAS. PHASE I STUDIES CONSTITUTE AN EXPLORATION OF WHAT IS KNOWN AND WHAT IS BEING TRIED IN A GIVEN AREA. THEY PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK FOR PHASE II STUDIES, WHICH ARE FULL-SCALE, INDEPTH EVALUATIONS. PHASE I STUDIES GIVE EVALUATORS AN IDEA OF THE DEGREE OF CONGRUITY BETWEEN THEORY AND ACTION IN A GIVEN AREA, OF WHAT CAN BE MEASURED, AND OF WHAT MEASUREMENTS SHOULD BE USED. PHASE I STUDIES HELP RESEARCHERS AVOID TWO SITUATIONS: MEASURING SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT EXIST AND FINDING STATISTICS ON IT, AND MEASURING SOMETHING VERY WELL BUT PROVIDING INFORMATION THAT NO ONE IS INTERESTED IN. AT THE TIME OF THE PRESENTATION, 19 PHASE I STUDIES HAD BEEN COMPLETED AND 8 WERE UNDERWAY. THE COMPLETED STUDIES WERE IN SUCH AREAS AS TEAM POLICING, CRIME ANALYSIS, PRETRIAL SCREENING, CITIZEN PATROL, AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY PREVENTION. THE RESULTS OF THE STUDIES HAVE BEEN SUMMARIZED FOR NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION. THE URBAN INSTITUTE'S ASSESSMENT OF PHASE I HAS INCLUDED SURVEYS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE SUMMARIES AND INDEPTH CRITICAL ANALYSES OF THE STUDIES IN LIGHT OF NEP SPECIFICATIONS. (LKM)