Some of the major issues related to planning evaluations of federal human services national demonstration programs are discussed. Barriers to conducting evaluations are discussed for the policy level and cross-site and within-site evaluation contexts. Among the proposed solutions is the use of an explicit programmatic developmental sequence. (SLD)

Effects of question length and explicitness of directions (format) were examined for 97 university students answering open-ended consumer satisfaction questions at 9 health promotion workshops. Question format, but not length, was related to the usefulness of answers. Implications for use and construction of open-ended questions are discussed.…

The mental health needs of children and youth with learning disabilities and their families were studied in a survey of 79 human services directors in the Toronto (Canada) area. The study illustrates the importance of involving relevant communities in planning for community needs assessment and program implementation. (SLD)