In its role as a broker between the scientific community and the Congress, the Office of Technology Assessment evaluates the soundness of scientific conclusions for policy makers and ensures that research findings are included in formative policy analysis. (Author)

The evaluator as purveyor of truth may be seen as one more lobbyist competing for politicians' attention. This article explains how evaluators can present their results forcefully in the political arena. Available from: Evaluation, 501 South Park Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415. (CP)

In view of social processes, politics and the logistics of conducting evaluations, several implicit assumptions of the field challenged by findings on innovation implementation are reviewed. These studies have major implications for evaluation practice, evaluator roles, the use of evaluation results, and the federal role in evaluation. (Author/CM)

To better understand policy formation, evaluators should be aware of the perspectives from which legislators view evaluators. Illustrations of the impact of evaluation and research projects on policy are provided. (Available from: Jossey-Bass, Inc., 433 California St., San Francisco, CA 94104, single issue, $6.95.) (Author/GDC)

A new approach is described for building a bridge between evaluation and policy-making functions in the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services. This linkage, the evaluation analysis and policy development process, has important implications for the utilization of evaluation findings and for the career evaluator. (Author/GDC)

This paper shares the outcomes of a developmental process designed to create a comprehensive teacher assessment program within a local school district. The paper includes a rationale that helps to explain the need for developing teacher evaluation systems different from most current models, the processes used to create the assessment program, and…

This paper assesses the status of evaluation as a profession and examines the consequences of not attending to the manner in which the discipline evolves. Special concerns are (1) what the profession seeks to accomplish; (2) ways in which it functions; and (3) who can be identified as "professionals." (LMO)