Berkeley Planning Associates (BPA) and Social Policy Research Associates (SPR) are conducting an ongoing Evaluation of the Defense Conversion Adjustment (DCA) Demonstration. This Interim Report includes information from initial site visits conducted during late 1993 and early 1994 to the twelve Round 1 demonstration grantees, whose initial 18-month grants ran from January 1993 through June 1994. The Interim Report highlights the key design features of the Round 1 demonstration projects and summarizes implementation experiences during their first 12 to 14 months.

The Interim Report includes four chapters. The first chapter introduces the study, presenting both the historical and conceptual background for the demonstration and the evaluation. The second chapter describes and assesses the experiences of the five projects in the demonstration that focused on averting layoffs by intervening at the firm level: the dislocation aversion approach. The third chapter examines the experiences of the five projects that emphasized providing employment and training services to dislocated defense industry workers: the worker mobility approach. The fourth chapter describes the two projects that focused on assessing and planning for the employment and training needs of workers affected by base closures: the community planning approach. Bach of the three chapters begins with cross-project analysis of the goals, targeting, recruitment and delivery of services, followed by descriptive profiles of the projects.

In January 1994 a new cohort of seven grantees joined the original twelve reported here, with grants running through June 1995. Although this report was written before these new projects were underway, the evaluation now includes these Round 2 grantees, and subsequent reports will address the achievements of all nineteen grantees. The next report will be submitted to the Department of Labor in early 1995.