The initial client assessment procedures used by case managers in the Wisconsin Works (W-2) program in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, were examined. Data were collected through the following activities: (1) observations of 100 financial and employment planner (FEP)-applicant intake interviews; (2) an examination of administrative data to learn how characteristics of the entering caseload and their initial tier placements may have changed over time; and (3) focus group sessions and interviews with FEPs and other agency staff to understand the approach to assessing clients. The following were among the key findings: (1) the initial tier placements for W-2 applicants changed substantially over the program's first 2 years, reflecting changing state policy, agency practice, and applicant characteristics; (2) some agencies differ in approach to client assessment, but much of the variation is by case manager; (3) case managers rely primarily on informal assessment to make initial tier placement decisions; (4) case managers face multiple demands on their time when conducting initial intake interviews and assessment and respond to those time pressures by relying on some simple guiding practices; and (5) case managers have no road map for assessing applicants with multiple, complex, long-term barriers to employment. A glossary is included. (Contains 21 references and 20 tables/figures/boxes.) (MN)