A complete description of the development of a guide to help authors improve the quality of descriptive evaluation reports of federally funded programs is provided. Improvements in reports would be particularly useful to planners who must decide if and how programs should be modified. The methods and procedures employed in the development of the guide from the initial version through field tests, which employed local program evaluators, to subsequent revisions are discussed in detail. The field test samples, embracing a wide variety of programs, locales, administrative units, and expertise, are described and the participants listed. Recommendations for the use of the guide are included and it is suggested that a complementary planning guide is needed. (PR)