The Ottumwa Experimental and Demonstration Project was initiated to develop more economical and more effective ways for delivering comprehensive manpower services to residents of rural areas. The Ottumwa Project involved a fundamental restructuring of rural employment service operations--development of more effective ways of delivering effective services required bringing the service delivery system into greater harmony with the demands made by changed and changing rural labor market conditions and socioeconomic patterns. The 2-year Ottumwa experience yielded some important observations, among them: (1) A single administrative unit for the entire operational area is essential, (2) A small advertising budget is a worthwhile expenditure, and television the best medium, and (3) It was more important to have fiscal resources and physical facilities to assure maximum utilization of available staff, than to have additional staff if there was a choice. (CD)