National Institute of Education (NIE) staff members have developed a convening process characterized by collaborative meetings with experts to focus on specific problems of an educational organization. The process is intended to help combine research knowledge with practical experience in order to make informed decisions quickly. This document is an evaluation report on the convening process used in 1983-84 to help the State of Mississippi implement its educational reform legislation. An NIE staff member observed the meetings and conducted interviews with the participants. Whereas some sessions involved all the participants, most involved two working groups focusing on school accreditation and teacher certification issues. Results indicate that almost all participants in both groups agreed that the convening process was better than other alternatives such as the serial use of individual consultants or library research. The process was most useful for the school accreditation group, which adhered most closely to the initial convening process model. The conceptual knowledge gained by Mississippi participants during the convening process, and reflected in the consultants' reports, was incorporated into the implementation plans developed by both working groups. (Author/TE)