This special report from the National Commission for Employment Policy on coordinating federal assistance programs for the economically disadvantaged contains two parts. Part 1 includes recommendations for improving public assistance coordination programs in general and employment and training programs in particular. Eight recommendations focus on the following: (1) leadership; (2) an economic empowerment task force; (3) eligibility criteria and technology grants; (4) reorganization; (5) simplifying oversight procedures and committee structures; (6) eligibility criteria and poverty levels; (7) state human resource councils; and (8) public assistance impact analysis. Part 2 is a background paper, "Federal Public Assistance Programs" (Neal S. Zank), that contains information on coordination and eligibility issues. After a program history, the following sections are included: coordination and management in the federal government; coordination and management in the states; and program eligibility criteria. Thirty references and three appendices are included: (1) descriptions of federal programs for the economically disadvantaged--cash assistance, medical assistance, food assistance, education assistance, employment and training assistance; (2) poverty thresholds and other measures; and (3) income eligibility tests used in programs for the economically disadvantaged. (NLA)