The Job Training Partnership Act requires that private and public sectors work together to create a service delivery system that meets the needs of disadvantaged youth and the needs of a state's work force in its business and industry. This manual, based on a Wisconsin Youth Initiative program at five pilot sites in that state, is intended to provide a better understanding of the role of assessment in the service delivery system in order to assist in local planning activities. The manual is organized into five sections. After the introduction, which describes the Wisconsin project as well as the purposes and use of the manual, the second section describes technical assistance activities initiated by the Wisconsin Governor's Employment and Training Office. This information provides background on how some of the resources and materials were presented to the local areas. Section 3 describes the steps in planning a coordinated assessment process. These steps are outlined along with specific examples of how local management forums developed in their settings as a means to illustrate how local communities worked to design a coordinated assessment process. Finally, sections 4 and 5 offer additional materials and resources: an annotated bibliography, local management forum membership lists and by-laws, and descriptions of selected vocational assessment instruments. (KC)