The most important distinction between evaluation (in the psychometric tradition), ethnography, and auditing is that they are guided by three distinctively separate principles. The underlying principle guiding evaluation is assessment. Ethnography is guided by description. Auditing uses description and assessment to establish an opinion on existing fiscal and operational controls in an organization. Auditing, like ethnography, requires a survey period in which the auditor determines the most important areas of investigation. The end product is a plan used to assess the degree of control a departmental manager, or director, or chairperson has over his or her operations. The methodology proposed to make these assessments is borrowed from various fields like evaluation. Auditing has much to offer evaluation. Auditing analyzes educational and administrative management elements of an institution. (BW)