The functional role of a national center for vocational education depends on the people doing the work; consequently, the center sets its own agenda when it makes personal decisions. A center's role should include two elements: in setting its own research agenda, a center should take a broad perspective on vocational education; and a center should do more than talk or write about problems--it should solve them. A national center has the capacity to take a broad perspective and develop practical solutions. Three obstacles could eventually limit a center's achievement: (1) unrealistic expectations may prevent a center from delivering what it promises; (2) conflicting expectations of individual staff members can occur; and (3) the center may be exposed to conflicting external expectations. The best solution to the three obstacles is a high quality staff. The center needs staff members with diverse backgrounds, who are able to mediate conflicting expectations, diagnose problems, and generate feasible solutions. (NLA)