A study was conducted to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of federally funded work force development programs, such as employment and training programs. Information, including budget data for fiscal years 1999 and 2000, was gathered on federally funded employment and training programs for which a key program goal is providing assistance to persons trying to find employment or improve their job skills. Information on the groups of individuals these programs target, the services each program provides, and possible areas of overlap was also obtained. In addition, researchers sought the type of information needed to assess whether these programs are duplicative and inefficient and raised issues to be considered in developing options to improve the efficiency of federally funded employment and training programs. The study identified 40 federally funded employment and training programs for which a key program goal is providing assistance to persons trying to find employment or improve their job skills. The 35 programs that provided data on how funds were used indicated that $11.7 billion funded work force development activities and that 6 of these programs accounted for nearly two-thirds of the $11.7 billion. Thirty-three of the 40 employment and training programs served primarily a single target group, and most of them offered participants a wide range of employment and training services. Programs overlap when multiple agencies administer programs that are designed to achieve similar outcomes, creating the potential for administrative inefficiencies and duplication of, or gaps in, service delivery. The study recommended more coordination and cooperation among programs to eliminate duplication of efforts. (The report includes information on each of the programs and comments about the report from the departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, and Veterans Affairs.) (KC)