The results of a study developing and testing a socially relevant model for assessing organizational effectiveness in developing countries are presented. Focus is on assessing the Dominican Republic. The objectives of the study were: to select and test theoretically sound effectiveness criteria which account for the type of organization and the social context in which it operates; to specify and evaluate the participation of different constituencies within the institutions as sources of data in the assessment process; and to define the type of data to be collected, construct related instruments, and analyze the consistency of data collected. The four major domains of organizational performance are defined as human relations, organizational acquisition, academic goals, and social commitment. Social conditions affecting the survival of institutions (by limiting their resources) are described, along with institutional responses directed toward improving the existing social conditions and eliminating social constraints. Among the conclusions are the following: the society for which a model is developed as well as the type of organization should be part of the components of an assessment model; and the institutional profiles based on the questionnaire data must differentiate between the institutions. The results support the validity of the effectiveness measurement used in this model. An appendix presents criteria of effectiveness. Contains 54 references. (SM)