This report responds to an Office of Management and Budget request for an evaluation of Federal manpower and recreation programs for youth. The legislative and administrative statements of program goals have been studied. Staff members of the administering agencies have been conferred with frequently. Reports from those agencies' information systems and recent national evaluations of the programs discussed have been read. Even so, serious deficiencies in data, coupled with noncomparable program objectives, prevent the achievement of the kind of comparative cost-benefit analysis which was hoped for. Benefit data was seldom accessible, and programs often account for costs quite differently. A framework for comparison of programs with similar objects was developed. This report does make some recommendations, relating both to broad national policy for Federal youth programs and to specific research needs. No two programs serve quite the same population, nor do they emphasize quite the same objectives. Some grouping by objectives was necessary to permit even limited comparisons. The categories used here are skill training, work support and experience, and recreation. A total of twelve programs are reviewed and evaluated. (Author/JM)