Actual and potential relationships between evaluators and linkers--curriculum or management specialists who disseminate the products of evaluation to school districts--were explored. Evaluation and linkage evolved as distinct educational occupations, stimulated by federal involvement in research, development, and school improvement since the early 1960's. Early evaluation models were dominated by mainstream causally-oriented approaches, and dissemination focused on marketing and installing replicable products. Current models extend evaluators' role to needs assessment, and assistance with program planning and implementation; the linkers' role extends to continuing assessment of program outcomes. Role perception surveys were conducted with 21 linkers from three federal programs (National Diffusion Network, Research and Development Utilization, and Capacity Building) and with 263 school district evaluation units. Linkers saw themselves as primarily involved with dissemination through needs assessment, program planning, and implementation; evaluators were primarily involved with program assessment, mainly testing. Both groups reported an uncertain relationship with school administrators, little feedback on the results of their work, and minimal contact with each other. Both may remain as strangers, or they may be occasional task-specific consultants for another; eventually, linkers could be taught evaluation skills. (CP)