This 2-year study of the effectiveness and quality of continuing professional education (CPE) in the United Kingdom identified policy implementation issues resulting from recent government policies and economic imperatives which have given rise to a "new managerialism" which is changing the organizational culture of higher education including CPE. The study interviewed 40 tutors and over 60 students from 14 departments involved in continuing education at 9 different universities. Tutors taught in the areas of: building and construction, health and safety, teacher/lecturer education, geographical sciences, counseling, management, educational management, leisure and outdoor activities, and law. The tutors and students were interviewed in semi-structured formats, some students were interviewed in groups, and five small scale case studies were done of tutors' work. Students were in courses ranging from single-day training events to 2-year part time masters degrees programs. The study found a significant gap between the rhetoric of existing prescriptions for CPE effectiveness and quality and the "actuality" of CPE. In particular the study found that the "new managerialism" must take into account four features central to effective implementation of their policies: (1) tutors' and students' perspectives; (2) tutors' values and practices and issues of change; (3) the market influences on developing CPE; and (4) the contribution of course evaluation to developing CPE. (Contains 13 references.) (JB)