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In this paper, the authors describe a comprehensive methodology for evaluating a systems architecture based on the Rockwell Team's analysis in Phase I of the National Systems Architecture Program. Four distinct levels of analysis are used in the overall evaluation, reflecting increasing degrees of aggregation of information and different roles in the evaluation. At the lowest level of analysis are specific evaluation criteria (EC). Thirty-nine ECs were provided as a basic set by the program sponsor. The authors further defined sets of measures of effectiveness (MOEs), measuring detailed qualitative and quantitative information related to each EC, and the authors defined formal procedures for evaluating each EC based on these MOEs. At the second level of analysis are stakeholder topics--ten impact categories that were specified by the sponsor. Each topic represents an area of significant concern to a user group or to an affected/concerned non-user group, and each must be satisfied by the architecture in order to be considered viable by public agencies. The third level of evaluation assesses the likelihood of significant implementation, which is reflected in five indicators that convey the likelihood of the architecture achieving a significant, sustainable impact in the nation. They provide decisionmakers with a high-level view of five critical properties that are collectively necessary for an architecture to lead to successful long-term implementation of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) user services. The five indicators are social acceptability, flexibility, ignitability, guidability, and sustainability. The fourth and highest level of analysis is that of national …