Performance sport has become a high priority for many Nations. For example, the UK distributes approximately £25 million per year through their World Class Performance programmes in order to aid effective identification, development and performance of our best athletes. Not surprisingly, in line with a more professional and scientific approach, the standards of sporting performance at an elite level are constantly improving. In order to remain competitive on the international stage, the processes and support mechanisms within our talent development environments (TDEs) must be effective in order to maintain a consistent stream of talent, capable of success at the highest level. Unfortunately, the structure and evidence base for talent development (TD) processes within the UK is weak and lacking in evidence -based guidance for those working `on the ground'. This is compounded by an apparent procedural bias towards the identification of talent as opposed to its development, a focus which is contrary to much of the research in this area. Against this backdrop, the objectives of this thesis are as follows: 1) To identify the `needs' within current TD practice and provide clear direction and methodological guidance for the required programme of research, 2) To identify guidelines through a triangulation of evidence that enables the application of effective TD procedures, 3) To develop a tool to help bridge the theory -practice divide and enable practitioners and researchers to examine TDEs within applied settings, and 4) To provide preliminary validation of the tool to assess the extent to which it has discriminant function.