Drawing from the experiences of Delgado Community College (DCC) in Louisiana, this manual offers guidance on choosing and implementing an institutional planning system. Section 1 offers introductory comments on planning, educators' reluctance to embrace the management systems of the private sector, and the growing recognition of the importance of planning. Section 2 examines factors to be considered in choosing a planning system, reviews reasons for planning, and describes components of the planning system. Section 3 describes the planning system developed at DCC. This section includes background information on the college, its administrative structure, its priorities and subsidiary goals and objectives, its adoption of competency-based education as the technique best suited to its objectives, and the components of DCC's comprehensive, integrated, consistent, and flexible planning system. Section IV describes the tools used at DCC to ensure that the planning system is functioning smoothly, including manuals (i.e., operational guidelines, a faculty handbook, an advising manual, an administrative procedures manual, and an organizational manual); DCC Management Issuances, which describe official policies; a comprehensive evaluation process; the annual budget; and a records retention schedule. Appendices provide sample pages from several of these documents. (UCM)