Focusing primarily on the initiation phase of program development, this document is one of two handbooks developed by a California consortium of vocational educators to provide guidelines for developing and evaluating occupational programs. (The accompanying handbook, CE 017 927, focuses on program modification and termination.) A flow chart illustrating the different stages of program initiation, modification, and termination precedes an introduction explaining the development and use of this manual. The remainder of the document describes the procedures to be followed for each of the thirty-nine activities identified by the consortium. Some of the activities included are as follow: assess program possibilities; determine broad program goals and objectives; identify job titles and job opportunities; ascertain state, community, district and institutional reaction; obtain job information data; conduct employer surveys and project employment demands; obtain local labor supply data; determine curriculum needs and available resources; and identify and refine evaluation methods. (BM)