The step-by-step procedures contained in this manual are intended to develop a simple information system that can be used to collect and process the best possible factual data on the manpower needs of the community served by an educational institution, so that long-range planning of vocational curriculum and guidance can be based on what the jobs are and in what number. Methods and formats for obtaining and relating three types of information (skills needed by the local economy, skills produced by an institution, and student career aspirations) through mail and telephone surveys comprise three-quarters of the manual; appended are: the statistical procedure used to develop confidence intervals, formulas for calculating replacement rates and figures in projecting employment needs, a method of measuring the representation of survey responses, and an abbreviated Directory of Occupational Titles. Part II of the document is a model for a plan prepared at the local level based on the collected manpower information, illustrating "outcome oriented" planning, utilizing output, results, and benefits as a basis for determining the direction the institution should follow. (AJ)