The purpose of this essay is to discuss some of the practical aspects of getting systems analysis done as a way of getting decisions made; this can complement the formal methods of optimization devised for idealized decision making situations. The emphasis here is on State and Local governments. The use of PPBS at the State and Local levels is growing but not as rapidly as at the Federal level. The first task for an analyst is to understand how decisions are actually made in his government. This means that one must understand very clearly how decisions are actually being made before one sets out to do an analysis. The discussion concentrated mainly on service organizations within government, however, the same logic applies to services to segments of the public except that the identification of target groups of intended beneficiaries is a very important consideration here. These notes were intended mainly for those concerned with the potential applications of systems approaches in State and Local government. The comments are not meant to be exhaustive or definitive. (NH)