This guide for implementing the Vocational Education for Special Populations (ESP) Planning System is designed to assist states in modifying their planning procedures to be more responsive to the needs of special populations. Chapter 1 briefly describes the historical evolution of the concern for those with special needs and the emergence of planning as a rational approach to allocation of resources. The merger of these themes in present vocational education legislation is also discussed, and finally, the organizing framework of the planning model is presented. Chapter 2 presents the self-assessment guide which parallels the criteria contained in the Office of Education's Management Evaluation Review for Quality (MERQ) process. The procedures presented in chapters 3 through 8 are organized around the following six topical areas which categorize the evaluation criteria used in the MERQ assessment of state planning: policy development; needs assessment; goal formation; development of objectives; identification of programs, services, and activities to meet objectives; and allocation of resources. The planning procedures presented are generic to the extent that they do not focus on particular special populations, but rather they can be applied to any special population(s) of concern to the state. (BM)