A 5-year longitudinal study of factors affecting the implementation and operation of computer based education (CBE) projects in military settings using the PLATO system identified five major factors: project planning, staff selection and retention, lesson development, implementation and site management, and results and final evaluations. Findings discussed in this administrative overview of the study include: (1) it is important to clarify goals and assumptions in the planning phase of a CBE project, in addition to listing the tasks for which staff skills should be acquired, stating a plan for implementation and delivery of courseware, and providing for the final evaluation and follow-up activity; (2) staff selection and retention are often the critical features of a CBE project, outweighing hardware and software in terms of what is potentially and actually achieved; (3) several myths exist about CBE lesson development, including one which says that an author can improvise lessons; and (4) the probability of survival of CBE projects seems to be related more to their reason for establishment than to the quality and quantity of their work. An annotated list of the 24 detailed reports which form the basis for the administrative overview of the study is appended. (LLS)