This handbook for adult basic education (ABE) program operators is designed to provide an understanding of procedures involved in establishing or improving ABE/cooperative planning and arrangements (CP&A). It is organized around four major topics. Chapter 1 overviews community resource utilization in ABE programs. A systems approach to cooperative planning is described in chapter 2. It covers determining and securing support, establishing a community advisory group, cooperative planning and design of programs, and the organizational context in cooperative planning. Chapter 3 outlines procedures used in implementing cooperative arrangements: staff orientation, public information activities, targeting cooperative arrangements to specific needs, recruitment strategies, resource person selection, community resource utilization, orientation and placement of resource persons, community resource persons. Chapter 4 describes a comprehensive evaluation system. (YLB)