This document is designed to introduce practitioners in the United Kingdom's learning and skills sector to the principles and practice of benchmarking. The first section defines benchmarking and differentiates metric, diagnostic, and process benchmarking. The remainder of the booklet details the following steps of the benchmarking process: (1) get commitment from senior management; (2) appoint a benchmarking coordinator; (3) identify the area to benchmark, and write a project scope; (4) assemble a benchmarking team, and make sure they have the required skills and/or training; (5) use a flowchart to map the process being benchmarked; (6) identify gaps in the process; (7) identify information needs, and draft a questionnaire; (8) identify benchmarking partners; (9) select a code of conduct and agree on the scope of benchmarking with partners; (10) visit partners; (11) analyze the results of the visit to identify practices that can be adapted and adopted; (12) report the findings to staff; (13) develop an action plan; (14) implement the action plan, and continue to communicate with staff; and (15) review the process. Brief overviews of the Raising Quality and Achievement Programme and Learning and Skills Development Agency's benchmarking database are appended, along with an annotated list of useful World Wide Web sites. (MN)