WILLIAM J. ROTHWELL is associate professor in The Department of Adult Education, Instructional Systems, and Workforce Education and Development at The Pennsylvania State University. He is the coauthor of Improving On-the-Job Training (1994) and Mastering the Instructional Design Process (1992), both from Jossey-Bass. PETER S. COOKSON is a professor at the Centre for Distance Education at Athabasca University in Alberta, Canada. He is the editor of Recruiting and Retaining Adult Students (Jossey-Bass, 1989).

• Preface. The Authors. CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS. The Meaning of Program Planning. The Context for Comprehensive Program Planning. EXERCISING PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Working Effectively. Magnifying the Roles of the Program Planner. Articulating a Working Philosophy of Program Planning. Enacting a Sense of Ethical Responsibility. ENGAGING RELEVANT CONTEXTS. Appraising the Organization's External Environment. Appraising the Organization's Internal Environment. Accommodating Participant Characteristics. Assessing Needs and Negotiating Stakeholders' Interests. DESIGNING THE PROGRAM. Setting Goals and Objectives. Determining Program Success. Formulating the Instructional Design. Designating Learning Procedures. MANAGING ADMINISTRATIVE ASPECTS. Recruiting and Retaining Program Participants. Promoting and Marketing Programs. Budgeting and Financing Programs. Selecting, Supervising, Evaluating, and Developing Instructors. Afterword. Appendix One: Program Planning for Lifelong Education Competency Self-Assessment Form. Appendix Two: Guidelines for Developing and Implementing a Code of Ethics for Adult Educators. References. Index.

"A wonderful contribution to adult education literature that brings together the many approaches to program planning in a single, highly usable volume. Whether you're designing an educational program that is built around directive, collaborative or non-directive principles, this book is certain to provide new insights and ideas on all aspects of the program planning process. It is a well organized, clearly presented and comprehensive handbook that will have tremAndous value for both the practicing professional and the student." --S. Joseph Levine, professor, Department of Agricultural and Extension Education, Michigan State University "A distinctive contribution of Rothwell and Cookson's contingency approach to program planning is their detailed attention to contextual analysis. In doing so, they have drawn broadly from examples, models, and preferences from the literature and from several of their surveys on needs assessment and evaluation practices and view points. The result is a book that explains the 'why' of practical guidelines based on a sound rationale." --Alan B. Knox, professor, Department of Continuing and Vocational Education, University of Wisconsin, Madison "This is no ordinary book on planning. In fact, it is quite extraordinary in both the breadth and depth of its treatment. Rothwell and Cookson have effected that rare combination of speaking with clarity and lucidness to even the neophyte planner, while at the same time offering a comprehensive and well-researched document to even the most seasoned practitioner and scholar." --Marcie Boucouvalas, professor, Adult Education, Virginia Tech Graduate Center "The two foundational models presented in this book represent a unique contribution to program planning. An understanding of the Lifelong Education Program Planning Model and its incorporation into educational and business settings will greatly facilitate planning as a strategic process. Its use along with the Contingency Based Program Planning Model offers versatility to planners in coping with ever-changing conditions." --John A. Niemi, Distinguished Teaching Professor, Adult Continuing Education, Department of Leadership and Educational Policy Studies, Northern Illinois University