The information professionals, decision-makers as well asrnpolicy- makers aware of information issues in Africa, arerndemanding that their governments formulate specific nationalrninformation policiesIt has been realized in wider circles that coordination,rnresource sharing and information exchange are futile in thernabsence of explicit principles and directions articulated inrnthe form of legal policies. Policies are declarations ofrnintent to take action, and they help to resolve confusionrnover who is responsible, at the national level for takingrnstock of advances in technological capabilities as well asrnadverse effects on information systems and servicesIn Tanzania attempts have been made to create arncoordinated national information network to facilitaternplanning and decision- making in all sectors of development.rnHowever, these attempts have not yet been fruitful because anrnoverall policy to guide such an establishment does not exist.rnThis work is an attempt to provide a methodology aimed atrnformulating a national policy on information systems, arnpremise for a coordinated national information system forrnTanzania.Background information on Tanzania, and description ofrnthe existing information infrastructure is followed by arndiscussion of explicit policy issues, model policy statementsrnand implications and strategies for their implementation.rnFinally, a step by step methodology for formulating thernpolicy, divided into three phases is given.rnIt is hoped that this thesis will serve as a groundworkrnfor the process of formulation of a national policy onrninformation for Tanzania, and the document recommends thatrnTanzania embark on this process as soon as possible