The broad objective of the work is strengthening and enhancing the efficiencyrnand effectiveness of education planning in Tanzania by facilitating access to timely ,rnrelevant and reliable information to planners, decision makers, executives, and allrnthose involved in planning and provision of education. For the purpose, thernestablishment of a supporting information system is proposed, its features elaborated,rnand a plan for its implementation suggested.The study discusses, to begin with, the role of timely and reliable informationrnin education planning. The justification for such an undertaking has been the inherentrninformation problems in education planning expressed in the reports reviewed in thernstudy. The motivation of the study has been the perception and the experience ofrnbenefits accruing from the use of timely and relevant information in any developmentrnundertaking.The methodology used by the study takes the form of action research. Therntools used include a questionnaire to identify information needs of potential users ofrnthe system and another set of questionnaires to collect data for designing databasesrnof profiles of institutions, information systems, education projects, and educationrnexperts. Several prototype databases have been developed to demonstrate some of therninformation products to be generated by the proposed information system. Secondaryrnsources of information, on-site visits and interviews were also used for the purpose. The Information Support System for Education Planning (ISSEP) proposal, therncore of the study, outlines the policy underlying the ISSEP establishment, itsrnmanagement structure, functions, and budget considerations.rnISSEP will be constituted out of networking of appropriate existingrninformation systems and services, and new information systems that may bernestablished. The National Educational Information Policy and Coordinating Agencyrn(NEIPCA), to be placed as high as possible in the government structure, will consistrnof three functional components: the Educational Information Network Council (EINC)rnhaving a policy making and coordination function, the Executive Directorate, havingrnan executive function, and the Advisory Board with an advisory function.rnThe main ISSEP function will be to strengthen and enhance provision ofrninformation services with emphasis on value-added information products. Appropriaterninformation infrastructure components are identified and their developmentrnrecommended to ensure efficient execution of ISSEP activities.rnThe implementation strategy, relating to the programmes, outputs, activitiesrnand inputs of the system is flexible and several objectives can be implemented inrnparallel. The immediate outputs serve as incentives for further development of thernsystem. The necessary hardware and software requirements are indicated, to bernrefined at the time of implementation.rnSeveral recommendations for further research and government interventionrnare suggested especially in the development of the information infrastructure, and thernenvironment for establishing the ISSEP network and making it operational.rnThe