This guide was developed in Great Britain to help colleges develop programs for assessment of prior learning (APL) for adult students. (APL involves careers and educational guidance, access to particular courses despite possible lack of traditional certification, accreditation, formal credit toward a particular qualification, and exemption from course requirements.) The guide is organized in five sections. The first section defines APL and gives some examples of APL in practice. Sections 2 and 3 describe the decisions required of senior and middle managers responsible for strategic planning and resource management. Action planning, use of staff time, and determining cost effectiveness are discussed. Sections 4 and 5 provide guidance to managers of program teams and the teams involved in staff and curriculum development. Issues involved include curriculum requirements, practices in other institutions, off-site evaluation programs, staff development for all staff, and creating networking arrangements with other colleges and employers. Appendixes, about one-third of the document, include graphs showing APL and efficiency gain, a college audit questionnaire, information on APL and student services, a flowchart for student information and student services in APL, a chart of stages in the APL process, and a summary of the process in accrediting prior learning. A bibliography lists 31 references. (KC)