When China initiated the work of formulating the "National Medium- and Long-Term Educational Reform and Development Guideline 2010-20" (hereafter abbreviated as the "Guideline") in 2008, Shanghai, together with eight other provinces and municipalities (Beijing, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Henan, Hubei, Chongqing, and Xinjiang), also started to work on formulating local education guidelines. As a participant in the work of drawing up the "Guideline" and the chief architect of the "Shanghai Medium- and Long-Term Educational Reform and Development Guideline" (hereafter abbreviated as the "Shanghai Guideline"), the author presents a systematic retrospect of the methods and processes used for drawing up the "Shanghai Guideline", thereby providing experts and scholars with references for studying and examining China's education guidelines. (Contains 6 notes and 1 table.)