This handbook outlines techniques and processes for improving institutional effectiveness and ensuring continuous quality improvement, based on strategic planning activities at Wisconsin's Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC). First, institutional effectiveness is defined and 17 core indicators of effectiveness developed by the Wisconsin Technical College System are listed. This is followed by a discussion of continuous quality improvement, summarizing areas of management contributing to research and practice, the major elements of a customer-driven planning process, and the steps used by MATC in developing a plan for future improvement. The handbook then describes the following tools utilized by MATC to improve institutional effectiveness: (1) the effectiveness chart, detailing its seven components (i.e., indicators of effectiveness, evaluation methods, the relationship between the indicators and methods, the relationship between each of the methods, the relative importance of each indicator, and totals of improvement ratios and effectiveness values assigned in the chart) and providing specific examples; (2) the student contact point chart, providing a graphic representation of student-institutional contact to identify possible areas of improvement; and (3) the Error Mode and Effects Analysis method, used to evaluate the severity of problem areas and determine solutions. The remainder of the handbook discusses the development and implementation of a mitigation plan to deal with problem areas. Two blank effectiveness chart worksheets are appended. (TGI)