The "Guidelines for the Transitional Education Plan Preparation" are the result of an extensive consultation process and the product of fruitful guidance and contributions from key partners active in the field of education in emergencies and protracted crises. The new global education agenda 2030 places strong emphasis on countries affected by adverse situations. It urges governments to put in place robust and responsive policies, strategies, and systems to ensure quality education in challenging contexts, and calls upon the international community to "build back better" by providing coordinated support and investing where education needs are the most acute. The agenda expressly recognizes that the largest education gaps exist in crisis situations, noting that it is "critical to develop education systems that are more resilient and responsive in the face of conflict, social unrest, and natural hazards--and to ensure that education is maintained during emergency, conflict, and postconflict situations." In response to the call for greater effort and investment in crisis-affected and challenging situations, these guidelines were designed to assist countries in preparing a transitional education plan (TEP). They first provide an overview of the essential characteristics of a good quality TEP, followed by a presentation of the main steps in the plan preparation process. They are accompanied by a selection of helpful resources that are mapped according to the plan preparation steps. For countries that are candidates for GPE funding, a second accompanying document, Guidelines for Transitional Education Plan Appraisal, must be used as part of the GPE grant process to assess the extent to which the TEP responds to expected requirements before its endorsement by development partners, including the civil society. The following are appended: (1) Main components of a context analysis in challenging contexts; and (2) Checklist of key education system performance analysis components and corresponding education indicators.