Abstract: 

An Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institution is different from a correspondence institution primary on account of the student support services it provides. IGNOU has taken a lead in this area. It has a network of 64 Regional Centres (RCs), 739 Study Centres (SCs) and 658 Programme Study Centres (PSCs) throughout the country. IGNOU has launched programmes which have parallel in the conventional system as well as those which have evolved by way of studying the need-base of the learners. The support services required for such programmes are of diverse nature. In order to keep the motivation of the learners alive, as well as that of the part-time functionaries of the Study Centres, the Regional Centres which form the middle level tier in the administrative structure have to resort to several innovative methods. Ever since the inception of IGNOU many such innovative steps have been taken by the Regional Centres in isolation. So it was felt that the collation of such steps which we choose to call 'best practices' be undertaken so that the practices followed by a Regional Centre may be replicated at other Regional Centres for the benefit of the learners and the University as well. The paper describes how the collation was done and aims at suggesting the implementation strategies of the best practices across the different Regional Centres of the country