Evidence shows that African education systems are being impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The impact of the epidemic could be far reaching in view of the distinctive nature of the educational sector in terms of its organization, the numbers and kinds of people involved, the degree of vulnerability, and the matchless role that education plays in fighting HIV/AIDS.Given that HIV/AIDS is already having an effect on education systems, educational planners and managers at various levels need to recognize the nature and extent of the impact, as well as equipping themselves with the necessary conceptual and analytical tools to capture and onitor the impact, and design strategies and programmes for prevention, care and impact mitigation.At present many educational managers think that activities related to HIV/AIDS are the responsibility of specialized agencies, such as the HIV/AIDS Secretariat, rather than being part and parcel of the responsibilities of each and every actor. Until now responses to HIV/AIDS within the education sector have been ad hoc, but this situation is neither effective nor sustainable. The present situation is largely a function of the lack of capacity to properly conceive and analyse the impact of the epidemic on the system, and to design cogent intervention programmes as part of organizational strategic planning.The aim of this study was to identify crucial capacity gaps that exist within the educational planning and management system in Ethiopia. It assessed training needs for educational planners and managers in the context of HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, and covered the key institutions and individuals responsible for planning and management of education at ministry headquarters, education bureaus of selected regional states, education desks of selected districts, secondary schools, one teacher training college and a civil service college. In addition, the study sought to identify and analyse existing training programmes that cater for building capacity in the areas identified in this study.