TVET CDACC

GUIDELINES FOR COMPETENCY BASED CURRICULLUM DEVLOPMENT AND

REVIEW

2015

APL

Accreditation of prior Learning

ACRONNYMS
CBET

Competency-based Training

MoEST

Ministry of Education Science and Technology

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NGO

Non-Government Organization

NQF

National Qualification Framework

RPL

Recognition of Prior Learning

SSAC

Sector Skills Advisory Committee

TVET

Technical and Vocational Education and Training

TVET CDACC

Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Curriculum

development Assessment and Certification Council

CDACC

Curriculum development Assessment and Certification Council

TVETA

Technical and Vocational Education Training Authority

DEFINITION OF TERMS

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Accredited Institution
An officially approved TVET institution.
Competency
Ability to perform a task to the standard of performance required in employment.
Curriculum
Intended learning experience that a trainee is expected to undergo to attain the expected outcome.
Curriculum Design
Refers to the structure, pattern or organization of curriculum components.
Curriculum Development
Systematic planning of learning experiences for a trainee to acquire the intended competencies.
Evaluation
The process of finding out how far the curricula objectives are being, or have been achieved.
Formative Evaluation
Evaluation conducted in the process of training/learning and consequently, it is part of
training/learning process.
Industry
Refers to workplace where the competencies gained by trainees are required.
Module
A specific learning segment, complete in itself, which deals with one or a number of units of
competency
Modular Curriculum
A curriculum organised in modules.
Monitoring
Systematic collection and analysis of information as implementation of curriculum progresses
which is aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the process.
Skill
Ability to perform a task or an activity.

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Summative Evaluation
Evaluation conducted at the end of certain periods or cycles of time in order to judge the
sufficiency of trainees performance and knowledge.

Syllabus/Training package
A part of a curriculum which contains concepts, principles and procedures to be learnt by a
trainee in a course.
Training Needs Analysis (TNA)
A survey conducted to establish the training needs of the industry.

PREAMBLE
The competency based curriculum development Procedures and Guidelines are designed to
ensure that the process is consistent with the Competency-based Education and Training (CBET)
framework in Kenya. The TVET CDACC shall be working with the industry and countries in
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order to ensure mutual recognition of competency standards and national vocational
qualifications Kenya. The curricula for all Technical and Vocational Education and Training
(TVET) institutions in Kenya will therefore be developed using occupational standards
developed by CDACC, the Industry and other stakeholders.
These guidelines have further established a standard curricula development process for Technical
and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in all sectors of the economy. The outcomes of
competency based curriculum will thus produce internationally competitive workforce in Kenya.
The Sector Skills Advisory Committees shall be the technical arm of the TVET CDACC and the
procedures and guidelines are on how to hire the SSAC members have been developed to esure
that the council employs these members competitively.
This document will assist CDACC, CBET Curriculum developers and all stakeholders to
understand and implement the new national Competency Based Education and Training. It will
be used by officers in the industry and public, private and non-governmental training agencies
participating in TVET sector. It will be a valuable reference for industry and professional groups
and those who wish to collaborate with the CBET system for the future development of human
resources in Kenya.

DR. CHARLES MANASSEH ONDIEKI

CHAIRMAN
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION COUNCIL

Contents
CHAPTER 1................................................................................................................. 6
THE PROCDURE FOR DEVELOPING A COMPETENCY BASED CURRICULLUM................6
Training Needs Analysis.............................................................................................. 6

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Application to Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council
(CDACC) for Approval to develop a CBET a curriculum...............................................7
Validation by the relevant Sector Skills Advisory Committee (SSAC)..........................8
Endorsement by the Curriculum Assessment and Certification Council (CDACC).....10
Approval by the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA 10
CHAPTER 2............................................................................................................... 11
COMPETENCY BASED CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS..................................11
TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS...................................................................................... 13
CURRICULUM DESIGN............................................................................................... 13
CONTENT DEVELOPMENT......................................................................................... 15
PREPARATION FOR IMPLEMENTATION........................................................................16
CHAPTER 3............................................................................................................... 17
GUIDELINES OF SELECTING SKILLS ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SSAC) MEMBERS.........17
The composition of SSAC members will not be more than seven members of whom:................................................................................................................................. 17
Functions of the Sector Skills Advisory Committees (SSAC) will be to;.....................18
A Sector Skills Advisory Committee member shall be;.............................................18
CHAPTER 4............................................................................................................... 19
GUIDELINES OF ACCREDITING A CURRICULUM DEVELOPER.....................................19

CHAPTER 1
THE PROCDURE FOR DEVELOPING A COMPETENCY BASED
CURRICULLUM

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The development of a Competency Based Curriculum shall be in eight steps;
1) Training Needs Analysis
2) Application to Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council
(CDACC) for Approval to develop a CBET a curriculum
3) Curriculum Development process
4) Evaluation by CDACC
5) Validation by the relevant Sector Skills Advisory Committee (SSAC) and other
stakeholders
6) Endorsement by the Curriculum Assessment and Certification Council (CDACC)
7) Approval for use.
8) Print and Dissemination of the approved curriculum

Step 1- Training Needs Analysis

An accredited TVET curriculum developer shall conduct a Training Needs Analysis (TNA)
The TNA should:
a

Establish how the curriculum addresses industrial, economic, social and

technological needs of the industry.

Determine competencies knowledge, skills, attitudes required in the relevant

industry

establish the entry behaviour of trainees for various training levels

establish the mode of delivery of the curriculum

identify the training needs that have not been addressed by the existing curricula

establish the mechanism for coping with emerging trends and challenges in the
industry

identify the availability and competencies of trainers in the industry

assess the availability of resources to achieve the training

determine the training requirements of trainees with special needs

establish the findings and feedback derived from implementation of the existing
curricula

project current and future employment patterns for skilled workers

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Step 2 -Application to Curriculum Development,
Assessment and Certification Council (CDACC) for Approval
to develop a CBET curriculum
1. Upon completion of the Training Needs Analysis, the curriculum developer will apply to
the Council to be granted permission to develop the curriculum by submitting a proposal.

2. The council shall confirm that each proposal:

1) is nationally recognised;
2) meets an established industry, enterprise, educational, legislative or
community need;
3) provides appropriate competency outcomes and a satisfactory basis for
assessment;
4) meets national quality assurance requirements;
5) is aligned appropriately to the Kenya National Qualification Framework
(KNQF) where it leads to a qualification.
6) Assessment and certification would be undertaken by authorized bodies
3. The council shall in writing approve the proposal within thirty working days upon receipt
of the application.
4. If the application is not successful, the council shall return the proposal to the Curriculum
Developer with recommendations within thirty working days upon receipt of the
application.

Step 3- Curriculum Development Process

1) Upon receipt of the approval from CDACC to start the curriculum development process,
developer shall commence the development process.
2) the curriculum developer shall commence process the using the Curriculum Development
guidelines provided by the council

Step 4- Evaluation by CDACC

1) The completed curriculum shall be submitted to the council for evaluation.
2) The council shall use check the list for evaluation within thirty working days upon receipt
of the completed curriculum. Appendix 1
3) The council shall submit the evaluated curriculum to the relevant Sector Skills Advisory
Committee (SSAC) for validation within thirty working days upon receipt of the
application.
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4) If the evaluation is not successful, the council shall return the curriculum to the
Developer with recommendations within thirty working days upon receipt of the
completed document.

Step 5 -Validation by the relevant Sector Skills Advisory

Committee (SSAC)
1) The evaluated curriculum shall be validated within sixty working days upon receipt of the
document.
2) The Sector Skills Advisory Committee (SSAC) shall subject the curriculum to a
stakeholders workshop for validation.
3) The Sector Skills Advisory Committee (SSAC) shall use check the list in appendix 1

Step 6 -Endorsement by the Curriculum Assessment and

Certification Council (CDACC)
1) The Skills Advisory Committee (SSAC) shall present the validated curriculum to the
Council for endorsement with recommendations.
2) The Council shall endorse the validated curriculum within thirty working days upon
receipt of the document.

Step 7- Approval for use

The Councils shall upon the receipt of the endorsed curriculum, approve it for use by
institutions and other stakeholders

Step 8The Councils shall Print and Disseminate the approved curriculum to Technical Institutes and
other stakeholders

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CHAPTER 2
GUIDELINES FOR COMPETENCY BASED CURRICULUM
DEVELOPMENT
1. A Competency based curriculum for TVET shall entail training programmes
which take into consideration the market demands and the social and economic
needs of the learners.
1) A curriculum developer shall fill the forms in Appendix ll Vl
2) A Competency based curriculum for TVET shall be developed by curriculum developers
accredited by CDACC
3) A Competency based curriculum for TVET shall be developed based on set competency
occupational standards.
4) Learning outcomes for a Competency based curriculum shall be derived from standards which
are defined by industry.
5) A Competency based curriculum shall seek to systematically identify and develop essential
worker competencies (knowledge, skills and attitude) required for a particular job
6) All Curriculum developers shall use the Model A or B in Appendix ll.
2. TVET curriculum development process shall entail interlinked activities ranging
from training needs analysis to review. Six broad steps have been considered for
CBET curriculum development process;

1. Training Needs Analysis

2. Curriculum Design
3. Content Development
4. Curriculum Implementation
5. Assessment and Evaluation
6. Certification

TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS

1 A TVET curriculum developer should conduct a Training Needs Analysis (TNA), which is the
first stage in curriculum development process.
2 The TNA should:
a
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establish how the curriculum addresses industrial, economic, social and

technological needs of the industry.
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b

determine knowledge, skills, attitudes (competencies) required in the relevant

industry

establish the entry behaviour of trainees for various training levels

establish the mode of delivery of the curriculum

identify the training needs that have not been addressed by the existing curricula

establish the mechanism for coping with emerging trends and challenges in the
industry

identify the availability and competencies of trainers in the industry

assess the availability of resources to achieve the training

determine the training requirements of trainees with special needs

establish the findings and feedback derived from implementation of the existing
curricula

project current and future employment patterns for skilled workers

CURRICULUM DESIGN
1The curriculum design shall broadly define the nature and scope of the TVET curriculum.
2The curriculum design shall have;
b

level of programme

Duration of the programme shall be as follows;

i

Modular Employable Skills (MES) Short Courses 6 to 33 credits

ii

Artisan (Level 1-3) -99 credits

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iii

Craft (Level 4) 198 credits

iv

Diploma (Level 5)---297 credits

Higher Diploma (Level 6)-297 credits

Programme pattern-regular, part-time, on job

Credits equivalency

f
g
h
i

Entry behaviour ( Occupational or Academic competence)

Mode of delivery
Evaluation and assessment of competence
Certification

j Minimum training equipment, their specifications and materials

3. The curriculum developer shall carry out a task analysis.
4. A CBET TVET curriculum should be in modular form and the number of modules in a course
specified.
5. Each module shall group specific competencies together based on related tasks at the work
place.
6.Each module should be designed to enable a trainee acquire employable competencies of a
particular task in the work place.
7. Each module should:
a have a title/theme
b specify module units (subjects)
c have general and specific objectives
d have a discrete code
e specify entry behaviour of trainees
f specify industry sector(s) where the skills are applicable
g be evaluated and a certificate awarded independently by CDACC
h be flexible to allow credit transfer, recognize prior learning and working experience
and career progression
10. The curriculum should have specific objectives to be achieved by the trainee by stating each
component of a task as a measurable learning outcome.

4.0 CONTENT DEVELOPMENT

1 Module units (subjects) content shall be organized into training packages..
2 The content should be organized into logical subjects or module units.

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3 The content areas shall address all the learning domains i.e
a) Cognitive
b) psychomotor
c) affective
4. Appropriate duration should be given to each module.
5. The content should specify the following;
1) Instructional Materials
2) Learning Resources
3) Self Checks
4) Performance Tests
6. The training packages should specify:
a general and specific objectives to be
achieved
b course structure
c mode of delivery and learning activities
d appropriate learning resources
e minimum specifications of training
equipment
f appropriate assessment methods and tools
g appropriate credits for each module
unit
h competencies to be acquired during
industrial attachment
i duration for industrial attachment for each
module
j qualifications of trainers
7. The curriculum should specify the mode of assessment.
8. The percentage of module unit contact hours shall be as stipulated below:
Level
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Craft (Level 4)
Diploma (Level 5)
Higher Diploma (Level 6)

Manipulative
Skills
90%
85 %
80%
70%
50%
40%

Theoretical
Skills
10%
15%
20%
30%
50%
60%

5.0 CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION

1) A TVET curriculum shoul specify the tools, equipment, materials, textbooks, reference
materials and any other materials needed to support training/learning.
2) The training/learning resources should be as per skill standards stipulated by relevant
industry regulators and professional bodies.
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3) Physical facilities shall conform to the standards set by relevant training regulators. The
facilities include workshops, laboratories, theory rooms and libraries among others.
4) A TVET curriculum shall specify the qualifications and experience of trainer.
5. The stakeholders shall include:
a
Government agencies in charge of TVET training
b
TVET Trainers and Technical staff
c
Managers and Administrators of TVET institutions
d
Accredited Certification bodies
e
Relevant industry regulators

CHAPTER 3
GUIDELINES OF SELECTING SKILLS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
(SSAC) MEMBERS
1) The Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council (CDACC) shall
appoint Sector Skills Advisory Committee (SSAC) members.
2) The Sector Skills Advisory Committee (SSAC) members shall be responsible for
ensuring that vocational education and training programmes offered are according to the
needs and demands of the employment market.
3) The Sector Skills Advisory Committee (SSAC) members shall represent the skill sectors
identified in the Market/industry.
4) Every member of the committee shall, unless he/she sooner resigns or otherwise ceases to
hold office, hold office for a period of three years and may be eligible for re- appointment

2.0 The composition of SSAC members shall be; AS PER

CHAIRMANS PROPOSAL
1) One represents the interests of vocational education and training institutions;
2) One is a training specialist appointed by the Council.
3) One is a representative of the relevant employers/ industry.
4) One is a Government policy maker in Technical training
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5) two representatives of the relevant industry skills/professional regulator
6) one is a curriculum development expert
7) A representative of the Council Secretary of TVET CDACC shall act as the secretary
to the committee
2. Subject to any general or specific directions by the council or any regulations made under it,
the committee may regulate its own proceedings.

3. Functions of the Sector Skills Advisory Committees

(SSAC) shall be to;
i

Advise the Board on the establishment of new vocational trades training and educational
programmes or on the abolition of existing ones.

ii

assess training needs and determine standards for the area of trades the committee is
covering.

iii

draw up training specifications and job description for the trades to be taught.

iv

ensure coordination with related trade training activities.

ensure that the employment market is informed about training activities under the
committees to promote placements for students; and

vi

form sub - committees to work with particular training issues as may be necessary.

A Sector Skills Advisory Committee member shall be;

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)

a member of a professional/technologist body where applicable

a holder of a Diploma or Higher Diploma
an expert in the relevant skill area
of good moral standing
have an experience of not less than three years in their skill area
meet the requirements of chapter six of the constitution of Kenya
A Kenyan citizen and if not Kenyan S/He should have a valid working Permit

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APPENDIX I:
CURRICULUM VALIDATION CHECKLIST
NO
.

TITLE

DESCRIPTION

REMARKS/
COMMENTS

Name of the
qualification

State the name(s) of the

qualification(s) that will be awarded
on successful completion of the
course.
The duration of the course in hours.

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2

Training Needs
Analysis

1. Identify the industry sectors

involved
2. Describe procedure of data
collection and analysis
3. Describe briefly the findings

Curriculm
Design/Format.

Nature and scope of the TVET

curriculum
Composition of the curriculum
development team
Roles and functions of members
Entry behaviour.
The task analysis process used to
derive competencies.
the industry sectors or occupational
Skill areas
Occupational Standards used
competencies required to perform
specified tasks/activities
Sequencing and detailing of tasks
the modules and module units given
objectives of each module
Module duration.

Curriculum
Development

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Analysis of occupational competence

Analysis of academic competence
general and specific objectives to be
achieved in each module
course structure
relevance of content
appropriate learning resources
Time allocation for both theoretical
and manipulative skills
mode of delivery and learning
activities
duration for industrial training and
attachment for each module
competencies to be acquired during
industrial attachment
qualifications and experience of
trainers
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specifications of training equipment,
specifications of learning materials

Preparation for
Implementation

Methodology of formative assessment

Methodology of summative
assessment
Procedure of certification
Implementation procedure
Monitoring and Review of the
curriculum
State the identified stakeholders
Induction of stakeholders

APPENDIX 1I:
MODEL A

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MODEL B
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APPENDIX III
Skill Sector

Job Title

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Occupational
Standard

Task
Analysis
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Skill
Analysis

Competence
Elements

Task
Analysis

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APPENDIX IV
FORMAT FOR PRESENTATION OF COURSE MODULES
1.0 Qualification:
2.0 Purpose of Qualification:

7) Level:
4.0 Level Descriptors:

5.0 Minimum Overall Credits:

6.0 Minimum Credits at this Level:
7.0 Maximum Credits from lowest Level:
9.0 Course Modules
9.1 Description of Module
9.1.1 Code:
9.1.2 Name:

9.1.3 Number of Credits:

9.1.4 Sub-Enabling Outcomes:

...
9.1.5 Prerequisite Module:

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(Please indicate Module Code and Name)
9.1.6 Learning Context:
(Please indicate whether the module will be taught through lectures, seminars, guided
independent work, laboratory work, etc. or combination thereof)

9.1.7 Learning Materials:

(Please specify major learning materials to be used, including textbooks, manuals, journals,
handouts, ICT learning aids, and other references)

Procedures for Curriculum Development and Review 3

9.1.8 Integrated Method of Assessment:

(Please indicate the assessment instruments to be used in the course module, i.e. whether through
Examinations, Tests, Reports, etc. or combinations thereof)

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