CBTE Must Evaluate the Programme, Not Only the Learner

A learner completes a portfolio, preaches before assessors, receives mentor approval and is declared competent. The programme records a success. Yet several questions remain unanswered. Did the assessors interpret the standard consistently? Did the learner improve because of the programme or arrive already able to perform? Did the ministry context become healthier? What did mentoring actually cost? Were women, rural learners, people with disabilities and ministers without strong digital records treated fairly? Did the credential produce recognition, transfer or better service—or only another certificate?

Competency-Based Theological Education (CBTE) is a contextual and mentored approach in which learners demonstrate integrated competence in what they know, who they are becoming and what they can faithfully do. It is distinct from Kenya's general occupational Competency-Based Education and Training, usually abbreviated CBET. Theological formation includes Scripture, doctrine, spiritual maturity, ethics, ecclesial accountability and service; it cannot be reduced to a workplace task list.

CBTE rightly asks more of learners than attendance and course completion. It must now ask more of itself. A programme that evaluates learners but does not evaluate its own design, implementation, costs and effects has only completed half of the quality-assurance task.

On 29 September 2026, Perspectives on Medical Education published a peer-reviewed international synthesis of approaches to evaluating competency-based health-professions education. The authors organise programme evaluation around five areas: readiness to implement, fidelity of implementation,…