This booklet, the first in a series of four volumes on the Designing a Curriculum (Dacum) process, is intended to explain to Dacum workshop participants exactly what Dacum is and why it was created. The first section of the guide traces the development of Dacum as a program planning model that was established in the late 1960s in response to the need to solve practical training problems. Discussed next are new approaches to the Dacum process that were initiated in the mid-1970s at vocational and technical programs in colleges and universities across British Columbia. The third section of the guide, an outline of Dacum principles and procedures, deals with the following steps in the Dacum model: conducting a job analysis, establishing objectives, and designing instruction. The benefits provided by Dacum to learners, instructors, administrators, and employers are enumerated. Concluding the booklet are a list of available skill profile charts from the British Columbia Research and Development Branch, course outlines, and course objectives for a variety of vocational and technical education subject areas, as well as suggestions for further reading. (MN)