The Competency Based Learning (CBL) Project at Case Western Reserve University is both an inquiry into the nature of professional competence and competence development in the Applied Behavioral Sciences and a pilot innovation and evaluation project in the Ph.D. and Master's programs of the Department of Organizational Behavior. The initial task involved an investigation into the nature of and criteria for competence in four areas of professional work: organizational development and change; group leadership, training, and development; inquiry, research and knowledge generation; and professional values and ethics. Premises that have implications for the design of educational experiences are that competence always has a context, is rooted in a knowledge base and analytic skills, is interdependent with values, and involves the whole person. The Ph.D. program in organizational behavior is described in terms of its framework, learning strategies, and problems involving innovations. A description is provided of the design, implementation, and evaluation of the new competency-based Master of Science in Organizational Development program. Other topics addressed are contributions to theory and strategy in competency-oriented education, dissemination of strategies to other programs and associations, improving the certification processes and criteria in credentialing organizations, and an overview about development of competency based education. (SW)