This is a critical reflection on the results of a study that the French International Center for Pedagogical Studies (CIEP) piloted in 2008-2009 in five sub-Saharan African countries which were implementing curriculum reforms adopting the "competency-based approach". The article refers to a seminar on this process and the ideas expressed by various participants. Then, based on the cases, and focusing on issues that arose during the implementation, it considers more general questions about how to ensure that curricular reforms succeed.