This final report from a project to identify and analyze competency-based vocational education programs in the U.S. presents an overview of the whole project and includes the literature review and a summary of findings. The literature is reviewed under six headings: the nature of competency-based education (CBE); application of CBE to adult vocational programs; developing and implementing CBE; the use of CBE in business, industry, and labor training; problems involved with CBE; and favorable aspects of CBE. This document summarizes project activities reported separately, including the national survey of competency-based adult vocational instruction in the public and private sectors (complete report, CE 015 756), development of the "National Directory of Selected Competency-Based Adult Vocational Education Programs" (CE 015 755), planning and operation of the project's national dissemination workshop (proceedings, CE 015 758), and supporting activities. Following a brief summary of findings, the major conclusions are stated: (1) The quality and extent of competency-based adult vocational instruction appears to be greater in the public than in the private sector; (2) instances of high quality instruction are infrequent in either sector; (3) persons operating such programs are working, for the most part, in isolation from other adult educators; (4) programs are developed primarily from the initiative of a single instructor; and (5) too many programs purported to be competency-based fail to provide adequately for pre-assessment, progression when objectives are achieved, learning alternatives, and open entry/open exit format. (JT)