In both France and Germany, the government, employers' organizations, and unions all participate in defining vocational diplomas based on a national framework of procedures of elaborating and standardizing titles. Important differences between the diploma definition processes in France and Germany may be identified. In Germany, the issue is training within a given trade, whereas in France, certification corresponds to a job level rather than to a specific job. The scope of reforms designed to adapt training to new production requirements has been relatively homogeneous in Germany. The diversity of the categories of French diplomas and the various levels with which they are associated make definition of fields much more complex in France than in Germany. Revision of training is also occurring much more rapidly in France than in Germany. In Germany, the organization of vocational training is based on the action of "private governments" formed by management, unions, and chambers of commerce, whereas in France, processes of reform proceed from the initiative of the state or powerful employer federations. In Germany, experts function as mediators and moderators of the diploma definition process, whereas in France, they are used to legitimize choices made during the process. (MN)