The aim of this document is to help countries develop competency-based educational programs in adolescent health and development in both pre-service and in-service education. In addition, it provides guidance on how to assess and improve the structure, content and quality of the adolescent health component of pre-service curricula. By fostering the capacity of health-care providers in adolescent health care and development, the document supports the implementation in countries of the Global Standards for Quality Health-Care Services for Adolescents. The ultimate goal of this competency framework is to increase the quality of health-care services provided to adolescents by improving the education of primary health-care providers.