SPECIALTY COFFEE BARISTA (SCB™)

FUNCTIONING BLUEPRINT & FOUNDING CHARTER

Founded by Alfred Gitau Mwaura

An Africa-Led Professional Competency, Training, Assessment and Certification Framework

PART I — FOUNDING CHARTER

ARTICLE 1 — ESTABLISHMENT

The Specialty Coffee Barista (SCB™) Framework is established as an independent professional competency, education, training, assessment and certification framework for specialty coffee professionals.

The framework was founded by Alfred Gitau Mwaura to establish a structured pathway connecting:

Coffee Origin → Production → Processing → Green Coffee → Roasting → Sensory → Brewing → Hospitality → Enterprise → Global Coffee Value

SCB™ is designed to bridge Kenyan and African coffee-production realities with internationally comparable specialty-coffee professional competencies.

SCB™ shall operate as a competency-based professional framework, rather than as an attendance-based training programme.

ARTICLE 2 — FOUNDING PURPOSE

The purpose of SCB™ is to create a comprehensive professional system capable of:

Developing competent specialty coffee professionals.
Connecting barista education with coffee production at origin.
Establishing standardized technical competencies.
Providing practical and theory-based assessment.
Establishing professional certification pathways.
Developing qualified coffee trainers.
Developing qualified coffee assessors and examiners.
Supporting employment and entrepreneurship.
Promoting professional ethics and quality.
Creating pathways for African coffee professionals to participate competitively in the global specialty coffee economy.

ARTICLE 3 — FOUNDING PRINCIPLE

SCB™ is founded on the principle that:

A specialty coffee professional should understand the value of coffee from where it is grown to how it is experienced in the cup.

The framework therefore rejects the concept of the barista as merely a machine operator.

The SCB™ professional is expected to understand the relationship between:

Farmer → Coffee Plant → Cherry → Processing → Green Bean → Roasting → Extraction → Sensory Experience → Consumer → Value Creation.

ARTICLE 4 — VISION

Vision

To establish a globally respected Africa-led professional standard for specialty coffee skills, training, assessment and competency recognition.

ARTICLE 5 — MISSION

Mission

To transform coffee education from machine-based instruction into comprehensive farm-to-cup professional development, creating competent baristas, trainers, assessors, entrepreneurs and coffee leaders.

ARTICLE 6 — CORE VALUES

SCB™ shall be governed by the following principles:

6.1 Competence

Certification shall recognize demonstrated ability.

6.2 Practicality

Coffee skills must be demonstrated in real or simulated working environments.

6.3 Integrity

Assessment and certification shall be conducted transparently and ethically.

6.4 Origin

Coffee professionals shall understand the people, farms and ecosystems behind coffee.

6.5 Quality

The framework shall promote measurable improvement in coffee quality.

6.6 Sustainability

Environmental, social and economic sustainability shall form part of professional development.

6.7 Innovation

SCB™ shall encourage coffee science, technology, digital systems and new methods.

6.8 Inclusion

The framework shall create accessible pathways for youth, farmers, hospitality workers, entrepreneurs and emerging coffee professionals.

6.9 Professionalism

SCB™ certification shall carry obligations of professional conduct and continuing development.

6.10 African Leadership

African coffee realities shall not merely be examples within the curriculum; they shall contribute to the development of the standard itself.

ARTICLE 7 — INDEPENDENCE AND INTERNATIONAL ALIGNMENT

SCB™ is an independent professional framework.

It may benchmark selected competencies against international specialty-coffee practices and standards, but shall not represent itself as another organization’s certification, accreditation or qualification unless a formal authorization or recognition agreement exists.

SCB™ therefore operates according to the principle:

Internationally comparable, independently governed, origin-responsive.

ARTICLE 8 — THE SCB™ PROFESSIONAL

An SCB™ professional is a person who has demonstrated defined competencies in the preparation, evaluation, service, understanding and professional management of specialty coffee.

Depending upon qualification level, an SCB™ professional may work as:

Barista
Specialty Barista
Senior Barista
Coffee Quality Professional
Café Supervisor
Coffee Trainer
Coffee Assessor
Coffee Examiner
Coffee Entrepreneur
Coffee Educator
Coffee Consultant
Coffee Quality Manager

PART II — SCB™ FUNCTIONING BLUEPRINT

1. THE SCB™ SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

The SCB™ system shall function through seven interconnected pillars:

PILLAR 1 — STANDARDS

Defines what a competent coffee professional should know and do.

PILLAR 2 — CURRICULUM

Converts the standards into structured learning.

PILLAR 3 — TRAINING

Provides theoretical and practical instruction.

PILLAR 4 — ASSESSMENT

Measures demonstrated competency.

PILLAR 5 — CERTIFICATION

Recognizes successful achievement.

PILLAR 6 — TRAINER & ASSESSOR DEVELOPMENT

Creates qualified people capable of delivering and evaluating the system.

PILLAR 7 — CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Maintains professional competence after certification.

The operating cycle is:

STANDARD → CURRICULUM → TRAIN → PRACTICE → ASSESS → CERTIFY → WORK → DEVELOP → REASSESS

2. THE SCB™ FARM-TO-CUP MODEL

The foundational educational architecture shall be:

FARM

Coffee agronomy, varieties, soil, climate, nutrition and farm management.

↓

HARVEST

Cherry maturity, selective harvesting and post-harvest handling.

↓

PROCESS

Washed, natural, honey and other processing systems.

↓

DRY & STORE

Drying, moisture management, storage and preservation.

↓

GREEN COFFEE

Grading, defects, quality, preparation and trade.

↓

ROAST

Roast development, profiling, chemistry and quality control.

↓

BREW

Grinding, water, extraction, recipes and brewing systems.

↓

SENSE

Cupping, sensory analysis, flavour, balance and quality evaluation.

↓

SERVE

Espresso, milk beverages, filter coffee, presentation and hospitality.

↓

VALUE

Employment, entrepreneurship, café operations, trade, sustainability and farmer value.

This becomes the central SCB™ educational philosophy:

FROM ORIGIN TO CUP. FROM SKILL TO VALUE.

3. SCB™ COMPETENCY DOMAINS

The SCB™ Professional Standard shall initially contain six principal competency domains.

SCB-A — COFFEE ORIGIN & AGRONOMY

Competencies include:

Coffee plant biology
Arabica and other coffee species
Coffee varieties
Soil
Climate
Nutrition
Pest and disease fundamentals
Farm management
Climate resilience
Regenerative agriculture
Producer economics

SCB-B — GREEN COFFEE, PROCESSING & TRADE

Competencies include:

Cherry selection
Post-harvest handling
Fermentation
Washed processing
Natural processing
Honey processing
Drying
Storage
Green coffee defects
Grading
Traceability
Coffee logistics
Coffee trade fundamentals

SCB-C — ROASTING, SENSORY & QUALITY

Competencies include:

Roast fundamentals
Heat transfer
Roast development
Roast profiling
Coffee chemistry
Cupping
Sensory evaluation
Defect identification
Flavour recognition
Quality control
Coffee evaluation

SCB-D — BREWING, EXTRACTION & BEVERAGE SCIENCE

Competencies include:

Grinding
Espresso
Filter brewing
Immersion brewing
Pressure brewing
Extraction
Brew ratios
Water quality
Water chemistry
Recipe development
Milk science
Beverage consistency

SCB-E — PROFESSIONAL BARISTA & HOSPITALITY

Competencies include:

Café workflow
Espresso-machine operation
Grinder calibration
Milk steaming
Latte art
Beverage preparation
Hygiene
HACCP principles
Customer service
Communication
Workplace safety
Professional conduct

SCB-F — ENTERPRISE, SUSTAINABILITY & LEADERSHIP

Competencies include:

Café management
Costing
Menu development
Inventory
Procurement
Business planning
Entrepreneurship
Staff management
Sustainability
Waste reduction
Digital technology
Traceability
Leadership

4. SCB™ PROFESSIONAL LEVELS

LEVEL 1 — SCB-FB™

Foundation Barista

Entry-level professional competency.

Focus:

Coffee fundamentals
Equipment
Espresso
Brewing
Milk
Hygiene
Customer service

Primary outcome: Entry-level employability.

LEVEL 2 — SCB-SCB™

Specialty Coffee Barista

Professional specialty-coffee competency.

Focus:

Extraction
Sensory
Cupping
Kenyan coffee
Brewing science
Roast fundamentals
Quality control
Advanced beverage preparation

Primary outcome: Specialty café professional.

LEVEL 3 — SCB-PSB™

Professional Specialty Barista

Advanced technical and operational competence.

Focus:

Advanced extraction
Water chemistry
Sensory analysis
Coffee chemistry
Quality assurance
Café workflow
Menu development
Costing
Supervision

Primary outcome: Senior technical coffee professional.

LEVEL 4 — SCB-MSCP™

Master Specialty Coffee Professional

Advanced professional and leadership level.

Focus:

Coffee science
Advanced sensory systems
Roasting
Green coffee
Trade
Quality management
Research
Training
Sustainability
Coffee enterprise

Primary outcome: Coffee industry leader, educator or technical specialist.

5. SCB™ TRAINER FRAMEWORK

SCB™ establishes a dedicated professional pathway for people responsible for developing other coffee professionals.

SCB-AT1™

Accredited Barista Trainer

Authorized to deliver foundation and intermediate SCB™ training after meeting prescribed trainer requirements.

SCB-AT2™

Professional Coffee Trainer

Qualified to deliver advanced technical instruction and practical assessment.

SCB-AT3™

Senior Accredited Trainer

Qualified to:

Train trainers
Moderate assessments
Develop curriculum
Lead technical programmes
Participate in standards development

SCB-ATM™

Accredited Trainer Master

The highest trainer designation.

Responsibilities may include:

Trainer development
Standards development
Examiner development
Assessment moderation
Curriculum research
Professional development
International cooperation

6. SCB™ ASSESSOR FRAMEWORK

SCB-AA™

Accredited Assessor

An SCB™ Accredited Assessor evaluates whether learners have achieved defined competencies.

Assessment shall distinguish between:

Learning
and
Demonstrated Competence.

Assessors may evaluate:

Theory
Practical skills
Sensory performance
Workplace performance
Portfolio evidence
Professional conduct
Technical projects

7. SCB™ EXAMINER FRAMEWORK

SCB-EX™

Accredited Examiner

An examiner is responsible for maintaining the integrity, consistency and validity of formal SCB™ examinations.

Examiners may participate in:

Final examinations
Practical examinations
Assessment moderation
Appeals
Examiner calibration
Quality assurance

8. COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT MODEL

SCB™ assessment shall use multiple forms of evidence.

Theory

Measures knowledge and understanding.

Practical

Measures demonstrated technical ability.

Sensory

Measures ability to evaluate coffee.

Simulation

Measures workplace performance.

Portfolio

Measures projects, evidence and professional development.

Professional Conduct

Measures workplace ethics, hygiene, communication and customer service.

The exact weighting shall be established by qualification-specific assessment specifications.

9. CERTIFICATION SYSTEM

SCB™ certification shall be issued only after achievement of prescribed competencies.

Each credential may contain:

Candidate name
Qualification
Level
Competency units
Assessment status
Certificate number
Issue date
Validity/renewal requirements
Trainer
Assessor
Examiner where applicable
QR verification
Digital credential
Verification record

10. DIGITAL CREDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE

SCB™ may utilize digital certification technology to provide:

Certificate → QR Code → Verification Portal → Credential Record → Competency Evidence

Where technically and legally appropriate, credential records may additionally be secured using cryptographic hashes or blockchain anchoring.

Blockchain shall be treated as a verification technology, not as a substitute for educational quality assurance.

11. TRAINER AUTHORIZATION

No individual shall automatically become an SCB™ Accredited Trainer merely because they possess an SCB™ professional certificate.

Trainer authorization shall require additional evidence of:

Technical competence
Teaching competence
Assessment competence
Industry experience
Professional ethics
Practical demonstration
Trainer assessment
Continuing professional development

12. TRAINING PROVIDER RECOGNITION

SCB™ training may be delivered through approved training providers.

A recognized provider should demonstrate:

Suitable facilities
Qualified trainers
Appropriate coffee equipment
Safety systems
Training materials
Assessment controls
Learner records
Quality assurance procedures
Complaints and appeals procedures

Provider recognition shall be subject to defined standards.

13. QUALITY ASSURANCE

SCB™ quality assurance shall operate at five levels:

Level 1 — Trainer Quality

Are trainers competent?

Level 2 — Training Quality

Is training delivered according to the curriculum?

Level 3 — Assessment Quality

Are assessments fair, valid and reliable?

Level 4 — Certification Quality

Are credentials issued only to competent candidates?

Level 5 — System Quality

Is the entire SCB™ framework continuously improving?

14. CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

SCB™ certification shall encourage lifelong learning.

CPD activities may include:

Advanced coffee courses
Trainer development
Competitions
Coffee research
Sensory calibration
Industry workshops
Conferences
Farm visits
Roasting practice
Brewing experimentation
Teaching
Mentoring
Professional projects

15. SCB™ CAREER PATHWAY

The framework creates a progression:

Learner

↓

SCB-FB™

↓

SCB-SCB™

↓

SCB-PSB™

↓

SCB-MSCP™

↓

SCB-AT1™

↓

SCB-AT2™

↓

SCB-AT3™

↓

SCB-ATM™

With parallel professional pathways into:

SCB-AA™ — Assessor

SCB-EX™ — Examiner

Coffee Educator

Coffee Entrepreneur

Coffee Quality Professional

Coffee Consultant

PART III — GOVERNANCE

16. SCB™ GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE

The SCB™ system shall establish governance bodies responsible for maintaining professional integrity.

16.1 Founding Authority

The founding authority recognizes the historical and intellectual origin of the framework and protects its founding purpose.

Founder

Alfred Gitau Mwaura

Founder of the SCB™ Framework.

16.2 SCB™ Standards Council

Responsible for:

Standards
Competency frameworks
Technical policies
Periodic revisions
International benchmarking

16.3 SCB™ Academic & Curriculum Council

Responsible for:

Curriculum
Learning outcomes
Training materials
Programme design
Research

16.4 SCB™ Assessment Council

Responsible for:

Examinations
Assessment methodology
Examiner standards
Moderation
Appeals

16.5 SCB™ Trainer Council

Responsible for:

Trainer certification
Trainer development
Trainer CPD
Trainer ethics
Trainer quality assurance

16.6 SCB™ Quality & Certification Office

Responsible for:

Candidate records
Certificates
Credential verification
Certification controls
Provider records
Quality audits

17. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Any person involved in training, assessment, certification or governance shall disclose conflicts of interest.

A person should not independently certify their own assessment where this creates a material conflict of interest.

18. COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS

SCB™ shall establish procedures for:

Learner complaints
Assessment appeals
Trainer complaints
Certification disputes
Misconduct investigations
Credential verification disputes

All appeals shall be handled through documented procedures.

19. PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

SCB™ professionals shall uphold:

Honesty
Food safety
Customer dignity
Fair assessment
Respect for producers
Respect for colleagues
Responsible coffee handling
Accurate representation of qualifications
Non-fraudulent certification
Professional confidentiality

PART IV — AFRICAN AND KENYAN COFFEE MANDATE

20. ORIGIN RESPONSIVENESS

SCB™ shall recognize that coffee education must reflect the conditions in which coffee is produced.

Kenyan and African coffee shall therefore be studied not merely as examples of specialty coffee but as sources of technical knowledge, professional practice and innovation.

The framework shall encourage learning from:

Kenyan coffee farmers
Cooperatives
Estates
Washing stations
Dry mills
Roasters
Cafés
Exporters
Researchers
Hospitality professionals
Coffee entrepreneurs

21. FARMER–BARISTA CONNECTION

SCB™ shall seek to reduce the educational separation between producer and barista.

A professional barista should understand:

Who produced the coffee?

Where was it produced?

How was it processed?

How did processing affect the cup?

How does quality affect value?

How does the final consumer experience affect the value chain?

This creates a more complete understanding of coffee value.

PART V — IMPLEMENTATION BLUEPRINT

22. PHASE 1 — STANDARD DEVELOPMENT

Develop:

SCB™ Professional Standard
Competency units
Learning outcomes
Performance criteria
Assessment criteria
Trainer standards
Assessor standards
Examiner standards

23. PHASE 2 — CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

Create:

Student curriculum
Trainer manuals
Practical manuals
Assessment manuals
Sensory protocols
Equipment standards
Training-provider requirements

24. PHASE 3 — PILOTING

Pilot the framework through selected coffee-training environments.

Evaluate:

Curriculum effectiveness
Assessment reliability
Learner outcomes
Trainer performance
Employer relevance
Industry feedback

25. PHASE 4 — TRAINER DEVELOPMENT

Establish the first cohort of:

SCB-AT1™

followed by:

SCB-AT2™

SCB-AT3™

and eventually:

SCB-ATM™

26. PHASE 5 — ASSESSOR & EXAMINER DEVELOPMENT

Establish:

SCB-AA™

and

SCB-EX™

with standardized assessment and moderation procedures.

27. PHASE 6 — DIGITAL CERTIFICATION

Deploy:

Candidate registration
Examination management
Certificate generation
QR verification
Digital credentials
Competency records
Trainer registry
Assessor registry
Provider registry

28. PHASE 7 — INDUSTRY ADOPTION

Build relationships with:

Coffee farms
Cooperatives
Roasteries
Cafés
Hotels
Restaurants
Hospitality employers
Coffee exporters
Training institutions
Universities
Research organizations
International coffee organizations

The objective is to make SCB™ certification relevant to actual employment and professional advancement.

29. PHASE 8 — CONTINUOUS REVIEW

SCB™ standards shall be periodically reviewed to respond to:

New coffee science
Technology
Climate change
Processing innovation
Brewing technology
Consumer trends
Workplace requirements
Sustainability requirements
Industry feedback

PART VI — SCB™ INSTITUTIONAL ECOSYSTEM

The framework may operate as a wider ecosystem comprising:

SCB™

Professional Barista Standard

SCB-AT™

Accredited Trainer Framework

SCB-AA™

Accredited Assessor Framework

SCB-EX™

Accredited Examiner Framework

SCB-CPD™

Continuing Professional Development

SCB-REG™

Professional Registry

SCB-DIGITAL™

Digital Credential & Verification System

SCB-Academy™

Professional Education & Trainer Development

PART VII — FOUNDING DECLARATION

We recognize coffee as more than a beverage.

Coffee is:

Agriculture.
Science.
Culture.
Trade.
Hospitality.
Technology.
Employment.
Entrepreneurship.
Community.
And value creation.

The SCB™ Framework is therefore founded to develop professionals capable of understanding and contributing to the entire coffee value chain.

We believe that African coffee professionals should not merely consume international standards.

They should participate in creating, adapting, testing and advancing professional standards that reflect both local realities and global excellence.

SCB™ therefore establishes an enduring commitment to:

Competence over attendance.

Evidence over assumption.

Practice over theory alone.

Quality over quantity.

Origin over disconnection.

Professionalism over titles.

Continuous learning over static certification.

FOUNDING MOTTO

SCB™ — FROM ORIGIN TO OPPORTUNITY

Farm Knowledge.

Professional Skill.

Verified Competence.

Global Opportunity.

FOUNDING SIGNATORY

Alfred Gitau Mwaura

Founder — Specialty Coffee Barista (SCB™) Framework

Founder / Executive Secretary General — Kenya Coffee School

Founding Principle:

“Build the professional who understands the coffee, not merely the person who prepares the coffee.”

STATUS OF THIS CHARTER

This document constitutes the foundational blueprint for the development of the SCB™ Professional Standards, Curriculum, Trainer Framework, Assessment System, Certification System, Registry and Quality Assurance Architecture.

Detailed technical standards, qualification specifications, assessment instruments, trainer requirements and certification regulations shall be issued as subordinate SCB™ standards and policies under this Founding Charter.

SCB™ Functioning Blueprint — how the system actually operates.
SCB™ Founding Charter — the constitutional document establishing its purpose, principles, governance and authority.

SCB™ Standards & Governance Manual.