The 5th International Organisational Development (OD) Conference for Africa Leaders to transfer skills and competencies to participants to manage people and organisations to bring about change is slated for next week, May 21 – 23,in Tamale.
The three-day conference on the theme: "Empowering People, Communities, and Institutions: OD Edge," is also to impart facilitation and advocacy competencies amongst participants to help transform their organisations and communities for the better.
About 100 representatives from public institutions, politicians, youth leaders, academics, corporate bodies and NGO workers amongst others implementing community or OD change are expected to attend the conference, which will be facilitated by speakers with global experience in the field.
It will be organised by the College for Community and Organisational Development (CCOD) in partnership with the Institute of Organisational Development, based in the United States, and the University for Development Studies.
Participants will receive professional certificate named – Community and Organisational Development Improvement Facilitator.
Dr Gabriel Gbiel Benarkuu, President of CCOD, who gave details of the conference at a media briefing in Tamale on Saturday, said there was the need for people involved in community and organizational development to acquire the right skills and competencies to drive change, hence, the conference.
Dr Benarkuu, who is also Global OD Specialist, said the conference was designed to give participants experiential package to sustain change and transformation interventions in communities and institutions using the technology of participation to drive change.
He said participants would also acquire skills and competencies to help communities and institutions to create policy structure linked to sustainable development goals using a community development/OD approach to ensure maximum results.
Other benefits participants will derive from the conference would include leadership inquiry skills, which will make them more effective in communicating among people, organisations and communities, skills to see systemic patterns and how to intervene to improve relationships.