Institutions, Consultants and Transformation : Case Studies from the Development Sector

Institutions, Consultants and Transformation shares the experiences of and collectively reflects on the work of OD practitioners for contextual understanding and knowledge sharing, particularly in the social development sector. The case studies are composed of three elements-a narrative report on activities, a reflective essay on the challenges faced during the change process, and a review of the aspects retained and absorbed in the organization. The unique feature of these studies is the identification, by practitioners, themselves of their assumptions and earlier experiences.The cases capture a range of issues that the social development sector faces-from leadership transitions, gender issues at the workplace and the challenges of reorienting large systems to their development agenda. The struggles of OD consultants, so rarely aired publicly, bring to the fore the complexities of change facilitation and the reviewers' reports add objectivity and help to complete the picture. An overview of the tools used offers a useful guide to practitioners on the craft of building a whole OD process.