What is Organization Development?
Organization Development (OD) is the process of improving organizations. The process is carefully planned and implemented to benefit the USGS science and its employees.
The process supports improvement of the organization or group as a whole. The client and consultant work together to gather data, define issues, and determine a suitable course of action. The organization is assessed to create an understanding of the current situation and to identify opportunities for change that will meet business objectives.
OD differs from traditional consulting because client involvement is encouraged throughout the entire process. The ways in which people communicate and work together are addressed concurrently with technical or procedural issues that need resolution.
OD consultants work with clients to improve organizational effectiveness. Examples of activities which are facilitated by OD consultants are:
Teambuilding- Meeting Facilitation
- Creative Problem Solving
- Strategic Planning
- Interpersonal Communication
- Organizational, Team, and Leader Assessment
Often described as change agents or process consultants, OD specialists come from varied backgrounds with experience and advanced degrees in organization development, organization behavior, psychology, education, management and/or human resources.
There are both internal and external OD consultants. An internal OD consultant is a full-time employee with a given organization. External consultants may be self-employed or on the staff of a consulting firm. "Externals" work with one or more clients contracting for specific projects.
For additional information contact:
Peggy Gardiner, Organizational Development Consultant and Program Manager for Organizational Development:
703-648-6848 or pgardiner@usgs.gov
Pam Marsters, Strategic Employee Development Consultant:
703-648-6703 or pmarster@usgs.gov
Laura Rech, Program Evaluation Specialist:
303-445-4684 or lrech@usgs.gov
What to expect:
You can expect the Consultants to conduct an OD project in a timely, cost-effective, well-coordinated, and ethical manner.
