More and more companies and academic institutions are getting interested in the field of organization design and a myriad of short courses are now offered.

Seen from an ODC perspective this is like a dream coming through. This is what we have been working for over the last 6 years.

But with the growing interest new challenges arise:

How can course participants be sure that they are presented for the core theoretical principles of organization design and at the same time receive quality training on how to use this new knowledge in practise?

ODC members have raised these questions at the latest ODC Annual Meetings and suggested that ODC took the lead on developing a quality system for short courses.

After two years of concept development in close dialogue with the members, ODC are now launching the ODC COURSE ACCREDITATION.

“We are very happy and proud that we now can offer this program to course providers and participants,” says Deputy Chairman of ODC, Professor Børge Obel from ICOA, Aarhus University. He has been appointed Director of the Program.

“ODC represents both academia and business and is independent from commercial interests, so we are in the right position to take on the role of accreditation and quality assurance body,” continues professor Obel.

Professor Obel is also member of the first Review Board, who reviews applications from course providers. The application and review processes are described in the Accreditation Handbook.

The ODC Course Accreditation establishes that a course or program covers a core set of fundamental common content (knowledge, skills, tools, methods, frameworks, trends, etc.) in organization design. Once endorsed, the course provider can market and advertise it as such. (Co-branded with ODC and the Course Provider).

The Board of Directors of ODC has also decided that all course participants will get a personal certificate and a one-year free membership of ODC.

“This means that we expect our community to grow substantially in the coming months”, ends Professor Obel.

The first course provider – Kates Kesler Organization Consulting – has just been accredited and a handful of new course providers are preparing their entry.