Organizational Development
Organizational Development (OD) teams support country Programs to develop and grow through technical assistance, relationship building, and contextual knowledge.
OD focuses on the people of our movement- cultivating strong leadership while also building sustainable structures and strategies that power our mission forward and help Special Olympics to achieve operational excellence through effective practices and processes globally.
- Leadership Development (People): Builds strong leaders through academies, governance training, and onboarding to ensure sustainable impact.
- Capacity Building (Structures and Strategies): Equips Programs with strategies, tools, and resources for data-driven decisions and consistent quality standards.
- Operational Excellence (Practices and Processes): Aligns global practices with dashboards, evaluation frameworks, and grant management to drive efficiency and impact.
Global Leadership and Organizational Development Team
The Global Leadership and Organizational Development Team are OD counterparts in the Special Olympics Regions who provide technical assistance to Programs.
Global OD Open House
Global OD Open House Recording
Leadership Development
We deliver Leadership Academies to strengthen local leadership capacity and ensure sustainability, empower Programs through board recruitment, onboarding, training, and succession planning while adapting global Learning & Development strategies to local contexts, and provide comprehensive onboarding for new Program leaders to promote effective governance and long-term impact.
Athlete Leadership
If we want a more inclusive organization and accepting world, Special Olympics athletes must be allowed to contribute in ways beyond the sports field.
Leadership Academy
The Special Olympics Leadership Academy, established in 2014, is an award-winning program dedicated to developing inclusive and future-ready leaders of the Special Olympics Movement.
Capacity Building
We help Regions co-develop strategies, M&E tools, and adaptable resources such as training, dashboards, and best practices to guide decisions and measure program impact. Globally, we build tools for data-driven decision-making, cross-regional learning, and volunteer management.
Families
These tools will support engaging families in diverse roles throughout Special Olympics. We encourage you to share them widely with both families and Program staff.
Local Club
What is a Local Club? A Local Club offers Special Olympics sports and non-sport activities within a community.
Operational Excellence
OD Analogy Graphics
Programming Introduces Steadily: Stability
OD Staff is best positioned to provide guidance on the capacity of the Program.
Too Many Programs Introduced Hurriedly
OD Staff advises Programs on additional tasks and programming to undertake to ensure stability.
Ideal Program Development
OD Staff advises SOI departments and donors on Program readiness to undertake new projects.
OD Roles and Responsibilities
We lead together through a shared model where HQ sets strategy, Regions drive operations, and Programs bring local impact, fostering collaboration, accountability, and innovation.
HQ Departments
- Customer service to Regions / Programs with resources
- Co-creation of tools and training
- Global brand-building and storytelling
Shared
- Securing funders and partners
- Co-creating rules and protocol
- Quality control
- innovation and design
Regions
- Customer support to Programs
- Voice of the Programs to HQ
- Representing SOI interests as they relate to the Region
- Manage Program responsibilities to SOI (Strategy, Projects and Standards)
FAQ
What is Organizational Development (OD)?
OD helps Programs grow, improve, and stay strong over time. It focuses on leadership, systems, structures, and sustainability.
When should a Program reach out to OD?
When seeking support with strategic planning, leadership development, governance, growth, partnerships, sustainability, organizational challenges, or accreditation readiness.
When should an SOI department consult OD?
Before introducing new initiatives, grants, reporting requirements, or projects to ensure Programs have the capacity and readiness to participate successfully.
How can we tell if a Program is ready for a new initiative?
OD looks at leadership stability, board engagement, staffing, financial sustainability, strategic planning, PQS performance, accreditation, and current workload.
How can OD help Programs overcome challenges?
OD provides coaching, technical assistance, training, tools, resources, and connections to good practices across the Movement.
How does OD help Programs become stronger over time?
OD supports leadership, planning, governance, operations, partnerships, and sustainability systems that strengthen Programs year after year.
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