Call for Proposals

The International Organization Development Association (IODA) invites you to submit your proposal for a paper/workshop session at the 2007 conference in Sun Peaks, British Columbia, Canada.

Conference Theme

Today's OD work is about making a difference in complex, interdependent systems. We are using the metaphor of the forest and its intricate eco-system to turn our thinking to the complexities that we and our clients face. The forest's intricate eco-system will provide both the literal and inspirational backdrops to explore our individual and collective possibilities as global OD practitioners. You are invited to focus your proposal on one or more of the four sub-themes:

1. Forests: Do we really know how to "see" the forest of interconnections? What models and methods are available to help us see ourselves and the systems around us more clearly?
2. Communities within the forest: How well do we understand and work with community diversity? With our own diversity?
3. Forest Floor: What do we need to do to refresh and re-fuel our individual growth and energies as practitioners? What kind of support do we need to encourage our own growth, and to provide energy for others?
4. Forest Canopy: The forest canopy is where the land meets the atmosphere. Do we as OD practitioners have global, broad, flexible and unifying perspectives and practices? What are we doing to shelter and nurture the growth and development of new practitioners in this field?

Submission Guidelines

A. Workshop Sessions - August 22, 2007

Workshop Sessions are formal sessions in which you offer new ideas and perspectives. The IODA 2007 Conference is Tree Friendly and will try to reduce paper use; therefore, you are expected to submit a short paper electronically in advance. Your paper will be published on the website for participants to download at their convenience. If you wish to distribute hard copies, you must bring them with you.

1. Which theme would your session address?

___ Forests
___ Communities within the forest
___ Forest Floor
___ Forest Canopy

2. Proposed Workshop Description (500 words or less):

Please outline the basic ideas you propose to present, and give some indication of how you will present them. Because IODA conferences are oriented towards community learning, we have a preference for workshops that include interaction with the audience.

3. Proposed Presenters:

Please attach a brief biography for this submission.

4. Preferred Time:

All Workshop sessions will be on August 22. Please indicate your first and second choice:

___ 2 hour session (1:30 - 3:30)
___ 1.5 hour session (4:00 - 5:30)
___ Either session would be fine

B. Greenhouse Sessions - August 22, 2007

Greenhouse sessions are an opportunity to invite participants to engage with you on a topic, question or idea that is not yet fully developed, and would benefit from further "incubation." These are intended to be small, group dialogues in the spirit of collaboration and discovery.

1. Which theme would your session address?

___ Forests
___ Communities within the forest
___ Forest Floor
___ Forest Canopy

2. Proposed Greenhouse Idea description (500 words or less):

Please outline the basic idea/issue or question you propose to open up, and why this idea is worthy of input from other participants.

3. Proposed Greenhouse "Gardener(s)":

Please attach a brief biography of those proposing to host this session.

4. Preferred Time:

All Greenhouse sessions will be held in parallel with Workshop Sessions on August 22. Please indicate your first and second choice:

___ 2 hour session (1:30 - 3:30)
___ 1.5 hour session (4:00 - 5:30)
___ Either session would be fine

C. In-Depth Sessions - August 24, 2007, 10:30 - 2:00 pm, (lunch will be incorporated into the session)

Track A: Conversations for Possibility: Action Learning Groups
Action Learning sessions are intended as opportunities for conference participants to focus on a topic or question for a more sustained period of time than that usually offered in a conference experience.

You will be expected to make a very brief (5-10 minute) preamble or mini-presentation at the start of the session, and invite the group to engage with you in a deeper exploration. A facilitator will be assigned to work with you to assist in making sure that the session moves beyond existing knowledge and "answers" towards new ideas and possibilities. We are particularly interested in taking up challenges to the field of OD, and to our understanding of OD in inter-cultural or international situations. Each Action Learning group will be encouraged to develop a proposed plan of action to address the issue, if possible.

1. Which theme would your issue address?

___ Forests
___ Communities within the forest
___ Forest Floor
___ Forest Canopy

2. Description of the Idea or Challenge you would like to put forward (250 words or less):

Please outline the basic idea/issue or question you propose to open up, and why you would like to challenge us with it.

3. Proposed Action Learning Issue Leader:

Please attach a brief biography of those proposing to host this session.

Track B: Change Agents in Complex Settings: Stories of Hope
In these sessions we are looking for colleagues who are willing to share a story of a complex change process, and the specific methods they used to enable the change process to occur. You should expect to make a presentation of at least 30 minutes to offer an overview of the story and the key challenges, as well as at least 30 more minutes to describe the methodology used. Session leaders will then lead the group through an interactive process in which they examine real/current issues from their practice and develop ideas about how the methodology could be applied in that context. We are particularly interested in "stories" and methodologies that have been applied in complex or contentious multi-stakeholder situations.

1. Which theme would your issue address?

___ Forests
___ Communities within the forest
___ Forest Floor
___ Forest Canopy

2. Description of the Story/Methodology you would like to share (500 words or less):

3. Proposed Presenters:

Please attach a brief biography of proposed presenters for this submission.

DEADLINES