Organization Design and Development (OD&D) Fellowship 2024 : Wipro Foundation

Application deadline 13th April 24

Wipro Foundation represents the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of Wipro Limited. Going back over two decades, we focus on social initiatives in Education, Health, Ecology, and Disaster Response.

We are inviting nomination-based applications for the Organization Design and Development Fellowship Program supported by Wipro Foundation. This is a one-year program which allows participants to develop perspectives and capabilities to understand and engage with organizations in a dialogic manner, partner with leadership of a nominated CSO to diagnose organizational challenges and design solutions and be a part of and build a community of OD professionals in social sector ecosystem.

Do you know someone passionate about OD&D (Organization Development and Design) and eager to contribute to CSOs (Civil Society
Organizations)?

Encourage them to apply for the 2024 OD&D Fellowship!

Duration: a 12-month journey starting in July 2024.

Nature of engagement: unpaid, part-time, and remote working.

Nomination deadline: submit your nomination by April 13, 2024.

Be a catalyst for your nominee into their journey into Organization Design & Development by nominating them for the Wipro OD Fellowship. Provide an opportunity to:

Develop perspectives and capabilities to understand and engage with organizations in a dialogic manner
Partner with leadership of a nominated CSO to diagnose organizational challenges and design solutions
Be a part of and build a community of OD professionals in social sector ecosystem

One-off organizational change exercises rarely succeed.

These do not bring about the deep-rooted changes required for sustainable organizational growth and development.

Based on our engagements with organizations over more than 20 years, we feel that civil society organizations (CSOs) have a strong need for building internal organizational capacities to achieve their purpose. Wipro Foundation (WF) tries to support capacity building as a core focus area in its engagements with partners. On recognizing this need, WF facilitates spaces that offer CSOs
opportunities to build their capabilities to:

Diagnose organizational issues and challenges;
Design appropriate change strategies;
Implement and manage change successfully;
Ensure that employees are engaged, motivated and committed to the organization’s flourishing.
While the need for organizations to build these capacities is high, the number of people who can support organizations in making these journeys is inadequate. We recognize the need for more individuals who can co-traverse OD&D journeys with CSOs in a compassionate, contextualized and participatory manner.

To address the dual needs of enabling CSOs to design and develop into purposeful organizations and building a cadre of OD&D professionals for the development sector,

Wipro Foundation launched the OD&D Fellowship in 2020.

This 1-year program will offer OD&D Fellows opportunities to:

Work closely with a CSO on a year-long OD&D journey;
Work in partnership with an OD&D Fellow nominated from the CSO;
Develop capabilities to diagnose organizational issues and challenges;
Build capacities to design organizational structures, processes and strategies to meet organizational needs;
Participate in open online sessions of a ‘Community of Practice’ (CoP) on OD&D, comprising of Fellows from current and past cohorts. This will provide the space to practice and engage with OD&D ideas during and beyond the Fellowship;
Participate in regular formal learning sessions on organizational design and development themes and questions;
Enhance confidence by participating in and facilitating workshops and webinars for organizations around OD&D themes and topics;
Build strong relationships with other OD&D Fellows, practitioners and other members of the CoP for continuous support and learning;
Co-create and implement, along with the partner CSO, intervention ideas and peer-reviewed intervention designs;
Have access to OD&D knowledge and resources (case-studies, tools and frameworks, etc.), including opportunities to work with and develop tool kits with CSOs;
Earn a certificate.

Expectations from OD&D Fellows

Deep interest in the domain of OD&D with willingness and curiosity to learn and explore different tools and methods;
Commitment to building a career in the development sector;
Committing at least eight (8) hours per week to complete the Fellowship’s engagements;
Willingness and ability to travel (10 days across the year – six days for two face-to-face workshops and four days for a field visit);
Minimum 5-7 years of work experience in HR/ OD&D/ L&D/ Capacity Building spaces;
Shared understanding with reporting manager/team (in case of working professionals) to ensure support for participation in the Fellowship program (in terms of freeing up bandwidth to complete Fellowship requirements);
Reasonable proficiency in English, since readings and conversations are typically in English, as we cater to Fellows from across the country;
Have reasonable experience of facilitating group conversations (in the form of workshops/ trainings/ meetings/ sessions).

Nomination, application and selection process

Phase 1: Nominations

If you know someone who is interested and fits the profile shared above, please have a conversation with them and nominate them using the nomination link given below.
If you are interested in applying for the Wipro OD&D Fellowship, please speak to a mentor/coach/ manager/senior leadership so that they nominate you using the nomination link given below.
Nomination Link: https://forms.gle/etJubzikazm6zSuh9

Phase 2: Application process

Upon reviewing the nominations, we will send the detailed application form to the candidates who fit the profile.
We might have conversations with the nominator(s), in case of questions and clarifications about the nominee(s).
Nominees will need to fill up the application form prior to the deadline communicated to them.

Phase 3: Selection process

As we review the applications, we will invite the final applicant list for a group process. The idea is to be able to get a deeper sense of the individuals behind the applications.
This will be an online group conversation for 1.5 hours. The dates will be communicated 10-12 days in advance.
After the group conversation, we will communicate the decisions to you within five (5) days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Is this a paid Fellowship?

No. This is an unpaid Fellowship without any stipend or monetary component.

Q2. Will I need to enter into a formal agreement with Wipro Foundation?

Wipro Foundation will detail out your roles and responsibilities and issue a formal communication.

Q3. Will I get an experience certificate at the end of the Fellowship period?

Yes. Once the Fellow has completed the 12 months satisfactorily, they will get a Certificate of Fellowship from Wipro Foundation.

Q4. Do I have to commit to a minimum number of days and hours? Will there be a fixed schedule, like 1 hour per day?

A minimum commitment of eight (8) hours per week is expected from the Fellow. It is likely to be flexible and dependent upon other requirements and commitments of the Fellowship.

Q5. Can I take up this Fellowship, if I am already a full-time employee at an organization?

Yes, as long as you can commit to the minimum number of hours, travel on the required occasions needed for the fellowship, and balance your other commitments.

Q6. Can this be done remotely or will I need to travel to Wipro Foundation’s office?

It will primarily be an online engagement with fortnightly sessions of around 2-2.5 hours and fortnightly COP meets of around an hour each. This apart, Fellows are expected to attend two in-person workshops of three days each and travel once to the organization for a field visit for 2-3 days.

Q7. Do I have to attend fixed webinars/ sessions?

Yes. Based on mutually discussed time preferences, a regular meeting time will be set up for fortnightly sessions with the facilitator and for fortnightly meets for the CoP.

Q8. What opportunities will I have after the 12-month Fellowship period?

At the end of the Fellowship, you may have opportunities to continue your engagement with the CSOs on a mutually discussed consulting basis. You will also have access to a network of OD&D practitioners and CSOs to engage with, learn
from, and practice. You may also seek to set up your own consulting practice along with other OD&D Fellows or independently.

Q9. In case there is travel, will the expenses be taken care of by Wipro Foundation?

In case of travel for Fellowship engagements like the workshops, the Foundation will take care of travel, and expenses related to boarding and lodging, as per the Foundation’s travel policy. This will be communicated to you at the time of bookings well in advance