PCOD graduates urged to become ambassadors of transformation

Graduates of the Professional Certificate in Organisation Development (PCOD) programme were urged to move beyond credentials and become ambassadors of transformation, in a powerful and thought-provoking keynote address delivered by Professor Noble Kumawu, president of the International Organisation Development Association (IODA) and the OD Institute, Ghana.

“Don’t just hang your certificate on a wall. Live the change. Transformation is timeless – and those who embody it are never irrelevant,” he said.

Kumawu, who addressed the graduates virtually from Ghana on October 15 at the graduation ceremony held at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech), encouraged the new organisation development (OD) professionals to lead with integrity, compassion, and courage. He reminded them that while OD equips them with powerful tools for transforming organisations, its true value lies in the human impact they create.

“It is the change you will help to create, the lives you will touch, and the organisations you will help to thrive that matters most,” he said.

The PCOD programme is delivered by the Caribbean Centre for Organisation Development Excellence Ltd (CARI-CODE), in partnership with the UTech Open School of Lifelong Learning and Professional Development (formerly UTech Academy). Since launching in 2019, the programme has certified over 200 OD process consultants across Jamaica through this successful public-private academic collaboration.

OD is not a one-size-fits-all solution

Sharing insights from his global OD practice, Kumawu warned that many organisations fail because interventions are often imported from the West without considering local culture, leadership styles, or organisational structures.

“As OD professionals, it is crucial to remember that OD cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. Each organisation, each culture, each region has its own dynamics,” he said.

He cited examples from African nations such as Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Ethiopia, and Cameroon, where interventions failed because they overlooked unique cultural and leadership norms.

“OD must be flexible and culturally sensitive. Failure to understand the context of the organisation or country you are working in is a definite formula for failure,” he cautioned.

Kumawu emphasised the importance of grounding OD interventions in a deep understanding of local contexts, including Jamaica’s unique cultural landscape.

“Understanding and respecting the local context is key to ensuring that OD creates meaningful, sustainable change,” he noted. “This is a lesson that applies to every part of the world. OD interventions must be grounded in a deep understanding of the local context. As you proceed with your practice of OD, you will encounter frameworks and methodologies that work universally, but always keep in mind the importance of adapting these tools to fit the cultures and environments you’re working with,” he added.

Ilsa duVerney, founder, chairman and CEO of CARI-CODE, also congratulated the graduates, reminding them of their power to lead with purpose.

“Transformation begins with self-awareness. You are now designers and implementers of the change you seek – in your workplaces, in society, and within yourselves.”