New Additions to ODI

IPC Official Website February 09, 2008

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) welcomed six National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) into the Organizational Development Initiative (ODI) yesterday. There are now a total of 15 NPCs from four regions participating in the ODI. The new NPCs are from Azerbaijan, Cape Verde, Kenya, Rwanda, Tunisia and Uruguay. They joined the NPCs of Burundi, Lesotho, Morocco, Namibia, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, Turkey and Zambia who joined in the first year of the initiative in 2007.

The ODI is part of an IPC long-term strategic investment approach. It aims to build the capacity and capability of National Paralympic Committees to deliver Paralympic sport and work with International Paralympic Sport Federations to train and qualify their athletes for the Paralympic Games.

During the first year NPCs participate in the ODI, they are assisted in identifying current strengths, capability and capacity, challenges for the next three to four years and formulate into a plan of action referred to as the Organizational Development Plan. A significant number of women and athletes, as well as representatives from the government, local sport clubs and local non-governmental organizations participate in the planning to ensure the views of as many groups as possible are represented.

Some results of the ODI to date are: the NPC of Tanzania has acquired a new office from the National Sports Commission, the NPC of Morocco intensified its relationship with Handicap International, an IPC Development Partner, by working together to develop their new strategic plan, the Namibian NPC impressed a major ODI partner when they visited their planning workshop, and the Zambian NPC put their fundraising skills to work to secure a donation of 15 sport wheelchairs from a branch of Rotary International from South Africa.