There are many ethical responsibilities within the field of the OD consultant. Suppose that you are just beginning your practice as an external OD consultant and an organization approaches you to help them address an issue or change within their company. Before accepting the job, it is important for you to determine whether the problem is an actual OD issue or an internal matter that is better addressed within.

Explain the process for evaluating an organizational condition to determine if the action required is OD-related. Define the specific criteria for determining the core of the problem and the potential solution.

After assessing the request, there are times that you will find the problem is not an OD concern. Prepare a response to the organization stating why the problem is not OD, why you are not the right person for the job, and what options they might have to remedy their problem.

Explain the process to determine the validity of the problem.
Define specific criteria for OD consulting.
Prepare an appropriate response to the organization regarding their issue.