The Ombuds Blog: Federal Ombuds Publish Unified Model for Developing an Office

February 24, 2009

Federal Ombuds Publish Unified Model for Developing an Office

The Coalition of Federal Ombudsmen has completed work on a roadmap for structuring and implementing Ombuds programs. The 110-page guide presents strategies for either workplace or external Ombuds programs that “best fit” an organization. This guide will become the standard reference for federal Ombuds in the US and should be consulted by state and local government Ombuds as well. (COFO Unified Model for Developing an Ombudsman Function.)

The COFO has also updated its website with minutes from its most recent meetings. These reveal that the group continues work on a model Ombuds act and job series study. (COFO Meeting Minutes.)

Related post: SBA Ombuds Offers Model for State and Local Goverment Offices.

2 comments:

Anonymous2/26/2009 2:16 AM
The flaw in the FOG is the acceptance and reliance on American Bar Association definitions of an ombudsman while claiming to not "embrace" all ABA ombudsman standards. Of even more concern is the acknowledged pre-positioning of all Federal Ombuds Agencies to be "sued" and have law suits filed against them. Is this independent? Again the ABA positions their professional association as the legal authority over all others including all branches of our government.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Tom Kosakowski2/26/2009 7:39 AM
The decision by COFO to reference the ABA standards appears to be motivated by COFO, not by any ABA effort to "position" itself.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

Austria -- Ombudsstelle

Brazil -- Ouvidor

Croatia -- pravobranitelji

France -- médiateur/defénseur

Germany -- Ombudspersonen

Italy -- difensore

Netherlands -- ombudspersoon

Norway -- ombudet

Poland -- Rzecznik

Portugal -- provedor

Russia -- омбудсмен

Spain -- ombudsman organizacional

Sweden -- studentombud

Switzerland -- ombudsmann

Comment Policy

Content and Relevance

Stay on topic: Comments should be relevant to the post.
Be respectful: Personal attacks, insults, profanity, inflammatory language, and discriminatory or harassing comments will not be tolerated.
No self-promotion or spam: Comments should contribute to the conversation and not be used to for commercial purposes.
No confidential information: Do not share confidential information about your organization or visitors.

Length and Format

Keep it concise: Comments should be clear and to the point. Excessively long comments may be edited for clarity and length.
Use appropriate formatting: Do not use all caps unnecessarily. Comments may include HTML formatting for readability.

Other Considerations

Be professional and respectful: Please be mindful of your content, even when commending anonymously.
Comments may be edited: I reserve the right to remove or edit any comments that violate these guidelines. My edits will be noted.
Complaints about IOA: This is not the appropriate forum to lodge formal complaints against the International Ombuds Association.
Guest editorials: Please email me directly to discuss a guest editorial offering a longer, more in-depth perspective on a topic related to the organizational ombuds profession