Job Posting: Transportation Security Administration

The TSA's Ombudsman Division (part of the Civil Liberties, Ombudsman and Traveler Engagement Office) is seeking two, full-time Ombudsman Specialists.  The positions serve internal and external stakeholders and about 25% travel is required. 

National Institutes of Health Confirms Acting Ombuds Director

After an eight-month search, Kathleen Moore has been selected as the Ombudsman and Director, Office of the Ombudsman and Center for Cooperative Resolution at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. She succeeds Howard Gadlin, PhD, who retired as Ombudsman in December 2015. Moore served as Associate Ombudsman and Senior Associate Ombudsman of the Office of the Ombudsman since 2000, and has been its Acting Director since January 1, 2016. 

The Ombuds Blog 2016 Annual Wrap-Up, Part III

The annual survey of notable Ombuds stories concludes today with the three top news items from 2016.  

Job Posting: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The private research university in Cambridge has opened a search for its next Ombudsperson. Reporting to the President, the MIT Ombuds serves as a resource for all members of the diverse MIT community, including faculty, staff, postdocs, and students -- a total population of nearly 35,000.  

The Ombuds Blog 2016 Annual Wrap-Up, Part II

This is the next installment of the year's most important Organizational Ombuds news.  The Ombuds Blog's sixth annual survey will conclude next Wednesday, December 28. 

Here are numbers four through six:

Job Posting: United Nations Development Programme

The United Nations' global development network has opened a search for a Conflict Resolution On-Call Expert.  The position reports to the Office of the Ombudsman for UN Funds and Programmes and provides Ombuds and dispute resolution services to staff members and non-staff personnel of the UN Funds and Programmes (including UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNOPS and UN Women).  The position is based "home based" for a one-year contract starting January 9, 2017.

Job Posting: U.S. Patent & Trademark Office

The USPTO has opened a search for its next Senior Ombudsman.  (The position was established earlier this year by Karen J. Dean.)  reporting to the Office of the Under Secretary, the position will lead the USPTO’s internal Ombuds program and work with senior leadership and other key stakeholders to set direction and establish policy for the program.  The position is open only to eligible full-time and former federal employees.

Job Posting: Transportation Security Administration

The TSA's Ombudsman Division (part of the Civil Liberties, Ombudsman and Traveler Engagement Office) is hiring six Program Analysts to provide Ombuds services at airports and other Administration offices.  Travel is required about 50% of the time.

Job Posting: Department of the Interior

The Department of the Interior's Office of Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution is hiring an Ombudsman to be based in Washington, DC. The position "serves as a mediator, facilitator, coach and organizational ombuds for DOI Bureaus and Offices and reports to the Director of CADR for broad policy direction."

Job Posting: Kaiser Permanente California

KP Northern and Southern California are hiring full-time Health Care Ombuds/Mediator for its medical facilities in San Jose, Bellflower, and Los Angeles.  The Kaiser HCOM, "functions as a trained alternative dispute professional offering patients, family members, staff & providers a conflict management program to resolve patient/provider healthcare disputes early thereby improving patient safety & reducing the costs of health care dispute resolution."

ACUS Finalizes Recommendation on Use of Ombuds in Federal Agencies

At its 66th Plenary Session on December 13-14, the Administrative Conference of the U.S. adopted a recommendation on "The Use of Ombuds in Federal Agencies."  The recommendation culminates a year-long research project that examined procedures and practices related to the use of Ombuds with input from key stakeholders , including quantitative and qualitative surveys, interviews, case studies and profiles.  

The Ombuds Blog 2016 Annual Wrap-Up, Part I

This is the Ombuds Blog's sixth annual survey of the Organizational Ombuds stories. A list of the important news items from 2016 will come in three installments before year's end. Here are numbers seven through ten:

Job Posting: National Institutes of Health

The NIH Office of the Ombudsman is seeking experienced applicants for a Lead Associate Ombuds job. The position, is similar to a position posted earlier this month, but requires a higher level of experience and has a correspondingly higher classification.  Note, again, that there is a very short application window.

The Ombuds Blog Annual Wrap-Up 2016 Preview

Look for the posts over the next two weeks that will recap the most important Organizational Ombuds stories from 2016.  Before that, here are a few notable items that didn't make the list:

Exclusive Access to ABA Dispute Resolution Magazine Ombuds Issue

The American Bar Association has made the latest issue of its Dispute Resolution Magazine, which is devoted to Ombuds articles, available to my readers.  

Here's the note from the ABA Section Chair:

Video Introduces Ombuds at University of Ottawa

A video posted to YouTube presents the team in the Office of the Ombudsperson at U of O: Lucie Allaire, Ombudsperson; Marie Bolgari, Assistant Ombudsperson; and Camille Brochu-Lafrance, a student from the Communications Department who created the video and set up the Facebook page.  

Job Posting: Colorado Permanente Medical Group

The physicians group based in Denver is hiring a full-time Organizational Ombuds Officer. The position report directly to the Executive Medical Director and provides conflict resolution and problem solving services to CPMG employees following IOA standards. This is not the Health-Care Ombudsman Mediator seen in other Kaiser Permanente location, which provide dispute resolution services in patient matters, and it appears that this is a new position.

IOA Seeks Nominations for International Conference Scholarships

IOA has announced details of its annual conference scholarship program.  The financial support is offered to members or prospective members living outside of the United States and Canada, to attend IOA's 12th Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, from April 23-26, 2017. 

Job Posting: U.S. Patent & Trademark Office

The USPTO has opened a search for an Ombudsman.  Located in the Office of the Under Secretary, Office of the Ombudsman and reporting to Senior Ombudsman Karen J. Dean, the position "responds to inquiries for information or guidance regarding a wide range of organizational or employee issues [and provides] a range of highly specialized and tailored conflict resolution techniques."

IOA Training Comes to Houston in January 2017

The International Ombudsman Association will offer several training programs for Organizational Ombuds in Houston, Texas on January 23-26, 2017.  The offerings are aimed at aspiring and novice Ombuds.

Job Posting: United Nations, Uganda

The United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services is hiring two Conflict Resolution Officers in Entebbe.  The positions will provide Ombuds and conflict resolution services to UN field staff with workplace concerns in East and Central Africa. 

Weatherford International Opens Ombuds Office

The international oil and natural gas service company has named Delicia Perdue to serve as its first Ombudsperson. She is based in the company's Houston, Texas headquarters and a new website offers details about her role. Weatherford's Dispute Resolution Program adheres to IOA standards and covers all employees with two significant exceptions: Those who are covered by a collective bargaining agreement that does not include the [Dispute Resolution Program]; and Those working outside the United States and not governed by U.S. laws. Visitors to the website can download two different brochures. 

Job Posting: University of California San Francisco

The UCSF Office of the Ombuds is seeking experienced applicants for an Associate Ombuds job. This position will complete a four-person collaborative team and provide Ombuds, mediation, group facilitation, and training to faculty, staff, students, and trainees at the premier academic healthcare institution. 

Job Posting: University of West Georgia

UWG is hiring its first full-time Ombudsperson. The position provides neutral and impartial dispute resolution and functions independently and confidentially for all members of the University community (including staff, students, faculty, and administrators) -- a population of about 25,000. 

2016 Ombuds Report from University of Toronto Highlights Student Mental Health Issues

In her annual report, covering the 2015-2016 academic year, U of T University Ombudsperson Ellen Hodnett called out systemic issues in the application of policies and guidelines for students with mental health disabilities. The number of cases for the Ombuds Office (316) were essentially unchanged from the prior year and the most complex cases involved students with mental health disabilities.    

Job Posting: National Institutes of Health

The NIH Office of the Ombudsman is seeking experienced applicants for an Associate Ombuds job. The position, "will provide the NIH community with confidential and informal assistance in resolving work-related conflicts, disputes and grievances; promote fair and equitable treatment within NIH; and work toward improving the overall quality of work life at the NIH."  Note the very short application window.

National Park Service Appoints Experienced Ombuds to Open New Office

According to a new view posted this week, the National Park Service has appointed Scott Deyo and Segal Shoham to establish an Ombuds program for staff. Deyo will be stationed in Washington, DC and Shoham in California.

Robert Herschler: Former UC Riverside Ombuds

Robert Herschler, who served as the University Ombudsman at UCR in the late 1960's passed in November. A long-time fixture on the campus, Herschler served as the Registrar for three decades, ans also took on duties as director of admissions, and interim vice chancellor. (UCR Today.)

German Court Denies Confidentiality for Corporate Ombuds

A district court in North Rhine-Westphalia has held that a corporate Ombudsman cannot withhold information received from anonymous sources when requested by a state prosecutor. Although it has limited legal precedence at this point, it could undermine the reason many German companies appoint external Ombuds.

University of California San Diego Appoints Ombuds

This past June, the University of California's southernmost campus named John Armijo as its Campus Ombuds, a position he had held on an interim basis since April 2014. He has worked in the dispute resolution profession since 1992 and came to UCSD from the Los Alamos National Laboratory where he was also an Ombuds. 

ENOHE Posts Report from 2015 Conference

The European Network of Ombudsmen in Higher Education has published a recap of its annual meeting which took place May 28-30, 2015 in Innsbruck, Austria. Jean Grier (Investigations Manager at the University of Edinburgh), Jim Wohl (University Ombudsman at the University of Connecticut), and Josef Leidenfrost (Austrian Student Ombudsman and ENOHE President) edited the conference report.

North Carolina State University to Appoint Ombuds for Staff

NCSU says that it will create a third Ombuds office in 2017. According to a university announcement, a Staff Senate resolution on "The Establishment of the Staff Ombuds Office" has lead the administration to launch a year-long. pilot program on January 1, 2017.  Additional details are forthcoming.

ACCUO List of Past Conferences Highlights Ombuds History

The Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons has started work on a list of past conferences.  The list is still being updated (the period 2000-2009 is incomplete), but entries already cover a couple dozen conferences from 1979 to 2010.  The annotations provide some rare historical details not collected anywhere else.

Meet DePaul University's Ombuds

Craig Mousin, who has been the DePaul University Ombudsperson since 2011, is the subject of a profile in the campus newsletter.  He talks about how his experience as an attorney and minister relates to his Ombuds work. He also talks about his personal relationship with the university.

Simon Fraser University Appoints New Ombuds

The public university in Burnaby, Vancouver has named Laura Reid as its next Student Ombudsperson. She has worked at SFU since 2012, most recently as Academic Adivsor working with NCAA student-athletes. She takes over the office previously run by Jay Solman and that serves a student population of about 35,000. 

President of Dutch Ombuds Group Calls for More University Ombuds

Lies Poesiat, President of De Vereniging Ombudsmannen in het Hoger Onderwijs (The Association of Ombudsmen in Higher Education) and the Student Ombudsman at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, says that Ombuds are desperately needed throughout the Netherlands. She tells the Vrije Universiteit campus newspaper that just two colleges and three universities have an Ombuds, despite the effectiveness with a wide range of issues.

Job Posting: Inter-American Development Bank

The multilateral organization that provides development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean from its headquarters in Washington, DC has opened a search for its next Ombudsperson. The position is appointed by and reports directly to the IDB President for a five-year term period (renewable for a second, five-year appointment).  

The Broader View of Ombuds in Public Schools

The Fall 2016 issue of the American Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Magazine features an article by Charles ("Chuck") Howard.  "A Broader View of Dispute Resolution" provides context for a new initiative of the ABA Dispute Resolution Section's Ombuds Committee: spotlighting the potential for Ombuds programs in public school systems.  

New Website for FEMA ADR Cadre and Reservist Ombuds

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has created a website for the program that provides alternative dispute resolution services to Reservist employees (i.e. FEMA staff who respond to disasters and support survivors). The website outlines the policy history, scope of work, location, procedures, and standards of practice for the Reservist Ombuds program.

Explainer Video from NC State Faculty Ombuds

North Carolina State University Faculty Ombuds Roy Baroff has posted a video to his office website introducing and define his role.  It's a straight-forward, one-take video and it sounds a lot like the typical introduction that an Ombuds might give to a visitor.  (NCSU Faculty Ombuds.)

Southern Oregon University Launches Ombuds Office

The public, liberal arts university in Ashland has appointed its first-ever Faculty Ombuds.  Lynn Kirms serves nearly 1,000 academic staff and practices to IOA standards. At this point a physical office has not been set up, so Kirms meets in a variety of locations.

ABA Dispute Resolution Magazine Devotes Fall 2016 Issue to Ombuds

The latest issue of American Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Magazine is about Ombuds.  Articles highlight the role of Ombuds in the private sector, public school systems, and federal agencies.

Indiana University School of Medicine Opens Ombuds Office

The state medical school in Perdue has named Joseph DiMicco as its first Ombuds. He will work with about 5,000 students, residents, fellows, graduate students, and faculty and other academic appointees (all but staff), and practice to IOA standards. 

International Ombudsman Institute Selects 2016 Leadership

The IOI Board of Directors convened during the organization's annual conference taking place in Bangkok and elected the following officers:

Job Posting: San Francisco State University

The California State University is hiring its first Dean of Equity Initiatives. The hybrid position has a wide range of incompatible duties: "Senior Deputy Title IX Coordinator/DHR Administrator for staff/faculty and 3rd party complainants; University ombudsperson; and coordinator of campus responses to discrimination complaints filed via external agencies." The position thus breaks with the recent trend within the CSU system of hiring dedicated Ombuds.

Job Re-Posting: International Committee of the Red Cross

The international humanitarian organization has re-opened a search for its next Chief Ombudsperson.  The application deadline, which had closed in September, has been extended to November 30, 2016. Based in Geneva, the full-timeposition administers the four-person program, represents the program internally and externally, and serves as the Ombuds for ICRC personnel in Europe, Central Asia and the Americas.

Internship: United Nations, Kenya

The Office of the UN Ombudsman and Mediation Services in Nairobi is accepting applications for an internship. The position is full-time and will last up to six months. Duties will  depend on the intern's experience and needs of the program, but may include: outreach and advocacy; support preparing data and reports; and conducting research.

Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi Appoints First Ombuds

TAMUCC has named Andy Piker is as its first Faculty Ombuds. He works with about 600 members of the faculty, reports to the Faculty Senate executive committee and the Provost, and practices to IOA standards. 

Internship: International Organization for Migration

The IOM Office of the Ombudsperson is seeking an Ombudsman for its office in Geneva. Reporting to the Ombudsperson, Rogelio Bernal, the intern will support his teamwork with other colleagues in the Field Missions and IOM Headquarters. The intern will assist with case management, research, preparation of documents, outreach activities, and designing and conducting training program.

Chat With Ombuds at North Carolina State University

The Provost at NCSU has posted an interview with the Student Ombuds, Michael Giancola, Faculty Ombuds, Roy Baroff.  They talk about the importance of Ombuds services to the campus and how they work with constituents.   A comment on the posting, reveals that the university will launch an Ombuds program for staff in 2017.