Registration Opens for USOA Conference in Hawaii

The United States Ombudsman Association has posted details for its 40th Annual Conference, on September 18-20, 2019, with pre-conference workshops on September 16-17, 2019. The theme for the meeting is, "The Ombudsman: Making Things Pono." The kenote speaker will be Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, a Native Hawaiian teacher, cultural practitioner, community leader, and one of the first transgender candidates to run for statewide political office in the U.S.
Here is are details from the conference organizers, Robin K. Matsunaga, USOA President, and Kristie Hirschman, USOA Director:

The Hawaii Office of the Ombudsman and the United States Ombudsman Association (USOA) Board of Directors invite you to join us in Honolulu, Hawaii, for the 40th Annual USOA Conference.

Content at this conference is quite varied in order to appeal to ombudsmen, those involved in conflict resolution, and others who work with the public. Sessions include dealing with abrasive personalities, leveraging reports, understanding the science of human behavior, digital age communications, office management, and an open cage style discussion about critical issues. Our conference will close with an interactive session on vicarious trauma and resiliency.

Prior to the main conference, USOA will offer three pre-conference workshops. USOA is again presenting its highly regarded two-day New Ombudsman Training as a pre-conference workshop. Participants will learn about the origin, characteristics, and standards of an ombudsman office. Instructors will discuss intake, interviewing, investigation techniques, and report writing. They will also examine the role of the ombudsman in promoting an ethical climate in our organizations. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to discuss best practices, time saving tips, and tools of the trade with a group of experienced, successful ombudsmen.

We are fortunate to again be able to offer world-class training in “Dealing with Unreasonable Complainant Conduct” as our second preconference offering. This one-day workshop will provide participants with specific strategies and skills to effectively and confidently deal with unreasonable complainant conduct (UCC) that can consume up an inordinate amount of an agency’s time and resources. It is designed for staff that come in contact with, or respond to, complainants or customers who display unreasonable conduct, as well as supervisors and senior management responsible for setting complaint handling policy. Due to anticipated demand, this one-day workshop will be offered twice. You can attend on either Monday, September 16, or Tuesday, September 17. Each day has a 40-attendee limit so register early!

We are also offering a third pre-conference session, “Administrative Investigations and Demonstrating Your Value.” This session will review planning for a complex investigation based on a social welfare case and interviewing best practices. The session will then explore how to optimize your stakeholder relationships and demonstrate value through strategic communications. This is a one-day training, September 17. (You could attend Dealing with Unreasonable Complainant Conduct on Monday and attend this pre-conference session on Tuesday.)

Conference registration includes networking opportunities with colleagues from around the world during the opening reception on Tuesday night, the conference lunches and breaks, and the networking event on Wednesday evening.

Breakfast, lunch, and break refreshments, along with training materials, are included in the registration fee for both the preconference and conference.

Related posts: Follow the USOA 2010 Conference on Twitter; USOA Will Meet in Ohio for 31st Annual Conference; United States Ombudsman Association Opens Registration for 32nd Annual Conference; USOA Announces 2012 Conference Details; USOA Posts Agenda for 2013 Annual Conference; USOA 2015 Conference Agenda Set for Arizona; United States Ombudsman Association Opens Registration for 2016 Conference in Virginia; U.S. Ombudsman Association Posts Agenda for 2017 Conference.