August 26, 2020

COFO to Train New Federal Ombuds in Response to IOA Backlog

The Coalition of Federal Ombudsman will offer an interim training for new Federal Ombuds who have been unable to register for the International Ombudsman Association's Foundations training. Former COFO Chair Scott Deyo has pulled together members of the COFO community for an eight-hour training program for new Organizational Ombuds next week. 


A recent email from COFO explained that the goal was to provide new Ombuds with basic skills while they await IOA training: 
In an effort to provide timely timely and relevant support, and not to replace the pre-eminent 3-day course, we have assembled eight “power hours” of critical information we think would greatly benefit new federal ombuds. Broadly, each section will cover the basics and dive into why the topic is important, best practices, and challenges faced. Most importantly, the speakers will draw from their vast experience and provide as many case scenarios as possible to make the sessions practical and useful. 
Although this was initially intended for new practitioners in a new program, I wanted to share this free virtual training opportunity Federal-wide in case there were additional ombuds who would like to attend. Here is an overview of the days, times, and primary topics that will be covered. 
Mon 8/31, 11am – 1pm ET 
  • Welcome and Opening Remarks | Paul Sotoudeh, Chief Ombudsman, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office & Chair, Coalition of Federal Ombudsman 
  • Overview of the Organizational Ombudsman: Background and Value | Scott Deyo, Associate Ombudsman, Department of Energy 
  • Independence & Cultivating Relationships with Resource Partners | Brian Bloch, Ombudsman, Department of the Interior 
Tue, 9/1, 11am – 1pm ET 
  • Making the Connection - Building Rapport and Empathy | Sigal Shoham, Ombudsman, Department of the Interior 
  • Remaining Impartial, Neutral, and Unbiased | Andrea Brown, Senior Associate Ombudsman, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 
Wed, 9/2, 11am – 1pm ET 
  • What Ombuds Actually Do: Practical Strategies for Ombuds | Mollie Berg, Ombudsman, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency 
  • Coaching for Ombuds | Lexi Wolfe, Associate Ombudsman, Department of Energy 
Thu, 9/3, 11am – 1pm ET 
  • Confidentiality & Records | Bill Maurer, Ombudsman, U.S. Census Bureau & Julie Smith, Attorney Advisor, Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of State 
  • Case Tracking: Issue Categories, Excel, and Team Consistency | Jeff Anderson, Associate Ombudsman, Department of Energy 
If anyone is interested in attending, please have them contact me directly by email at scott.deyo@hq.doe.gov so I can add them to the invite list.

Update 8/27/20: Scott Deyo writes: "We are delighted that there has been so much interest in this course.  Given the extraordinary response thus far, at this time we cannot accept additional participants who are not U.S. federal government employees in a new organizational ombuds role."

No comments:

Post a Comment