The Ombuds Blog: IOA Issues Guidance for Collateral Duty Ombuds

May 08, 2025

IOA Issues Guidance for Collateral Duty Ombuds

The International Ombuds Association has released a short white paper, "Guidance for Dual Role Ombuds." The document offers advice for Ombuds who hold additional roles within their organization and are seeking to conform to IOA standards. The guidance covers a range of issues, including: Budget and Compensation; Conflicts of Interest Including Mandatory Reporting; Confidentiality; Independence; Building Trust; and Constituency Size. Acknowledging the importance of disclosing the limitations of a collateral duty Ombuds, the guidance also includes a sample opening statement. (IOA Resources.)

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sportsera 5/09/2025 3:35 AM
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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

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