The Royal Melbourne Hospital Shutters Ombuds Office

The prominent Australian public teaching hospital will close its Ombuds office at the end of August 2024. The program was established in January 2022 by Lisa Klug, who piloted an Ombuds role (designated "Independent Facilitator") in 2018-2022 for Safer Care Victoria, which also served The Royal Melbourne Hospital. These were the only examples of Organizational Ombuds programs in healthcare in Australia. Klug is resigning for other opportunities and the position will not be refilled. 

Job Posting: University of Massachusetts Amherst

The flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system seeks its next permanent University Ombuds. The search will take over a program that has been managed by MWI since July, following the departure of Interim University Ombuds, Lea Occhialini, at the end of 2023. The position reports to the chancellor's office and and supervises an Associate Ombuds (currently vacant) and an office manager. The UMass Ombuds serves over 38,000 faculty, staff, and students, and is expected to practice to IOA standards. The anticipated start date is January 2025.

Journal of IOA Article Offers Ombuds Guidance for Neurodiverse Visitors

Israela Adah Brill-Cass (Ombuds for Wesleyan University, Clark University, and the Broad Institute of MIT), is the author of a new article in the peer-reviewed Journal of the International Ombuds Association. In "Ombudsing with Neurodiversity in Mind," Brill-Cass urges Ombuds to adopt strategies to effectively serve stakeholders with sensory processing, motor abilities, social comfort, and cognition differences.

Job Posting: University of North Carolina at Charlotte

The large public university in southwestern North Carolina will expand its Ombuds program with the hiring of an Associate Ombuds. The new, full-time position will report to UNCC's inaugural Ombuds, Scott Deyo, CO-OP, and provide services primarily to undergraduate students. The position is not remote, but may be eligible for flexible work arrangements.

European Ombuds Offer Webinar on Creating an Office

The European Ombuds and Mediator Group will offer a free webinar on "European Ombuds and Mediator Group," on August 29, 2024, at 2:00pm-3:30pm CEST. The speakers will be Dolores Gómez-Morán, Senior Mediator, Office of the Ombudsman & Mediation Services for the World Food Programme in Rome, and Erik Larsen, Maersk Ombuds Function in Copenhagen, Denmark. 

Ombuds for Asian Development Bank Reports Strain from Reduced Staffing

In his latest annual report, ADB's Ombudsman, Wayne Blair, said that his office handled 538 cases in 2023. Although the number was up only slightly from the prior year, Blair said that his office was facing significant challenges following the retirement of a key position (Gigi Alejandro, Senior Ombuds Program Officer): "The staffing shortfall is a significant barrier to the fulfillment of OOMP’s mission. It is holding the office back from achieving higher goals and fully serving the needs of the ADB community."

Journal of IOA Article Explores Use of Photovoice as Tool for Engagement

The latest peer-reviewed article in the Journal of the International Ombuds Association examines the use of Photovoice, a qualitative research method that gathers participant-taken photographs and narratives to translate experience into actionable knowledge. The article was authored by Birthe C. Reimers, the Director of the Office of the Ombudsperson at Georgia State University, and Alexandria Johnson, a doctoral student at GSU and former graduate research assistant in the Ombuds Office. The used Photovoice to engage Black female scholars at their university.

Job Re-Posting: Austin Independent School District

Austin ISD, the public school district for the capital of Texas, is seeking an Associate Ombudsperson for Special Education. The position will report to the District's recently-appointed Ombudsperson, Dawn Spinozza, and will serve as a confidential, informal, impartial, and independent resource to support families with students who have or may have a disability. Local travel will be required.

Call for Proposals: Dispute Resolution 2025 Spring Conference

The American Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Section is now accepting program proposals for its 2025 Spring Conference that will be held April 25-26, 2025, in Chicago. "Reaching New Heights: The Rising Tide of Dispute Resolution," should resonate for Ombuds, given the growing role in the landscape of dispute resolution. 

Job Posting: World Health Organization

WHO is hiring a Regional Ombudsperson for an initial two-year contract. Based in Copenhagen, the position will serve WHO personnel in Europe and report directly and independently to the Regional Director, and the committee on staff health and wellbeing. The search also may be used to fill positions in other duty stations (which include Geneva, Manila, Brazzaville, Cairo and New Delhi).

Clemson University Adds an Ombuds

Michael Scott has been hired as the new Associate Ombuds at Clemson. He joins the University Ombuds, Tessa Byer, CO-OP, and will assist in providing dispute resolution to faculty, staff, and students. (Gordon Halfacre is also a member of the office as the University Ombuds for Faculty and Students, and has a separate reporting line to the provost.)

Job Posting: Washington State University

The public university in Pullman has opened a search for its next University Ombudsman. The part-time position will serve nearly 40,000 WSU stakeholders, particularly administrative professionals and classified staff. The office is currently comprised of two, part-time Ombuds: Justin Denney, who started in January 2022; and Karen Sanguinet, who started in August 2022.

Boeing Ombuds to Address DRI Annual Meeting

Mark Fava, Boeing's inaugural Ombuds, will be a featured speaker at the Defense Research Institute's three-day 2024 Annual Meeting. DRI, sometimes called "The Voice of the Defense Bar," is the largest (and influential) association of attorneys who defend organizations and individuals in civil litigation. Fava will host a fireside chat on Friday, October 18, 2024.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Hires a Senior Ombuds

Nellie Haddad, CO-OP, has been hired by USPTO as a Senior Associate Ombudsman in Alexandria, Virginia. Reporting to Paul Sotoudeh, the Chief Ombudsman, Haddad will serve USPTO employees throughout the federal agency that issues patents and registers trademarks.

Job Re-Posting: International Organization for Migration, Panama

The intergovernmental organization that promotes international cooperation on migration issues has reopened its search for a Conflict Resolution Officer to be based in Panama City. The reports to the IOM Ombudsperson (a position that is currently vacant pending a search that opened in November 2023). The initial term is for one year with the possibility of extensions. The posting indicates the starting date "as soon as possible."

Job Posting: The New School

The private university in New York City is hiring a University Ombudsperson. The full-time position will serve faculty, staff, and students, a total population of almost 15,000. It appears that this is a newly-configured job that will replace Ann-Louise Shapiro, who has been the Ombuds for faculty and staff since 2017. The Ombuds will report to the Senior Vice President for Administration, University Secretary, and Chief of Staff in the Office of the President.

University of North Carolina Wilmington Opens Internal Search for First Ombuds

The state research university in Southeast North Carolina seeks applications for its first University Ombuds. The new position will serve about 2,500 faculty and staff (but not the 18,000 students). The position reports to the Chancellor and has a functional reporting relationship to the Chief of Staff. The position is half-time, five days a week. The position is open only to current employees. "Because part of the duties performed will fall within regular working hours, supervisor approval will be required." 

UN Food and Agriculture Organization Selects Provisional Ombuds

José Martínez-Aragón has been named the Interim Ombudsperson for the United Nations agency that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Based in Rome, Martinez-Aragon will lead an office that provides FAO employees in locations around the world. He follows Katya Melluish., who recently moved to the same position with the UN World Food Programme, and will fill the role until a permanent replacement is selected.

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Names Ombuds

In May, Marie-Claude Lemieu was appointed the Ombuds for the federal administrative branch of the Treasury Board of Canada, a central agency of the Government of Canada. In this role, she provides services to over 2,500 employees who work with the ministers responsible for the financial management of the federal government. Lemieu comes to the position after a decade with the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, where she was the Director of Workplace, Talent Management and Executive Services. She graduated from Université du Québec en Outaouais and is a Certified Professional Coach. (LinkedIn.) 

Swarthmore Magazine Profiles Alumna Mary Rowe

The latest issue of the Swarthmore College magazine, The Bulletin, has a nice article about Mary Rowe, who graduated 1957. (Somewhat ironically, the College does not have a professional Ombuds, only a student group founded last fall.) Here's the pull quote: “Being an organizational ombuds is a lifetime of trying to figure out how to increase the fairness and equity and belonging of the people around you.” (The Bulletin; Swathmore Ombuds.)