The mission of the International Ombudsman Association is to support and advance the global Organizational Ombudsman profession and ensure that practitioners work to the highest professional standards by:
- Setting standards of practice, regulatory platform and code of ethics for the Organizational Ombudsman profession;
- Assisting in the establishment of Organizational Ombudsman offices;
- Providing excellent professional development resources, research and information;
- Increasing awareness and understanding of Organizational Ombudsman value among key stakeholders and the general public;
- Creating strategic alliances or direct communications with other key organizations and professionals involved in dispute resolution, governance, ethics and risk mitigation.
Vision Statement: IOA leads the global Organizational Ombudsman profession by setting the standard for excellence in practice and demonstrating the effectiveness of the Organizational Ombudsman role to organizational leaders, policy makers, other professions and associations, and the public.
International Ombudsman Association Values
- Integrity: IOA conducts all activities responsibly with equity and accountability to its membership and profession.
- Service: IOA supports its membership by providing innovative and high quality services.
- Respect: IOA embraces a range of differences of people and viewpoints in building a robust organization.
- Collaboration: IOA promotes interaction among ombudsman practitioners and engages with other organizations to advance the profession.
The International Ombudsman Association (IOA) was officially formed in July 2005 following the merger of the University and College Ombuds Association (UCOA) and The Ombudsman Association (TOA). IOA is the largest international association of professional organizational Ombudsmen practitioners in the world, representing over 500 members from the United States and across the globe.
The association supports organizational Ombudsmen worldwide working in corporations, universities, non-profit organizations, government entities and non-governmental organizations. Building on the traditions of TOA and UCOA, IOA offers a full roster of professional training and education programs for the practicing ombudsman professional and those interested in learning about our practice. In addition, the association works to support and promote the profession through strategic partnerships and communication with government agencies and other professional organizations as appropriate.
Please do not hesitate to contact our administrative offices at +1.908.359.0246 or email: info@ombudsassociation.org [1] for inquires regarding our programs or services.
* The term ombudsman is used to communicate to the widest possible community and is not intended to discourage others from using alternatives. IOA respectfully acknowledges that many practitioners use alternative forms of this word.