International Ombuds Association
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Foundations Course | New Orleans March 2019
Sheraton Hotel New Orleans
500 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
United States
+1-504-525-2500

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Friday, March 29, 2019, 8:00 AM to Sunday, March 31, 2019, 5:00 PM CDT
Category: Foundations Courses

Foundations of Organizational Ombudsman Practice Course

3-Day Course
Friday - Sunday, 29-31 March 2019

8:00  a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Friday/Saturday/Sunday

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Registration | Location | Course Description | Course Fees


Registration

Early-bird discount deadline: 01 February 2019
Online registration deadline: 19 March 2019

Note: On-site registration is not permitted. You may ask to be placed on a waitlist if the course has reached full capacity. 

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Course Description 

This course covers the fundamentals of the organizational ombudsman role by emphasizing the principles of confidentiality, neutrality, independence, and informality. Learn how to work with the visitor to the office as well as how to act as a change agent within your organization. Practice key ombudsman skills of listening, asking questions, clarifying, generating options, and moving to actions throughout the ombuds process. In addition, an experienced and highly committed faculty of ombudsmen will share best practices around setting up an office and evaluating and communicating the effectiveness of the office.

As a result of this program you will learn:

  • How the role, scope, and duties of today’s ombudsman began and evolved
  • The four basic principles of the organizational ombudsman role: neutrality, independence, confidentiality, and informality
  • Why confidentiality is essential to the practice and how to maintain confidentiality
  • How to listen as a neutral, including effective techniques for interviewing and inquiring, reflective listening, reframing, identifying issues, and providing options
  • How to manage and work with conflict by employing a battery of skills including listening, coaching, and negotiation techniques
  • How to decide which intervention would be most effective and how to provide feedback to management
  • How to set up and operate an ombudsman office, including the fundamentals of how to log concerns, report to management, and design reports to track issues
  • How to align the ombudsman function with the mission, values, and culture of the organization
  • How to promote the ombudsman role and function, including ways to gain and keep management support

Who should attend:

The course will benefit the recently appointed ombudsman, individuals interested in becoming ombudsmen, or anyone desiring to establish an ombudsman function in industry, government, higher education, and public or private social services agencies. 

This course applies to ombudsman programs in organizational settings. It does not address some features unique to other ombudsmen disciplines such as classical, patient advocate, or legislative ombudsman.

Course Limit: 30 participants

Prerequisites: None

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Course Location

Sheraton Hotel New Orleans
500 Canal Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 USA
Phone: +1-504-525-2500
Reservations Toll Free: +1-888-627-7033
Reserve your room online.

The course fee does not include travel expenses or the cost of accommodations. Housing arrangements should be made directly with the hotel once you've received a registration confirmation. To reserve a room at the discounted rate of $199.00 USD per night (single/double occupancy), reserve online or call Sheraton Hotel New Orleans at +1-504-525-2500 or +1-888-627-7033 and mention you are part of the International Ombudsman Association conference. These rates will be available to attendees, based on availability, through Wednesday, March 6, 2019. 

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Course Fees

On or before 01 February 2019

IOA Members: $1,695
Non-members: $1,795
 
After 01 February 2019
 
IOA Members: $1,795
Non-members: $1,895

The course fee does not include travel expenses or the cost of accommodations. Housing arrangements should be made directly with the hotel once you’ve received a registration confirmation.

To receive the member discount for this event, you must first become a member then proceed to event registration.

Register Now

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Questions?

Contact the IOA office at [email protected].