Dear In Practice,
In my role as an ombuds I have supported a variety of organizational assessments. I have conducted voluntary and anonymized climate feedback interviews, facilitated constituency-specific focus groups, and administered surveys where I was able to redact sensitive information.
It’s hard to believe that In Practice is celebrating its second anniversary! What began two years ago as a conversation among colleagues has grown into a lively forum for exploring the ethical dilemmas, questions, and challenges we encounter in our work as ombuds.
And what a response we’ve had. Our 14 published columns have collectively been viewed more than 30,000 times - a wonderful indication of the interest in these conversations and the value of learning from one another’s experiences. We’ve also been delighted to hear that In Practice continues to spark conversations in ombuds program staff meetings, mentoring sessions, graduate classrooms, and ombuds-related forums.
Ombuds and mediators share a foundational mission: helping individuals and organizations navigate conflict with dignity, autonomy, and respect. Rooted in shared values of confidentiality, fairness, and self-determination, both disciplines empower people to communicate across differences, bridge divides, and discover constructive paths forward. They also share many of the same skills and approaches.
This Ombuds Day program explores the natural overlap between two fields mediating interests between individuals, groups, and organizations. It will explore alignment in philosophy and practice between two fields dedicated to resolving human and institutional friction.
By, Elizabeth Hill
Director of Communications and Development at MWI
As organizational ombuds, we spend a lot of time helping others navigate uncertainty. We help people think through options, prepare for difficult conversations, consider unintended consequences, and find a path forward when things feel complicated.
Recently, I have been thinking about how we apply that same mindset to our own offices.
By, Elizabeth Hill
Director of Communications and Development at MWI
I recently spent some time reading through a discussion within the ombuds community. Having spent nearly 15 years as an in-house organizational ombuds and now working alongside colleagues who provide contracted ombuds services, I read the discussion with appreciation for the concerns raised from multiple perspectives.
What struck me most wasn't the disagreement. It was the common ground.
The following request for participation in her research efforts came from Michelle Kibby, PhD. She is the Faculty Ombuds at Southern Illinois University. Please reach out to her at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Dr. Kibby would appreciate your participation in a brief survey. Its goals are to better understand the impact of ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) on our organizations and share ideas about what ombuds could do in response. Participation is voluntary. Data collection is anonymous, and results will be analyzed in aggregate. Your responses will provide beneficial information on how ICE is impacting organizations and help generate ideas regarding how we could address it, as she will seek to publish the results in an ombuds outlet, such as JIOA. She greatly values your perspective! Please forward her survey link to other ombuds so they can participate if interested.
Survey link: https://siucpsyc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7O1LRVTs7Cc1EGi
Ombuds Needed: Help contribute to and advance our field!You are invited to participate in a research study that seeks to understand what members of a professional association want and need from their membership.
Eligibility: Current IOA members who have maintained that status for at least one year and are: age 18 or older, fluent in English, and able to access and use the videoconferencing platform, Zoom.
**IOA is not involved in the sponsorship, design, conduct, or review of this study, and IOA will not have access to participants’ identifiable information**
Dear In Practice,
I have served in my current ombuds role for almost seven years and I’ve decided it’s time for a change - either an ombuds role elsewhere or something entirely different. I’ve updated my resume and cover letter but I’m at a loss as I try to identify professional references who can speak to my work as an ombuds. This is my first ombuds role and I have many excellent references from prior professional roles.
The Advocacy Committee is currently developing two resources to help ombuds and their organizations navigate periods of transition effectively.
The first resource is a toolkit for organizational leaders who are managing changes in the ombuds role. It will outline options and best practices for using temporary or interim ombuds appointments to ensure continuity during transitions. This will be released soon and will be featured in “Hey IOA” and housed on the website.
The second resource is designed for ombuds who are navigating shifts in organizational leadership—and this is where we need your help!
By Julia Farmer
Director of Ombuds Services, University of West Georgia
As ombuds, we assist our visitors with all sorts of conflicts, which range from interpersonal to group and systemic issues. The dynamics embedded within every conflict are unique, as are the personalities of the individuals involved. In complex cases, individual dispositions toward conflict can play as much of a role in the dynamics as organizational systems and structures. For that reason, understanding and unpacking the contributing factors within these complex cases is often a time-consuming process.
This is where Kenneth H. Fox’s Perspectives on Conflict: Insights for Professional and Personal Practice (2026) may come in handy. For ombuds seeking to review the various frames through which one can view a conflict, or looking for insights to share with visitors when discussing options for next steps, this resource offers a helpful guide. At the end of each chapter and within the bibliography, the book includes a useful list of references for those seeking to explore any of the topics more in-depth.
Julia HealyAs an aspiring Ombuds and seasoned HR professional, I wish to sincerely thank the IOA for giving me the amazing opportunity to attend the 2026 Annual Conference that was held virtually from the 13th to 15th of April. Through my work as an HR professional, I have experienced the powerful and very positive impact that an Organizational Ombuds work has had on both employees and organization.
The thought-provoking discussion during one of the sessions on how to make the invisible visible, resonated strongly with me. Many are unaware of what an Ombuds does and what value they bring to both employees and the organization. In my experience working as an HR professional, I have come to appreciate that the Organizational Ombuds is an invaluable resource to check the pulse of the organization, identify concerns and highlight trends through their reporting of anonymized data. This valuable information enables the organization to take proactive steps to address areas of concern, ensure that it has or develops clear policies and processes, and provides an opportunity to address grievances at the earliest stage to support retention, and to effectively mitigate risk and reputational damage.
Much still needs to be done to educate both employees and senior management of what an Organizational Ombuds does and how they work to provide clarity, build trust and support the invaluable work of the Ombuds. To promote the long-term sustainability of the Ombuds role, it is vital that employees and the senior leadership clearly understand and appreciate the invaluable benefits and return on investment that an Ombuds work brings.
Dear In Practice,
I’ve been an organizational ombuds for several years and demonstrating fidelity to the code of ethics is important to me. I am especially conscious of my duty to convey a sense of fairness and impartiality in the way I enact the role. At the same time, I have strong opinions and preferences about local and national political issues, and I care very much about upcoming elections. I believe I also have a duty to be civically engaged.
By, Ellen Miller
Executive Director - IOA
Following up from my posts regarding AI for Ombuds Messaging and Using AI to Help Explain the Role, below is a sample briefing memo for general counsel written in a tone that appreciates the legal risk framing of the audience. I have also included some additional comparisons that may be helpful in understanding the role as it relates to the legal function and those tasked with risk management and mitigation. As we previously noted, the majority of this work has been generated by an AI tool in response to specific queries, clarifications and corrections. It has been reviewed for accuracy and also slightly edited, but the majority is AI generated.
Subject: Governance Design and Legal Risk Considerations for the Organizational Ombuds Function
By, Ellen Miller
Executive Director - IOA
As we shared in our previous post, Using AI to Help Explain the Role, AI can be a wonderful resource for ombuds when used appropriately for our work. In this series, I asked an AI tool to help us frame some talking points and was surprised at the precision of its response. When engaging with AI, you need to ask specific queries, specific follow up queries and also correct any information that is wrong with the responses so the platform learns. This response has been reviewed for accuracy and also slightly edited, but the majority of language is AI generated.
Here is my initial prompt, How do we educate general counsel or HR directors who feel the role is duplicative or they do not like that it is confidential?
Dear In Practice,
I spent the past year working with two members of a functional team who, with my assistance, have gone from being avowed enemies to collaborating colleagues. They landed in my office after their supervisor suggested the ombuds office as a resource for their escalating relational tensions.
Dear In Practice,
I have been on Facebook and LinkedIn for years. I’m new to Instagram and I’m having a great time curating my profile and feed. I appreciate how these platforms provide news, information, and easy connections - but participating in social media these days seems increasingly fraught.
By Tracey Brant COOP, PCC
Organizational Ombuds - Dartmouth College
She had been reassigned from a committee. That was the issue, at least on paper. But fifteen minutes into our conversation, I could feel something larger moving beneath her words.
The organizational impact seemed modest - someone else would step into her role and the committee’s work would continue. Yet her voice was sharp, her sentences quick. She kept returning to the same details, circling back to moments I thought we already explored. I clarified the issue. We talked through possible responses. Still, the conversation looped.
The Journal of the International Ombuds Association (JIOA) is seeking to expand its database of peer reviewers. We invite experienced practitioners, scholars, and scholar-practitioners with expertise relevant to organizational ombuds practice to apply.
JIOA reviewers play a critical role in advancing the quality, rigor, and relevance of ombuds-related scholarship. Reviewers are asked to provide thoughtful, constructive, and confidential feedback to authors, supporting both scholarly integrity and the development of the field.
Prospective reviewers should be familiar with research method, professional writing, or applied scholarship relevant to ombuds work. Prior reviewing or publishing experience is welcome but not required.
Those interested in being considered for the reviewer pool are encouraged to review the JIOA Review Procedures and complete the reviewer application form at this link: https://forms.gle/Q8Q2W4LYWRDU1AEZ7.
Greetings Higher Education Colleagues,
My name is Laura Zuppo, and I am a Doctoral Candidate and Student-serving Ombuds at the University of South Florida. I am conducting a qualitative research study exploring the experiences of collateral or dual-role student-serving ombuds in higher education.
For the purposes of this study, a collateral or dual-role student ombuds is an individual who is directly employed by their institution and who serves students while also holding one or more additional roles or responsibilities on campus. Ombuds who also serve faculty, staff, and other constituents are invited to participate.
Organizational Ombuds offices are increasingly shaped by a range of structural and operational models that reflect shifting institutional needs, resource constraints, legal environments, and cultural contexts. From traditional in-house roles to embedded, collateral, outsourced, hybrid, regional, and shared-service approaches, the model through which organizational ombuds services are delivered carries significant implications for independence, accessibility, credibility, and ethical practice.
This special issue seeks to explore the evolving landscape of ombuds models and their impact on the theory and practice of the profession. We invite submissions that critically examine how different structural arrangements shape the work of ombuds and influence organizational trust, conflict engagement, and systems change.
We welcome manuscripts that address topics such as:
