The International Ombuds Association (IOA) invites members to review the final draft of the revised Standards of Practice and the accompanying Compendium and provide feedback during this final comment period.

Member feedback is requested by July 16, 2026. Comments may be submitted through the Google Form or by email to Ellen Miller. The final draft of the Standards of Practice is available here.**The final draft of the Compendium, which provides additional guidance on the Standards of Practice, is available here.

About the Review Process

As part of IOA's commitment to continuous improvement, the Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics are reviewed every three to four years to address areas requiring clarification and identify potential gaps. The 2025 review was designated as a clarification review.

The International Ombuds Association (IOA) and the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution Ombuds Committee are pleased to announce the formation of a joint taskforce focused on next steps related to the Organizational Ombuds Practices Act. 

On February 9, 2026, the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates unanimously adopted Resolution 503, urging states to enact the Organizational Ombuds Practices Act. This effort has been in the works for about ten years, and we are indebted to the many contributors in both IOA and ABA for their diligent work ahead of and during its adoption. The Act marks an important milestone for the organizational ombuds field and reflects growing recognition of the importance of confidentiality, independence, impartiality, and informality in organizational ombuds practice.  The new Model Act creates enabling legislation for states to adopt and, in concert with IOA’s Standards of Practice, would create protections for Organizational Ombuds in the United States if adopted wholecloth. 

The newly formed IOA/ABA Joint Taskforce will focus on developing a proposed advocacy and lobbying strategy related to potential state-level adoption efforts. The taskforce’s work will include identifying practical considerations, assessing strategic opportunities, and developing resources to support thoughtful and informed future advocacy efforts.

Dr. Laura Armstrong and Dr. Brent Epperson are active ombuds practitioners, scholars, and long-standing members of the organizational ombuds community. Together, they bring complementary expertise that reflects JIOA’s commitment to rigorous, practice-informed scholarship in organizational ombuds work. Dr. Armstrong is a professor in the School of Counselling, Psychotherapy and Spirituality at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. Dr. Epperson is an assistant professor in the School of Conflict Studies and co-chair of the Center for Informal Dispute Resolution at the same institution. Dr. Epperson brings more than a decade of experience as an organizational ombuds across multiple sectors and jurisdictions, including higher education, professional associations, and international organizations. His work bridges practice and scholarship, with publications and conference presentations focused on ombuds practice, public administration and policy, and fairness in institutional governance. Dr. Armstrong’s work complements this foundation through her expertise in mental health, conflict coaching, program development, and applied research. Her scholarship includes more than 75 articles, books, chapters, workshops, and conference publications in psychology and, more recently, ombuds practice. She also brings expertise in mixed-methods research, quantitative measurement development, program and service evaluation, and knowledge mobilization methodologies.

In announcing the appointments, the IOA Board noted that the co-editorship reflects a deliberate pairing of expertise in ombuds practice, conflict coaching, interdisciplinary research, mental health, and organizational systems.

IOA would like to express our sincere gratitude to Shannon Lynn Burton, PhD, University Ombudsperson at Michigan State University, for her decade as editor of JOIA. Shannon's deep understanding of the field, insatiable curiosity, commitment to helping practitioners find voice in the research space, and calm yet visionary demeanor beautifully informed her direction as editor in chief. Shannon took the journal to another level - merging her skill as a quantitative researcher, avid reader, and mentor to many potential turned actual authors. Once she steps down at the end of May from the editor role, she will pursue other research projects in the field, including spearheading a new research symposium planned for the spring of 2027. 

Read the Press Release

By Allison Monyei Whaley, CO-OP®, President of the Board of Certification, and Ellen Miller, Executive Director of IOA. 

For those who attended last week’s conference, you likely had the pleasure of hearing the Mary Rowe Lecture delivered by Paul Sotoudeh, University Ombuds at the University of Rochester.

Among the many insights he shared was the compelling argument to elevate the global visibility of ombuds through a certification program that supports all ombuds, regardless of model or sector.  IOA has done just that when it re-imagined its CO-OP certification program by creating the new Ombuds Certification Program —an inclusive umbrella designed to expand certification opportunities across and within ombuds models. 

One of the priorities identified in IOA’s new strategic plan* is to make our website more user-friendly for the diverse audiences we serve. To support this effort, we’re seeking your input.

Please take a moment to complete this brief, five-question survey. Your feedback will help us redesign the site map and make content more accessible and intuitive.

 For more information about this project, please reach out to me.  And more details about our new strategic plan will be shared soon!  

After an extraordinary 10 years of service to the Journal of the International Ombuds Association (JIOA), Shannon Lynn Burton, Ph.D has decided to step down as Editor to focus on other work shaping the field. The Board of Directors is seeking Letters of Interest from those members who would like to apply. The position description includes the following experience and skills, and will be finalized by 12 March:

Experience:

• Familiarity with JIOA or other journal practice

• Need to be comfortable educating people on the writing and research process

AI can be a wonderful resource for ombuds when used properly and appropriately. Many find it to be a helpful editor or as a starting place when schedules are otherwise jammed, as long as no distinguishable or confidential information is uploaded in a query. To demonstrate this point, I asked an AI tool to help us articulate why ombuds are specifically unique in role and function compared to other functions.  Responses have been reviewed for accuracy and also slightly edited, but the majority of the language is AI generated. The exciting news is the extent the AI tool understands the role. 

Query 1: What makes an Organizational Ombuds unique from other organizational support like HR, or EAP: 

An Organizational Ombuds plays a very specific and distinct role inside an organization. While they may seem similar to HR or an EAP at first glance, their function, authority, and approach are fundamentally different. An Organizational Ombuds is an independent, neutral, confidential, and informal resource for employees (or members of an organization) to discuss concerns, conflicts, or ethical questions. They typically follow the standards of practice set by the International Ombuds Association, which emphasize Independence, Impartiality, Confidentiality and Informality. 

How an Organizational Ombuds Is Different from HR: 

Thank you for participating in the brief survey on well-being that we circulated in November 2025. We appreciate your perspective! The results are shared below. To better understand the interests of our community on this topic, we will be taking additional steps to gather members’ input. First, please join an informal Community Connections group discussion on ombuds well-being on April 28 and/or April 29. Registration information for members is available here. Please contact Julie Muroff, IOA’s lead contact for this initiative, with any questions:  [email protected]

Results from November 2025 Well-being Survey 

(1) Overall, based on your definition of burnout, how would you rate your level of burnout?  Select only 1 answer from the 5 choices below:**
i. I enjoy my work. I have no symptoms of burnout.   56 ( >22%)
ii. Occasionally I am under stress, and I don’t always have as much energy as I once did, but I don’t feel burned out.   128 ( >51%)
iii. I am definitely burning out and have one or more symptoms of burnout, such as physical and emotional exhaustion.   53 (21%)
iv. The symptoms of burnout that I’m experiencing won’t go away. I think about frustration at work a lot.   7 ( <3%)
v. I feel completely burned out and often wonder if I can go on. I am at a point where I may need some changes or may need to seek some sort of help.   5 (2%)

By Tuba Bilecik
EOM Group Co-chair

The European Ombuds and Mediator (EOM) Group recently held its annual in-
person meeting in Copenhagen hosted by our colleagues from Maersk Ombuds
Office. As always, it was a real pleasure to reconnect with colleagues, both familiar
and new. After months of connecting virtually, there is something uniquely energizing
about being in the same room, sharing ideas and remembering the sense of
community that fuels our work.

There is a growing momentum in the ombuds field across Europe. In just the past
couple of years, we have seen more and more organizations explore how ombuds
programs can strengthen healthier, more inclusive workplaces. Notably, several
institutions including the European Central Bank, European Investment Bank and
European Space Agency have launched their first ombuds offices. At the same time,
professionals from diverse disciplines are becoming increasingly curious about the
ombuds role and what it offers as a career path.

The IOA is teaming up with the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution to produce two applied learning tracks that will take place on Wednesday, 15 April 2026, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM ET. These sessions will close out IOA’s Annual Conference and launch the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution’s Spring Conference.  

Led by IOA President Jenn Mahony and ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Chair Liz Hill, this virtual event brings together experienced professionals from across the dispute resolution landscape.  

IOA is looking for members who have specific skills in the following areas to co-facilitate these sessions. We will select two facilitators/instructors - one for each track to work with the facilitator/instructor selected by the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution. For those interested, please email [email protected] by Wednesday, 12 November. Please attach your CV/resume and detail your experience training in either area. Details about these sessions are below.  

Update from the Asia Pacific Regional Advancement Committee (RAC) Conference:‘The Ombuds Role in a Complex, Challenging and Rapidly Changing World’. Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand. October 8-10

by Fred Wright, Chair of the International Outreach Committee and Former AP RAC Co-Chair 

Message from IOA President Jenn Mahony 

Our hearts continue to be with our US federal ombuds colleagues at this time of tremendous uncertainty as we enter the fourth week of the US government shutdown. We hope that an effective and positive end is in sight.

We recognize too that our UN and other NGO ombuds colleagues are navigating uncertainty as their agencies grapple with the impact of decreased  US aid. We hope that certainty is on the horizon.

Happy Ombuds Day!  

I’ve spent the past few days attending IOA’s Asia Pacific RAC Conference (remotely) where I had the opportunity to hear a keynote from former New Zealand Ombudsman Peter Boshier.

It was fascinating to learn about the tremendous impact he had during his decade of service. At first glance, that might seem expected—after all, he was the national ombudsman with the backing of Parliament. But when he stepped into the role, he shared that the office was seen as ineffective—a place where issues went to die according to some comical YouTube videos. But through commitment to true neutrality, stronger transparency of process, reframing the work as problem-solving, and thoughtful recommendations, he demonstrated the value of the role and reshaped public perception. The results? Utilization of the office doubled.

IOA is collecting 2024 compensation data for the upcoming 2025 Compensation Survey. This information is critical in helping ombuds advocate for fair and equitable salaries, as well as supporting those establishing new offices or expanding existing ones.

However, the survey is only valuable if we receive broad participation. To continue producing this important resource, we need maximum response from the community.

Compensation surveys...

For the past several years, IOA has engaged in a regular association best practice of soliciting “non-dues revenue” in the form of sponsorship dollars. This helps defray the rising costs of activities and events.   

Sponsorship Solicitation Process:

In 2025, over 50 entities were approached for sponsorship through time-intensive outreach conducted by members of our Strategic Finance Advisory Committee (SFAC). Six entities responded. Three of the six had sponsored with IOA before, and three were new to sponsorship with IOA. This number may seem small for the extent of the outreach. IOA has historically had limited opportunities to engage sponsors compared to other associations. This is due to the impartiality and independence of the ombuds role, and the few benefits we are able to offer.   

IOA was once again a sponsor of the Clery Center's annual National Campus Safety Awareness Month's Summit on September 10, 2025. The Clery Center provides technical assistance and advocacy on campus security issues and helps educate stakeholders around the Campus Security Authority (CSA) designation. Being named a CSA could impact an ombuds' ability to maintain confidentiality around campus security issues. This sponsorship provides IOA with an opportunity to explain our work, define how ombuds fit into the campus ecosystem, and to educate that ombud who practice to standards do not need to be designated as CSAs.  

Sarah Klaper, Immediate Past President and University Ombudsperson at Northwestern University, joined me in this effort. Below is an excerpt from our introductory comments that we hope may be useful to you in your education of your offices.   

You may have the word Ombuds but may not know how they may fit into your campus ecosystem or how they relate to this upcoming session.   

As you know, IOA has revamped its certification options, creating the new Ombuds Certification Program that includes certification for both individuals and programs. In December 2024, we stopped accepting applications for the CO-OP designation and in May 2025, we introduced the new criteria and process to apply for the new individual certification. Last month, we began accepting applications for programs to be certified. 

The Board of Certification has been busy discussing how best to transition current CO-OP over to the new program. Last month, the Board met and acted on several recertification issues: 

1. Determined a date to stop processing recertification applications under the old CO-OP system, 

We recognize that many ombuds offices—both in the U.S. and around the world-are navigating budget constraints that can limit access to valuable professional development opportunities. In response, IOA is pleased to offer a limited number of supported registrations for current members to attend the 2025 September Symposium, taking place on 30 September.

If you no longer have access to professional development funding but would benefit from participating in the September Symposium, we encourage you to reach out to me by 1 September to express your interest.  

We especially welcome applications from our international colleagues.

Hearing directly from C-suite leaders about the value and impact of organizational ombuds is exactly what the newly launched Ally Video Project is all about.

Thanks to the support of Pinterest, AllianceBernstein, and Boston Children's Hospital, these inaugural videos from the corporate sector offer powerful insights into the ombuds role—seen through the eyes of organizational leadership.

We hope these videos support you in describing your work and inspire other organizations to consider establishing an ombuds office.