Resources for Members and Why Explaining Your Value Is More Important Than Ever

31 January 2025

We know that so many in our US Government and US Higher Ed communities are being upended by uncertainty and the impact of new policies.  We also know you  may need to justify your roles and offices now more than ever.  To help support you, we wanted to share some resources, including some talking points that may be useful: 

1. First and foremost, please know we are here for you.  Please reach out to IOA (President Sarah Klaper, members of the Board, Executive Director Ellen Miller) or your ombuddies if you need support, a sound board or just a friend.   If there is something you need, please do not hesitate to let us know. 

2. We have launched Quarterly Wellness Check-Ins to create a safe space for you and your colleagues.  These sessions will take place the first Thursday of the second month of each quarter.  The next one is February 6 at 8 am Pacific. If additional sessions are needed, we will host pop-up events like we did in December.  Community Connections continue and the next one (in April) focuses on advocating for your office. 

3. As a reminder, IOA has two Ombuds available to members to help process and address issues at your home organization.  Here is a link to more information about Laura and Tyler and how to connect with them. 

4. If you need to update your email address or phone number to stay connected with IOA, log into your profile and you can make changes directly.   

5. Finally, we have collected the following information and created some talking points to help explain your office, and the value of your role for today’s environment.  Now more than ever, we need to talk about ombuds work through the lens of what’s in it for the organization vs. the impact we have on the humans in those organizations.  While we know the significant impact organizational ombuds have on conflict, morale, attendance, retention and climate, that value proposition is only one part of the role.  It is also a potentially less impactful way to describe the value of an office to decision makers that are charged with ensuring an organization fulfills its mission or who are focused on efficiency and effectiveness.  

• We need to focus on the impact that organizational ombuds offices have on the mission of the organization and how properly structured offices (while independent and informal) are part of the risk mitigation ecosystem and a strategic partner to formal channels.  Through your work, you identify patterns and trends that mitigate/deter lawsuits.  Without you, more complaints and lawsuits are filed.  

• Because of this, Ombuds directly affect the bottom line for the employers/organizations they serve which equates to cost savings for the organization.  The following lists the percentage of ombuds who dealt with these issues in their office:  

• Identified a significant new issue or pattern of concerns that were not well known or were being ignored:  61% 

• Helped address a change in procedure:  54%

• Significant reduction of reputational risk for the organization or individuals by settling a serious dispute:  42%

• Effective safe handling of an "early warning" or whistleblowing 36%

• High probability of having helped to prevent a likely disastrous outcome 33%

• Significant cost savings from reduction in lawsuits or formal complaints (under FOIA, EEO, OSHA, etc.): 31% 

• By utilizing ombuds services and ombuds functions (mediation, facilitated discussion, training to name just three) compared to the costs associated with traditional litigation, ombuds significantly help mitigate both costs and pressures on legal departments: less cases are filed that requires legal department time, this reduces the expenses to work up a case (including hiring outside counsel), and costs related to settling cases are saved.  These costs far outweigh the cost of an ombuds office.  

• Due to the confidential nature of ombuds work, ombuds are able to alert decision makers of concerns related to safety and national security. Of the fulltime ombuds who responded to IOA’s most recent Practice Survey, 91% dealt with safety issues generally, 76% dealt with whistleblower issues, and 11% dealt with National Security issues 

• Ombuds also help with a significant reduction in reputational risk for the organization or individuals.  This contributes to bolstering trust in organizations and again, impacting the number of lawsuits that are filed. 

• Ombuds have two roles:  to help organizations be more efficient and to help stakeholders.  Because we are confidential and independent, we see patterns and trends that identify organizational bottlenecks and highlight contradictory information (to name a few). This allows for corrections to be made which directly contributes to healthy functioning, efficient organizations.  97% of ombuds work with compliance offices to help them to identify, address and manage systemic concerns to help address organizational efficiency.  Our work helping stakeholders means managers, decision makers and others in the workforce can better focus on the mission and goals of the organization.  

• Ombuds help with training on repeat stakeholder issues impacting the organization and help normalize new policies, especially during times of transition.  

We realize most of the community got into ombuds work to help stakeholders and therefore this language focused on organization value, impact and ROI may be less comfortable.  This is why we want to provide you with talking points that may better resonate with organizational leaders.   

This is also another opportunity to connect with the offices/channels/leadership that depend on your office and services -- who are your allies-- and who can speak about the importance of the office to magnify your message.  

The work you do is critical, especially during times of uncertainty.  Please remember to practice self care, and reach out to IOA and your ombuddies.