Advocacy Committee Update:  

Our Advocacy Committee is hard at work preparing resources members can use across sectors to help advocate for ombuds offices in their organizations. These include:  

1) An IOA Organizational Engagement “Triage” Template

The purpose of this project is to help create a template/checklist for members to use in supporting and defending programs from challenges, and to help sort issues for potential “self-help” tools (e.g., a litigation hold response letter) prior to seeking IOA assistance.  

2) Subpoena/Litigation Hold Response Guide

The purpose of this project is to help provide guidance and templates for response to litigation-related (or formal process-related) requests for ombuds involvement (e.g., documents, testimony).

3) Dual-Role Ombudsing Checklist

The purpose of this project is to help provide guidance, templates and considerations in establishing or serving in an organizational ombuds role while continuing in another role within the organization.

Although these resources will help ombuds regardless of where they practice, it is important we consider the perspectives of ombuds from different sectors and countries.  

WE NEED YOU! Are you an ombuds in the corporate sector, government sector, with an NGO, a K-12 ombuds or are practicing outside the US? If so, we would benefit from your help. The Advocacy Committee is co-chaired by Sarah Klaper and Mark Patterson and meets the 2nd Monday of each month at 10:00 AM Pacific/11:00 Central/1:00 PM Eastern, 8:00 PM CET or 2nd Tuesday of each month in the Asia Pacific Region. Please let Ellen Miller know if you are interested in any of these projects and would like to contribute. 

And in case you missed it, IOA created a new primer to help general counsel and program designers understand the US case law and statutory framework around ombuds confidentiality. This can also be adapted for various regions globally.   

Ellen M. Miller (she/her) 

Executive Director