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.

 A message from our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging (DEIAB) committee

On October 9, 2025, we join Ombuds professionals globally to honor Ombuds Day, under the theme “Ombuds: Empowering Voices, Resolving Challenges.” This year, we especially recognize the powerful intersection between the Ombuds role and our shared commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging (DEIAB).

Ombuds serve as trusted, confidential and impartial partners within organizations, amplifying voices that may otherwise go unheard and easing tensions with respectful, equitable solutions.

Dear In Practice,

I’m confused about what to do when visitors copy or blind copy me on emails without warning or explanation. I respect visitor self-determination, and I typically avoid intervening absent an explicit agreement with the visitor about why and how I would do so.

October 11th is National Coming Out Day. This day is set aside for folks identifying as LGBTQIA+ to publicly share their internal identity. It celebrates the right to live authentically and without fear. It’s a reminder that identity, across race, culture, gender and orientation, should never be a barrier to belonging. Coming out, or inviting someone in, is a personal and courageous act of reclaiming that right.

This message aligns deeply with Ombuds work. We are proactive allies for everyone. We don’t wait for crises to erupt or tensions to build. We offer a safe, confidential and judgment-free space to explore difficult emotions, share experiences and seek support.

Guided by our principles of independence, impartiality, informality and confidentiality, we as Ombuds practitioners help individuals speak their truth and navigate challenges with dignity and care.

From IOA's Communications Committee,

Every October, Ombuds Day offers an opportunity to highlight the valuable role Ombuds play in organizations, communities, and institutions. Whether you’re an organizational ombuds, classical ombuds, or advocate for the profession, the day is a chance to spread awareness, educate the public, and showcase the positive impact of Ombuds.

The good news? You don’t need a big budget to make a big impact. Here are some low-cost and creative ways Ombuds can celebrate Ombuds Day and help others understand the role:

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...

As we move towards a thoughtful, gathering season in the Northern Hemisphere, I find myself reflecting on the weight and complexity of the challenges many in our community are navigating. I can’t find another word other than “challenges." After many conversations with different members over the last few weeks, I’m realizing it’s not a single challenge; the challenges are myriad. There is as much commonality as there is difference, making this feel like a big, un-nameable, unwieldy blob of challenge.

What I can hope to give voice to is the cumulative impact of those challenges on many within our community. I am speaking from the heart on this one. As I do, my hope is that my personal experience resonates.

I am tired. I am tired of feeling unsettled and uncertain. I am tired of the unnecessary vulnerability those I care for feel daily. I am tired of the work it takes to hold onto what matters: discourse without disrespect, disagreement without dehumanization, a shared sense of mattering, and a shared desire to understand.

Dear In Practice,

In my role as ombuds, I regularly offer workshops on navigating conflict, effective communication, and related topics. I love working with groups and have also had occasion to facilitate listening sessions, restorative circles, and other group processes. I see these as important opportunities for capacity building and also as a way to more publicly add value within my organization. Sometimes these services are requested in response to ongoing climate concerns or after a challenging incident within a department. At times, attendance is required. I’ve drawn a line and declined to provide my organization with the names of those who attend these events, but the very fact that I’m working with what feels like a captive audience makes me uneasy. I felt similarly when I was in the academic sector and would sometimes be asked to join a faculty member’s class to lead a restorative intervention with students. Is it ethical for an ombuds to lead or facilitate processes where those in attendance are required to be there?

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.   

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.   

Celebrating a Year of In Practice

It’s been a year since In Practice published our first column. We are thrilled that what started as a conversation among colleagues has developed into a lively public forum discussing the ethical dilemmas we often face as ombuds. The interest in the discussion is clear as the column’s posts regularly receive the largest readership on The Independent Voice blog.

We were pleased to learn that the column’s contents are prompting important real-time conversations in ombuds program staff meetings, one-on-one mentoring sessions, graduate studies classrooms, and at ombuds-related forums. Engagement was our goal - and we hope for even more going forward.

Leadership in the ombuds world is meaningful, complex, and often isolating — especially for those of us supervising staff, managing internal dynamics, and leading our offices through institutional change.

That’s why I’m launching the Ombuds Administrator Roundtable — a casual, peer-led bi-monthly space for ombuds leaders who supervise staff and lead ombuds programs.

This isn’t a training. There’s no PowerPoint, no facilitator, and no deliverables. It’s an informal, confidential space to talk shop, reflect on our work, and support one another as leaders.

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.

Dear In Practice,

I have held a range of roles over the twenty years I’ve worked for my institution. Prior to my appointment as ombuds, I was a center director (supervising a small staff,) a student program liaison (supervising students working on undergraduate research projects,) and a faculty leadership development consultant (helping faculty navigate leadership and career progression concerns.) Since becoming an ombuds, I have been contacted by former students, faculty colleagues, and direct reports, asking me to serve as a reference. I feel awkward about all of the requests, although each has its own unique context: sometimes the requester is still affiliated with my institution, sometimes they are not; sometimes the opportunity being sought is internal and sometimes it’s external; sometimes the person asking is someone I’ve supervised and other times it’s someone I’ve come to know through other means. I’ve even had a request from a fellow ombuds, whom I’ve never worked with, to be a reference for an ombuds role they’ve applied for. While I feel flattered that my opinion of others seems to be valued, I don’t know where to draw the line. As an ombuds, are there circumstances under which me providing a reference is ethical and when do I “just say no?”