Two Ombuds Elected to IOA Board

The International Ombudsman Association has announced the results of a special election held at the end of June.  From the six nine nominees, two new directors were elected to the IOA Board:

• Lois Petzold, Ombuds for the International Monetary Fund and Chair of the IOA Legal & Legislative Affairs Committee. Petzold received the highest number of votes and will fill the balance of Pierre Niedlespacher's three-year term on the Board. 

• Indumati Sen, Ombudsman for the International Baccalaureate Organization and member of LLAC and International Committee. Sen received the second highest number of votes and will fill the balance of Don Noack's one-year term on the Board.

Both Petzold and Sen are Certified Organizational Ombudsman Practitioner and their terms will start immediately. (IOA News.)

Related posts: International Monetary Fund Announces New Ombuds; International Baccalaureate Appoints New Ombuds; Coca-Cola's Canadian Ombuds Retires; IOA Opens Special Election.

Journal of IOA Explores Issues of Confidentiality

The latest issue of the Journal of the International Ombudsman Association looks at the fundamental ethical duty of confidentiality. JIOA Editor David Miller says, “the provision of a safe place in which options for action and response can safely be heard, away from the clamour of police sirens and media-fuelled public approbation, can help to protect the individual and public interest by ensuring that matters have a greater likelihood of swift resolution.”

Articles in the current issue of JIOA include:

• “In Whom Can We Trust?” by David Miller
• “Protecting Confidentiality: Considerations for the Ombudsman Subjected to Adverse Publicity or a Subpoena to Testify” by Charles L. Howard
• “Lessons Learned: A Revisit to the Garstang vs. California Institute of Technology Ruling” by Helen Hasenfeld
• “Ombuds in a Cloud of Exabytes — Understanding the Ombuds’ Digital Trail” by Craig B. Mousin
• “Can We Talk? Confidentiality and the Ombudsman as an Individual” by Indumati Sen
• “What Happens to Confidentiality if the Visitor Refuses to Report Unacceptable Behavior?” by Mary Rowe
• “Practice Note: Imminent Risk — A Serious Exception to Confidentiality” by Ilene Butensky
• “An Ombudsman’s Role in the Face of Confidentiality Violations” by Nicholas Diehl
• “Online Dispute Resolution and Ombudsmanship” by Frank Fowlie
• “The Conflict Competent Organization: Assessing the Perceived Economic Value of the Corporate Ombuds Office” by Jason A. Waxman

(JIOA, vol. 4, no. 2.)

Related posts: Journal of IOA Appoints New Editor; Journal of IOA Now Available Through EBSCO; Journal of IOA Highlights Bullying Issues; Journal of IOA Focuses on Fairness and Equity; Journal of IOA Seeks Articles for Issue on Confidentiality.

IOA Opens Registration and Posts Agenda for 2012 Conference

Registration is now open for the Seventh Annual Conference of the International Ombudsman Association on April 13–18, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency in Houston, Texas. Special pricing is being offered for attendees who also register for Ombuds 101. Priority registration closes on March 23. IOA has also posted an expected agenda for the conference.

Day One -- Monday, April 16, 2012

Conference Welcome & Opening Remarks

Keynote Address: David Yamada, Professor of Law, Suffolk University Law School

IOA Pre-Annual Business Meeting Discussion (Limited to IOA Members Only)

Lunch

Concurrent Sessions

• Resolving 21st Century Disputes with a Pre-Historic Mind (Geoff Drucker, Manager, Dispute Resolution Services, American Health Lawyers Association)
• Understanding Your Cultural Patterns Across Conflict Styles (Bernard Anderson, Associate University Ombuds, Kennesaw State University; Deidra Dennie, Director of EEO, Kennesaw State University)
• Confidentiality as a Standard of Practice, Challenged and Challenging (Ilene Butensky, VP Office of the Ombuds, Eaton Corporation; Nicholas Diehl, Deputy Ombudsman, American Red Cross; Charles Howard, Partner, Shipman & Goodwin LLP; Craig Mousin, University Ombudsperson, DePaul University; The JIOA Editorial Board)
• Supervisors are People, Too: Ombuds Work with Managers (Kirsten Schwehm, Ombudsperson, Louisiana State University; Jim Wohl, Ombudsperson, Auburn University)
• The Ombuds as Trainer (Melissa Brodrick, Ombudsperson, Harvard Medical School/Dental School/School of Public Health; David Michael, Deputy Ombudsman, National Institutes of Health)
• Systems Thinking in the Ombuds Office: Theory, Tools, and Practice (Howard Gadlin, Ombudsman, National Institutes of Health; Wendell Jones, Ombudsman (Emeritus), Sandia National Laboratories; Jan Morse, Ombudsman, University of Minnesota)

Concurrent Sessions

• Why Internationally Mobile Students Need (more) Internationally Active Ombudsmen (Josef Leidenfrost, Austrian Student Ombudsman)
• Rethinking the Ombuds Role When Mediating (Howard Gadlin, Ombudsman, National Institutes of Health; David Michael, Deputy Ombudsman, National Institutes of Health)
• Exposing the Best Kept Secret - Ombudsing Works (Ilene Butensky, Eaton Corporation)
• Case Review with an Experienced Ombuds (Tom Sebok, Director, Ombuds Office, University of Colorado, Boulder; Mary Chavez Rudolph, Associate Director, Ombuds Office, University of Colorado Denver)
• The Neuro-Ombuds: Apollo 13, the Ombudsman and Helping Visitors Create Breakthroughs (Mauricio Ramos, Corporate Ombudsman, Sandia National Labs)
• Managing the “Proximity Effect” – Impact on Ombuds’ Visitor Demographics and Office Utilization in Global Organizations (Patricia Lynch, Ombudsman, United Technologies Corporation; Odile Rheaume, Respectful Workplace Advisor Program Administrator, The World Bank Group; Thomas Zgambo, Ombudsman, The World Bank Group)

Cocktails with the IOA Board

Day Two -- Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Keynote Address: Michael Dues, Lecturer, University of Arizona, Management Consultant

IOA Annual Business Meeting (Limited to IOA Members Only)

Concurrent Plenary Sessions (for Non-Members)

• The Ombuds Behind the Scenes (Jayla Henry, Halliburton)

Lunch / Lunch for Ombudsman New to the Profession & First Time Attendees*

Concurrent Sessions

• Analyze This! Adapting the Law School IRAC Framework to Ombuds Case Analysis (Donna Douglass Williams, Ombudsperson, World Health Organization; Indumati Sen, Ombudsman, International Baccalaureate Organization)
• Corporate Organizational Ombudsman Round Table (Amos Morale, Ombudsman, Marathon Oil Company; Gary Yamashita, Manager, Global Office of Ombuds, Chevron Corporation)
• A Classical Ombudsman's Survival in Tough Economic Times (Stephanie Maxberry, Ombudsman, Los Angeles County Office of Ombudsman)
• The Process of Bullying (Sue Theiss, University Ombudsman, Oregon State University)
• Increasing Your Effectiveness with Visitors: Establishing Rapport and Engaging in Case Reflection (Mary Chavez Rudolph, Ombudsman, University of Colorado Denver; Howard Gadlin, NIH Ombudsman, National Institutes of Health; Patricia Ponce, Associate Ombuds, California Polytechnic State University; Tom Sebok, Director, Ombuds Office, University of Colorado Boulder)
• Latest Developments in the Certified Organizational Ombudsman Practioner® (CO-OP®) Program (Constance Bernard, Ombudsman, The World Bank Group; Wendy Friede, Consulting Ombuds, Friede Consulting Services; Jennifer Moumneh, Associate Ombudsman, University of California, Irvine; Albin Swenson, Ombudsman, Chevron Corporation; Marsha Wagner, University Ombuds Officer, Columbia University)

Sector Forum Discussions

• Academic
• ADR
• Corporate
• Government
• International
• Other

Day Three -- Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Keynote Address: Sherry D. Williams, Esq., Sr. VP, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, Halliburton

General Session (Thomas Zgambo, Ombudsman, The World Bank Group)

Volunteer Recognition Luncheon

Concurrent Sessions

• A Quest for Fairness (Douglas Melville, Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (Canada))
• Straight Thinking: Common Logical Fallacies an Ombuds Should Know (Brian Bloch, Ombudsman, ISKCONResolve)
• Inclusion of the Physically Challenged in the Workforce (Chantal Perreault, President, Ombudsman Solution)
• Employment Law for Ombuds – What do we really need to know? (Judy Bruner, UC San Diego)
• Ombudsman Pecha Kucha (Nicholas Diehl, Deputy Ombudsman, American Red Cross)
• The Culture Bump® Approach: Embracing our Prejudices… An Ombudsman’s Guide to Universal Connections (Carol Archer, Instructor, University of Houston; Jim Wohl, Ombudsman, Auburn University; Stacey Nickson, Assistants Director, Biggio Center, Auburn University)
• Concurrent Sessions What Would You Do? (Melinda Miner, Sr. Ombudsman and Analyst, Halliburton Dispute Resolution Program)
• What To Do With All That Data?! (Kelley Alexander, Ombudsperson, Georgia State University)
• You Can Remain Plugged In – Using Electronic Communication and Remaining Confidential – The Next Generation (Craig Mousin, University Ombudsperson, DePaul University; Arlene Yetnikoff, Director of Information Security, DePaul University)
• The Sustainable Ombuds: Taking Charge of Taking Care (R. Ellen Schreiber, Ombuds, University of Idaho)
• Corporate Organizational Ombudsman Round Table (Amos Morale, Ombudsman, Marathon Oil Company; Gary Yamashita, Manager, Global Office of Ombuds, Chevron Corporation)
• Ombudsing in a VUCA World (Dr. Patrick Robardet, Montreal (French) School Board)

(IOA 2012 Conf. Info.)

Related posts: IOA Posts Agenda for 2011 Conference; IOA Announces Keynote Speakers for 2012 Conference.

IOA Elects Six to Board in 2012

The International Ombudsman Association has announced the results of its recent board election. The following individuals who have been elected to serve three-year term as Directors starting on April 14, 2012: Ilene Butensky, Doris Campos-Infantino, Isabel Calderon, Indumati Sen, and Ted Williamson. In addition, Nora Farrell, was elected to a two-year term as Associate Member Representative.

Prior post: Election Opens for 2012 IOA Board of Directors.

List of Certified Ombuds Expands to 45

Less than a year after it was implemented, the certification program for Organizational Ombuds has certified 45 individuals. The following individuals have demonstrated they have at least a year of experience and practice to the IOA Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice:

• Frank R. Baskind, Virginia Commonwealth University
• Constance Bernard, The World Bank
• Wayne Blair, University of North Carolina
• Victoria Brown, University of Central Florida
• Maria Helena Darcy de Oliveira, ICATU Hartford
• Nancy Deering, Newark Public Schools
• Scott M. Deyo, U.S. Department of Defense
• Diane Dorion, Royal Bank of Canada
• Mimmo Domenic Gaetano, Mars, Inc.
• Dorothy Graham, Kennesaw State University
• Kellie S Harmon, University of Kansas
• Latryce Gathing-Harris, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc.
• Diedrick A. Graham, Princeton University
• George Michael Kilpatrick, Bridgepoint Education
• Danielle Fischer-LeBailly, Mars, Inc
• Lisa M. Neale, University of Colorado Denver
• Pierre Niedlispacher, Coca-Cola Enterprises
• Amanda Pace, The Coca-Cola Company
• Laurie Patterson, Akron General Health System
• David Rasch, Stanford University
• Indumati Sen, University of California, Riverside
• Suzy Rosen Singleton, Gallaudet University
• Carol Stewart, Mount Holyoke College
• Noriko Tada, GUIDEA
• David Talbot, Coca-Cola Enterprises
• Thomas Zgambo, World Bank Group

These individuals may now assert that they are "Certified Organizational Ombudsman Practitioners." (CO-OP News.)

Related post: CO-OP Board Announces First Class of Certified Ombuds.

Election Opens for 2012 IOA Board of Directors

The International Ombudsman Association has announced the slate for the 2011 Board of Directors election. As it has in the past, the Ombuds Blog provides links to public information about the candidates to supplement the official ballot statements.

Nominees for the five open directors positions are:

• Bernard Anderson -- LinkedIn; Ombuds Blog;
• Ilene Butensky -- Eaton Corp.; Ombuds Blog;
• Isabel Calderon (incumbent) -- LinkedIn; Ombuds Blog;
• Doris Campos-Infantino (incumbent) -- Interamerican Development Bank;
• Dolores Gomez-Moran -- George Mason University; Ombuds Blog
• Reto Meister -- LinkedIn;
• Indumati Sen (incumbent) -- International Baccalaureate; Ombuds Blog; and
• Ted Williamson -- LinkedIn; Ombuds Blog.

The nominee for the single associate member representative position is:

• Nora Farrell -- Ryerson University; Ombuds Blog.

Voting, which is open only to IOA members, closes Monday, December 12, 2011 at 5pm Pacific Standard Time (8pm EST). Results of the election will be sent out via email in January, and a formal announcement to members will be made at the IOA conference in April.

Related posts: IOA Announces Board Nominees (2008); Slate for 2009 IOA Board Election; IOA Voids Election Results, Reopens Voting; IOA Announces Board Election Results (2010); IOA Opens Balloting for 2011 Board of Directors.

IOA to Offer Training at the Asia Pacific Mediation Leadership Summit

The International Ombudsman Association presents a specialized training course on December 1, 2011 in Bangkok: "Tsunamis at the Water Fountain, Navigating Workplace Disputes." The program will be held in conjunction with and preceding the Asia Pacific Mediation Leadership Summit.

This one-day specialized course will explore the nature of work in the 21st century and the dynamics of workplace interaction. It will introduce the participants to the effective use of the Organizational Ombudsman in helping organizations address workplace conflict through an independent, confidential, impartial and informal channel. The instructors will be Ashok Panikkar, Executive Director of Meta-Culture, and Indumati Sen, Ombudsman, The International Baccalaureate Organization. (IOA Registration Info.; Asia Pacific Mediation Leadership Summit; Meta-Culture Bio.)

Related posts: Ombuds Training in Bangkok [2009]; International Baccalaureate Appoints New Ombuds; Two Ombuds Elected to IOA Board; World Bank Appoints a Third Ombuds.

IOA Updates Course Offering for Santiago

The International Ombudsman Association has changed the specialized course it will offer offer in Santiago, Chile on January 18, 2012. The new course is: "The Power of Influence: The hidden strength of ADR to advance fairness and justice."

The course description:

While disparities and inequity permeate both societies and institutions, dispute resolution professionals are increasingly used as a means to promote fairness. But, do neutrals really have that kind of power or influence? This one day course will explore these questions as well as the real and perceived power of the designated neutral. Drawing on notions of procedural justice, fairness, and theories of power, the course will use case studies and exercises in an interactive format to help participants consider the issue of impartiality, neutrality and power while considering how they can influence the cause of fairness when parties negotiate at an uneven table.

The instructors will be Howard Gadlin (National Institutes of Health), Indumati Sen (International Baccalaureate), Linda Wilcox (Harvard Medical School), and John Barkat (United Nations). Early registration ends December 30, 2011.  (IOA Training.)

Prior post:  IOA Offers Ombuds Training in Santiago.