Ombuds Term Paper for Sale

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In recent years, as the value of an ombudsman program has become apparent, many governmental, private sector, and academic organizations have chosen to design and implement a program. Simply stated, almost any organization can benefit from the informal dispute prevention and resolution processes offered by Ombudsmen. (Coalition of Federal Ombudsmen, 2006) Every level in an organization benefits from the neutral and unbiased guidance provided by the Ombudsman, whether it is effective and efficient conflict resolution to providing acceptable guidelines to codes of conduct within organization. The Ombudsman’s neutral position provides an opportunity for concern or complaint to be freely expressed without the fear of repercussion from others. 

(TermpaperWarehouse.)

IOA Stands for More Than You Might Think

According to Wikipedia, the International Ombudsman Association is the primary definition of IOA. However the acronym also stands for:

• Indian Olympic Association
• Institute of Acoustics
• Institute of Astronomy
• Irish Orienteering Association
• Indiana Optometric Association
• International Ozone Association
• International Ornithological Association
• International Ostomy Association
• Institute of Acoustics
• Institute of Astronomy
• Institute of Outdoor Advertising
• Ioannina, Greece (airport code)

(Wikipedia; Acronym Finder.)

Now you know.

Dilbert Update: Former UMass Ombuds Responds

An editorial by Alan Lincoln, the former Ombud for UMass and founding editor of the Journal of IOA, thanked cartoonist Scott Adams for bringing attention to the important work of Ombuds, but sought to clarify misperceptions.

Having worked for many years as a university ombuds, I do find the strips funny but perhaps a bit misleading. Organizational ombuds adhere to a strict code of ethics and standards of procedure developed by the members and board of the International Ombudsman Association. [...] Visitors to our offices are offered a safe, independent, neutral and confidential opportunity to address their unresolved concerns. [...] We do not replace the recognized formal options for problem solving, but add to these. [...] We recognize that even the most frustrated members of the community tend to remain within the organization and attempt to provide both short term and longer term strategies for all parties to reach their full potential.

(Portsmouth Herald.)

Lincoln retired from his position as Ombuds at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell in 2008, but continued as the editor of the Journal of IOA for another year. Apparently, you can take the person out of the Ombuds office, but not the Ombuds out of the person.

Related posts: First Ombuds at U. Mass. Lowell Set to Retire; Former UMass Ombuds and JIOA Editor Transitioning to Private Practice; Dilbert: The New Ombudsman.

Dilbert: The New Ombudsman

Um...thanks?

Update 2/19/20: Blogger Diane Levin offers her take on whether Dilbert's lampoon of Ombuds is a harbinger at The Mediation Channel.

Secretary-General Meets UN Ombuds

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) poses for a picture with John Barkat, United Nations Ombudsman, at a reception hosted by Mr. Barkat to welcome new mediation staff to his Office. (UN Photo.) Apparently, the new staff had to resort to photobombing.

Related posts: Barkat Appointed U.N. Ombuds; UN Ombuds Reports on Activities Amid Concerns Over Progress on Reformed Justice System.

Update: Colbert Accepts Olympics Oval Ombuds Offer

Stephen Colbert, the satirical late night comedy talk show host, has accepted an offer to attend the Winter Olympics as an Ombuds for US speed skaters. Earlier this month, Colbert, who is financially supporting the US Olympic Speed Skating Team, accused Canadians of unfairly denying Americans practice time at the Richmond Olympic Oval. In response, the City of Richmond offered to appoint Colbert as an official Ombuds, complete with a costume: "a lovely Richmond Olympic Oval pink toque." Thursday, Colbert said yes. "I have no idea what an ombudsman is, but as long as it requires no effort from me, I proudly accept," he told viewers. He declined, however, to wear the toque. (CBC Sports.)

Prior post: Stephen Colbert Offered Position as Olympic Ombudsman.

Stephen Colbert Offered Position as Olympic Ombudsman

The host of the Colbert Report, who is financially supporting the US Olympic Speed Skating Team and who has accused Canadians of unfairly denying Americans practice time at the Richmond Olympic Oval, has been invited to attend the Winter Games and monitor the treatment of Americans. The City of Richmond has offered to appoint Colbert as an official Ombuds. According to a letter from the city, "We've even created a special uniform for the new Ombudsman's position, consisting of a lovely Richmond Olympic Oval pink toque, which we think would make Mr. Colbert look very officious." (Press Release; National Post.)

Pictured: Your correspondent, not Colbert.

Obama Correctly Pronouces "Ombudsman"

During Tuesday night's Press Conference, President Obama teased a member of the press corps who tried to follow up on a colleague's unanswered question. Obama asked Jake Tapper of ABC News: “Are you the ombudsman for the White House press corps?” Ombuds around the country walked a little taller the next day. (White House Press Office Transcript; LA Times; Hat tip: JZ.)

Related post: Obama and the Future of the ADR Profession; Federal Observers Hope for New Era of Government Openness and Accountability.

Facebook Group Parodies Ombuds

An new group on Facebook spoofs Ombuds and on-line dispute resolution programs. Here are highlights of the Facebook Ombudsman Service:

• It’s our job to help settle individual disputes between various annoyed parties who are at high risk of poking each other into oblivion or something much worse that cannot be spoken of on this page especially if your mental age means that you cannot watch movies like Pirates of the Caribbean.
• We can consider complaints about a wide range of subjects from excessive poking to dealing with those annoying taggers. Each year we deal with half a million enquiries and settle 100,000,000 disputes.
• Don't expect us to be independent or impartial – we're up for sale to the highest bidder.
• We are not a regulator ("watchdog") or a trade body or a consumer champion. Our role is to stick our oar in, play devil's advocate and hopefully finish up with a completely unfair ruling. We believe that it would just be pansy to give both sides a 'fair hearing', I mean where's the fun in that, eh?
• We can often resolve disputes informally, but some cases are more complex and take more time. On average, we settle most disputes within six to nine years. If we are feeling particularly lax...ahem, sorry... if we are particularly busy it could take up to twenty years.
• Facebook users do have to accept any decision we make. We are judge and jury - so there! All decisions are binding both on them and on everyone affected. No seriously now... our decisions are not binding upon any of the parties involved, however, if you choose not to abide by them we will send around the heavies...
• Our service is confidential - we do not publish the names of the complainants whose complaints we handle.... unless they are particularly juicy in which case, we will forward all details to everyone on our friends list.

The unofficial group already has 139 members. (Facebook Ombudsman Service.)

Montreal Irony

As Ombuds finished their five-day conference and prepared to return to their organizations ready to make peace and provide resolution, Montreal was being inundated by fans of mixed martial arts for a UFC twin match. (Globe and Mail.)

It's pretty easy to tell the two groups apart.

Related post: Also in St. Louis This Week...

International Ombudsman Institute and the Republican National Committee Call Off Merger

Talking Points Memo reports that the IOI and RNC have called off efforts to combine operations, citing philosophical differences and an inability to decide which group would get naming priority. Bill Angrick, president of the IOI said, "We were excited because we thought the RNC wanted to transform the party and give working and middle class Americans a voice." However, it is reported that Michael Steele, head of the RNC, lost interest when he learned IOI was actually an organization who stands up for the little people. After an impasse over naming, an IOI staffer suggested alternating the letters in organizations' acronyms (iRoNiC). Angrick decided this was a sign and ceased negotiations. (Talking Points Memo.)

Related post: IOI Newsletter Announces 2009 Conference in Sweden.

ICANN to Consider Update of Ombuds Program

At its next regular board of directors meeting, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers will consider “approving an Ombudsman Framework.” (ICANN Meetings.) One industry watcher, an otherwise apparently rational travel writer, suspects a conspiracy involving the “(illegal) ‘incumbent’ ” and urges nominations for the position of ICANN Ombuds. (ICANN Watch.)

Update 2/27/09: Frank Fowlie, the ICANN Ombuds, explains that the organization is the simply ratifying operational policy and procedures for his office. (ICANN Ombuds Blog.)

Related posts: ICANN Ombuds Launches Blog; ICANN Ombuds Responds to Criticism; ICANN Ombuds Earns Doctorate.

What the Heck is the U.S. Office of the Independent Ombudsman?

This month saw the debut of a curious website for the U.S. Office of the Independent Ombudsman. According to the site, "The OIO comprises of a trusted team of advocates and business advisors providing the highest degree of professional service in resolving complaints, disputes and procedural issues." It offers the following services: Hotline; Research & Investigations; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Mediations; Compliance Issues; and Advocacy. It claims to be a member of USOA, TOA, and IOA. In addition it claims as members many state and local government agencies (including the Texas Youth Commission, Austin ISD, and the University of Texas at Austin), federal government agencies (including the VA, TSA, DOD, and EPA), and corporate entities (PBS/NPR, BP America, IBM, Microsoft, and Neiman Marcus). (USOIO Home.) None of these memberships or members could be confirmed. Moreover, the telephone number provided is not in service.

Other evidence casts doubt on the legitimacy of OIO. Its logo is the coat of arms for Poland. Although located in Texas, the entity is not registered with the Texas Secretary of State. OIO's website says that it is "a division of Mansour Mubaarak & Hogue LLP," a Houston research, management consulting and advocacy firm. Mansour Mubaarak has the same phone number and is the registered owner of the OIO web domain. In addition, Mansour Mubaarak is "an affiliate of Da Vinci & Lombardi SA," a merchant banking and consulting firm with offices in Paris, New York and Houston. (Mansour Mubaarak & Hogue; Da Vinci & Lombardi; Whois Results; Wikipedia - Poland Coat of Arms.)

So, what the heck is the U.S. Office of the Independent Ombudsman? The best explanation may be that it's just a front company. But why? (See Wikipedia - Front Organization; Boing Boing - Donna Blue Aircraft.)

Ombuds Santa

Fred Jenoure, Ombuds for Hartford University, served as Santa Clause for 100 preschoolers from local nursery schools this week. According to press reports, children crowded around Santa, high fiving and hugging him. Each child was able to take a professional picture with Santa to bring home, courtesy of Hartford's President. (UNotes Daily.)

Magazine Explains "Vaguely Named" Ombuds Profession

Mental Floss magazine ("Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix") exposed the most vaguely named and/or unknown professions in our American capitalist system: Surveyor; Orderly; Surgeon General; Best Boy; Baby Wrangler; City Controller; Riverkeeper; and Ombudsman.

This has to be one of the more ominous sounding job titles out there – possibly because it starts with the same two letters as “ominous,” but also because if you need an ombudsman, it probably means some dank, smelly excrement has hit the fan. Whenever you’ve got a potentially explosive and litigious conflict between two entities, these guys are called in to be the middlemen, the mediators, and the last stop on the train to Lawsuit City. They attempt to resolve conflicts between private citizens and the government, disgruntled students and their university, or between an employee and his or her soul-sucking employer. Fired unfairly? Expelled without due process? Denied federal benefits? Tell it to the ombudsman.

Many news organizations (mental_floss excluded) appoint ombudsmen to handle reader complaints. We’ll put this on a list, along with “airline counter employee” and “DMV clerk,” of Jobs for Masochists Only.

Umm ... thanks? (mental_floss.)

Government Manual Suggests Using Bureaucracy as Sabotage

A declassified 1944 field manual from the US Strategic Services, explains how to train people to sabotage their workplace. The list of suggestions include what have become common management practices six decades later:

• Insist on doing everything through “channels.” Never permit short-cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions.
• When possible, refer all matters to committees, for “further study and considera­tion.” Attempt to make the committees as large as possible — never less than five.
• Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible.
• Haggle over precise wordings of com­munications, minutes, resolutions.
• Advocate “caution.” Be “reasonable” and urge your fellow-conferees to be “reason­able” and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on.
• Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the juris­ diction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon.

(Enterprise 2.0, via BoingBoing.)

Just a funny perspective on some of the things Ombuds often work against.

Ombuds Music

Mediators and bloggers, Diane Levin and Christopher Annunziata, have posted lists of songs for mediators. Some of these work for ombuds, too:

• “We Can Work It Out” - John Lennon and Paul McCartney
• “(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” - Elvis Costello
• “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” - The Rolling Stones
• “Come Together” - The Beatles
• “Enjoy the Silence” - Depeche Mode
• “Everything’s Not Lost” - Coldplay
• “No One Said It Would Be Easy” - Sheryl Crow

(Mediation Channel; CKA Mediation and Arbitration Blog.)
Any one else with suggestions?

Negotiation Ground Rules for Writers Strike

Settlement talks between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers resume today. According to a blog written by writers from the Late Show, the following rules will be in effect during the negotiations:

• Each side may bring one giant inflatable animal.
• No hot-dogging or show-boating.
• During the 15 minute break, there will be a musical performance by the National Labor Relations Board's "Rappin' Mediator."
• The AMPTP must withdraw excessively unfavorable proposals if the WGA team chants "Hey hey, ho ho, corporate greed has got to go."
• Each negotiating team member must bring a covered dish.
• To determine the final internet residuals formula, the WGA will pick one of 26 silver briefcases held by models.
• The session will begin with an attempt to resolve a minor negotiating issue: the WGA wants to be able to sit at the table, while the AMPTP is demanding 100% of the chairs for themselves.

(LateShowWritersOnStrike.com.)