As Ombuds, we often find ourselves supporting individuals and groups working in high-stakes, cross-functional, and/or interdisciplinary environments. These spaces can offer tremendous opportunities for innovation. These environments also frequently bring the interpersonal and structural challenges that lead people to our doors. Researchers, in particular, often work within complex collaborations that span departments, institutions, cultures, and differing funding expectations. When roles, expectations, or communication norms are unclear, relational strain can quickly appear. Today's complex research challenges demand effective teams, yet researchers rarely receive training in teamwork skills crucial for collaborative success. How to Succeed at Collaborative Research: A Practical Guide for Teams (L. Michelle Bennett, Howard Gadlin, and Sawsan Khuri (2025)) is a resource for us as Ombuds to help us understand and support those researchers that may come to our office.

Specifically, this book provides guidance that may help us support researchers with tools to build and sustain effective teams. Drawing on organizational psychology, team science and the authors’ own experience, it offers concrete practices for fostering collaborative innovation, managing diverse perspectives and achieving high-impact outcomes. The book is intended for researchers, administrators and facilitators seeking to build high-performing teams. with a special focus on enabling researchers to work effectively across different disciplines, organizations, and sectors to meet the evolving demands of complex research projects.

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.

The Journal of the International Ombuds Association (JIOA) is excited to announce the launch of its inaugural Ombuds Conflict to Composition Writing Club, set to begin in April 2025. This innovative program is designed to support ombuds practitioners and aspiring writers in transforming their experiences and insights into impactful publications.

The Ombuds Writing Club will provide participants with a collaborative and supportive virtual environment where they can sharpen their writing skills, receive feedback on drafts, and learn how to navigate the publishing process. Whether you are an ombuds professional eager to share your knowledge or a new writer seeking guidance, this program is tailored to help participants succeed.

Program Highlights

• Bi-Monthly Virtual Meetings: Interactive sessions featuring writing workshops, peer feedback, and guest speakers.
• Asynchronous Support: Access to online resources and ongoing discussions through a dedicated communication platform.
• Expert-Led Workshops: Guidance on topics like turning practice into publishable content, responding to reviewer feedback, and writing for diverse audiences.
• Peer Accountability Groups: Small groups to support goal-setting, draft development, and consistent progress.
• Celebrating Success: Opportunities to showcase published works and milestones.

Who Should Join?

The Ombuds Writing Club is open to ombuds practitioners, researchers, and professionals in related fields who want to:

The University of Maryland is conducting a study about ombuds’ perceptions of their work, and how ombuds care for themselves when engaged in challenging cases. Knowledge gained from this study can be used to inform the education and training of ombuds, and the development of interventions to support ombuds in their work.

The first 25 ombuds who complete the survey will receive a $25 Amazon gift card. The study has been approved by the University of Maryland IRB: 2259543-1.

Participate in the survey: https://go.umd.edu/UMDOmbudsStudy

By Scott B. Cantor, Ph.D.
Ombuds and Professor, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer

There seems to be a specialized vocabulary for IOA members, with many acronyms and abbreviations.  With the goal of getting all ombuds to “speak the same language”, I have created a list of IOA terms and their definitions. 

As noted above, this is a sample of terms and acronyms that may be seen and not immediately recognized as a member of IOA. Please share others that come to mind in the comments below.

Practice Survey in Action: Mary’s Riffs on Organizational Ombuds Sources of Power and Influence, Values, and Effectiveness and the IOA Survey

Watch our recent webinar featuring Mary Rowe and the IOA Practice Survey Team discussing why and how the IOA survey has been helpful to individual organizational ombuds and the profession. 

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Practice Survey. Results will be announced later this year. 

By Kenneth Cloke,

Many political conflicts are taking place on campuses and in communities today over the war in Gaza between Israeli and Palestinian supporters.  Here are a few possible opening questions mediators and dialogue facilitators can use to encourage colleges and universities, groups, communities, and people on both sides or in-between to engage in facilitated dialogue and mediated problem solving.  They are suggestive, are likely to work best in small groups, and are only the beginning of a longer term process of discovering how to talk and learn from each other.  For additional questions and techniques, see my chapter on “the art of asking questions” in The Magic in Mediation.  There are thousands of potentially useful questions - please add a few of your own. 

Questions about the Process

By Alicia Booker, PhD, IOA President & Ellen Miller, IOA Executive Director

A Special Message to IOA Members

In the spirit of believing we are one humankind, and one global community, we must take time to pause and acknowledge the extreme devastation, pain, suffering, and grief that so many are experiencing in our community, our organizations, and in our world. As we move into the season of holidays and family celebrations, our hearts, and thoughts go to all who are suffering.    

By Board Member Sue Diviney and IOA Executive Director Ellen Miller 

If you use Microsoft Teams and Outlook in your work with visitors, we have discovered a possible concern for your office.  Using Teams can create visibility for both the visitor and others in their department given how Teams tracks users.    

How can you see if this is an issue for you?

By the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Committee

Juneteenth (June 19) is approaching soon. It is a United States federal holiday which commemorates the end of slavery, the day when the last enslaved African Americans in Texas were told they were free. It’s a time to reflect on both our history and recent events and how we continue to work to eradicate anti- Black racism in all its forms together. This is an important day of celebration for African Americans and all Americans alike. We recognize that each country - each culture - holds celebrations to commemorate freedom, progress, and inclusion. May we use this space to share important portions of our global histories with one another.

Here are a few resources assembled by the IOA DEIB Committee to help honor and celebrate Juneteenth and increase awareness and understanding of racial equity and inclusion:

• On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed
• Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison
• Listen to a rendition of the Negro National Anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
• Sign up for the 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge, a free online challenge offering daily simple actions to pursue racial justice in your workplace.
• The Washington Race Equity & Justice Initiative (REJI) Organizational Race Equity Toolkit is designed to help organizations, particularly equity and justice-oriented legal organizations, understand and incorporate race equity into their work. Among its tools and resources, the Toolkit provides an assessment tool that organizations, particularly legal organizations, can use to assess and advance their practices, policies, and culture in order to operationalize race equity and support the development of organizational equity plans. Learn more about REJI.
• Check out additional relevant resources the DEIB Committee has shared in the IOA Online CommUnity

By Ellen Miller, Executive Director of IOA

Updated 15 August 2022

The IOA Ombuds has provided upward feedback that our organization may benefit from the creation of a code of conduct for both members and those who participate in association activities. IOA leadership has begun the process to create such a document, but we are only in the drafting stages and need your help.

By the IOA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Committee 

In July 2020, in alignment with Goal 4 of IOA's Strategic Plan, "IOA has a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and engagement," the IOA Board of Directors established a DEIB Task Force. In July 2021, the Task Force broadened its focus and became IOA’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Committee. 

The DEIB Committee has worked diligently since its inception and we are now pleased to announce a framework designed to guide the IOA toward a more inclusive organization. The framework was voted on and approved by the IOA Board of Directors on 1 June 2022.

By the IOA Conference Committee & IOA Board of Directors

The IOA Conference Committee is hard at work planning the 18th Annual IOA Conference, in person in Seattle, WA, USA, 3–5 April 2023. It has been brought to our attention that the event dates run over or are adjacent to a number of major religious holidays including Ramadan, Palm Sunday, and Passover. As an organization that honors diversity and inclusivity, the Conference Committee, staff, and the Board are taking this issue seriously and considering the potential impacts on members as we begin planning the schedule for the Conference. We deeply apologize for the overlap this year and we will work to ensure that the planning allows attendees time to observe religious activities.

We have already explored whether the hotel is able to move our date; unfortunately, the hotel is unable to accommodate us. As you may know, the IOA Annual Conference has typically been held in April with the actual dates dependent upon many factors such as hotel availability and pricing. The contracts for the Annual Conference are typically signed two to three years ahead and changing those contracts is exceptionally difficult under normal circumstances. Because we had to cancel and move hotel contracts in 2020, 2021, and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had very limited options for the 2023 Conference.

By Sue Diviney, Co-Chair, Joint IOA/CO-OP® Accreditation Task Force

In May 2022, IOA announced a Joint IOA/CO-OP® Accreditation Task Force had been formed to advance IOA’s Strategic Direction, specifically, Goal 1.4: Develop a program for accreditation of ombuds offices that are structured to comply with IOA and Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics.

The purpose of the Task Force is to explore the creation of an office accreditation program that will pave the way for refocusing the CO-OP® designation to certify the knowledge, skills, and experience of individuals and remove program requirements from certification. Thus, the group is charged with developing a proposal to accredit programs separately from individual certifications.

By Breanne Taylor

Hello IOA! My name is Breanne Taylor and I am very excited to be serving as the next IOA Ombuds. I have been a member of IOA for almost 10 years and currently serve as the Associate Ombuds at Oregon State University. I am excited to be serving in this role for many reasons but primarily it is the opportunity to work with ombuds across many different sectors, experience levels, and locations that led me to pursue this role. To be in a position to support my fellow ombuds, as they serve their constituents and continue to grow and hone their own abilities within this field, is incredibly energizing.

I want to acknowledge Elaine Shaw, CO-OP®  for all her hard work as the inaugural IOA Ombuds and for the excellent foundation she established for the office. I am excited and eager to be part of its continued success in supporting this community as we adapt to new and perpetual changes. I also want to express my gratitude to Elaine for her warm welcome and guidance as I transition into this role.

Updated Board-Approved Documents Now Available

By IOA

We are pleased to announce that the IOA Board of Directors approved the final, revised Standards of Practice (SOP) and Code of Ethics (COE) at its meeting on 17 March 2022. The new documents are now in effect and are available for download on the IOA website. Current SOP & COE translations include, Amharic, Chinese, French, French Canadian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Latin American Spanish, and Thai. If you would like to suggest another language to add to our translation list, please email the IOA office at [email protected].

Watch Part One and Part Two of the 2022 Good Day IOA interview between Ronnie Thomson, IOA 2022-2023 President and Ellen M. Miller, IOA Executive Director. Learn about their roles and what's on the horizon for IOA. 

View Part One on YouTube

View Part Two on YouTube

By Ellen M. Miller, IOA Executive Director

IOA Is Looking to Talk to Ombuds Allies

Many ombuds have allies who understand and promote the value and effectiveness of the ombuds office. Whether they are general counsel, Title IX or Clery coordinators, risk managers, HR or compliance professionals, CEOs, presidents, chancellors, or superintendents (just to name a few), these allies help advocate for the ombuds role within an organization.

In alignment with Goal 2 of our Strategic Plan, "Organizational leaders in key sectors understand and value the ombuds function, and IOA," we would like to gain additional insight into the perspectives of these allies and see if they can help us tell your story, especially to their peers.  Are you willing to make an introduction?  If you have a champion in your organization, please reach out to me via email at [email protected] or give me a call at +1 (619) 943-0792.

By Ion Anghel, Head of the Ombuds Department of OMV Petrom, Romania

Over the last decade, I have been involved in the life of this department on a constant basis, first from the outside (as an advisor to its activities) and then from its core, as Director of this function. Looking back over time, I can say that the Ombuds’ mission here in OMV Petrom was never an easy one. This statement may surely be confirmed by all international Ombuds colleagues who have had the difficult task of launching an Ombudsman program in a company (or even more, a country) with little or no experience on this topic.

Moreover, the last years have been particularly challenging, as we have seen the whole world deal with the effects of the Covid pandemic. I think that in this new era, the importance of having somebody to talk to and address your concerns has proven to be so much more significant than before. For this reason, we have tried to stay in contact with the people in our organization even when physical presence became scarcer than before, to prevent the feeling of isolation and help build the necessary bridges to move forward. At the same time, we have had to re-invent ourselves on both a personal and professional level, as probably many of you have been required to.